04/22/2026
Happy 🌍 Day!
I went to a movie with my family this past weekend. On the surface, it was one of those feel-good, everything-works-out-in-the-end stories. For me, the reality of it felt far from that.
The story showed animal habitats and ecosystems being dismantled to build a road. We saw the effects on the animals, how they were displaced, forced to find new homes, and the natural struggles that came when their habitats were taken from them.
By the end, the tension had built, and the story turned toward hope. We saw the impact of people in power choosing to do the right thing and how it could make a difference for nature. The plot wrapped up neatly. Hopeful. Tied in a bow. All was well again…
But when it ended, I felt a profound sadness. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the real world isn’t so neatly fixed. The reality is, a lot of the protections that help keep our air, water, and ecosystems safe are being pulled back right now, quietly and sometimes all at once. It leaves you sitting with this strange mix of emotions. Hope from what could be. Heaviness from what is.
The truth is, I’m still working through my feelings and how to navigate the realities. I know one thing. I can still work with what’s right in front of me.
Nature is still here. The soil is still alive. The bees are still looking for blooms, and the birds are returning from their winter away. Life is persisting all around us.
The way we choose to care for the land, right where we are, still matters. And that doesn’t just mean big spaces or acres of land. It’s our backyards. The edges of schoolyards. The quiet corners along sidewalks, and outside small businesses.
It’s choosing plants that give something back.
It’s leaving a little mess of leaves where life can exist.
It’s noticing what’s already trying to grow and making room for it.
It’s in the way we teach our kids to see the world around them.
The work continues, right here, right now.
Even small actions matter, and change grows from them.
The best way for me to respond to my heavy heart is to keep planting and giving life back to the land. I’d love to help you do the same.
📣So, I’m putting together a small giveaway and would love to welcome all kinds of gardeners, seasoned, new, or somewhere in between. I’ll be picking two winners, and each will receive five of my favorite Wisconsin native plants, something blooming from early spring through fall.
If you want in, here’s what to do:
• Make sure you are following Little Sweet Flower Farm
• Respond directly to this post
• Tell me what you’re planting, what wildlife you hope to attract, or how you’re making space for nature in your backyard or local spaces this spring
• Share this post with someone who cares about this kind of work too
I’ll be picking the winners on Earth Day, April 22nd. Kits will be ready for pickup mid May.
Keep caring, keep showing up, and keep planting for nature in your own spaces. Our pollinators, insects, and birds need us. Where native plants take root, life thrives.
🩷🌎🌿🩷
