🪻The gradual flowering of the garden lupine allows for extended pollination periods, maximizing resource utilization. As the plant blooms over time, it attracts pollinators and ensures continuous reproduction.

Additionally, the symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria enriches the soil with nitrogen, enhancing its fertility. The chemical signals from the plant's roots attract Rhizobium bacteria, which transform into bacteroids within root nodules. These bacteroids receive nutrients from the plant and, in return, convert atmospheric nitrogen into nutrients such as ammonia, benefiting both the plant and the soil ecosystem. This symbiosis contributes to the productivity of the garden lupine and its surrounding environment.

However, this popular neophyte tends to become wild and its rapid and widespread growth can alter native ecosystems and lead to a loss of biodiversity. It can displace native species as it takes up space and water. Its ability to make nutrient-poor soils more fertile can contribute to the loss of habitats that depend on nutrient-poor soils.

Habitats that are low in nutrients include dry and poor grasslands, dunes and heathlands. These biotopes are home to unique species that only live there. Non-native species contribute to their loss and over-fertilization is one of the biggest problems.

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The last days of May were marked by a mix of sunshine and rain showers. Sparkling pearls dance on the leaves of the garden lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus). A beautiful spectacle that inspires admiration and reflection. The plant not only lets the drops roll off, but also collects them. All the light and water flows together and forms a large whole. These radiant pearls clean the leaf surface and are then passed on to the roots. It is native to the oceanic mountain meadows of North America, where the weather is very changeable, including fog and dry periods, so this adaptation could be an advantage. However, its abilities (which go far beyond this) are so good that it is now an invasive species not only in other regions of North America, but worldwide. In Germany, the plant is often used for greening, as here at a road junction. However, it tends to become wild and is already listed as an invasive species. We live in a world that is constantly changing. I can only admire and revere nature, but I also feel so humble in the face of its unforeseeable development. Life is a constant coming and going. However, I am optimistic that we will find our center and return to our roots together: Earth.

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Catching the teardrops of the broken-hearted 🪻

In the past, the love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) was given by young women to their admirers as an expression of rejection.💔

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From a flower's perspective. Today, we are all flowers! 🌸🌻🌼🪻🏵🍀

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Seemingly endless..
along the Grote Nete river.

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The heath in Kessel, Belgium is characterized by heather, swamps, drifting sand and ponds. Heath landscapes are a beautiful example of the interplay of culture and biodiversity. 6000 years ago 80 percent of Europe was still covered by forests. Heath areas naturally occurred only in very rare cases on coasts, in moorland areas and in the mountains. Then people started to use the forests for themselves. They required grazing land and thus not only changed the landscape, but also created new habitats for many different species. The extensive use of deforested and cleared areas resulted in increasingly nutrient-poor soils and grazing animals were bred that are particularly suitable for these areas. The upper layer of soil was regularly removed, mixed with animal manure and burned or applied to fields as fertilizer. The rain washed out the last nutrients and specially adapted plant species settled there, followed by rare animals.

These unique ecosystems survive only through active human intervention, which has been achieved through centuries of heath farming. However, this type of farming has become uneconomical, and a large part of the land has been converted into arable land by applying fertiliser. Other areas became forest again because keeping animals on nutrient-poor areas is associated with lower yields. With the loss of the heathland, numerous animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. And all the beauty that has always inspired painters and poets could simply disappear. It could hardly have been the biodiversity alone that led to active conservation efforts, but rather the cultural connection to this romanticized landscape form. We keep what we find beautiful and we can only find beautiful what we can see.

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Turnhouts Vennengebied is an important heathland in Flanders with moors, heaths and meadows. The nature reserve covers an area of more than 500 ha. Many animals can be seen, including magical moments with grazing sheep in the woods.✨

🌲🌾🐑🌲

It is important that some areas are kept free through grazing so that the unique habitats are not lost due to bush and forest cover. In 1999 a nature development project started to restore the landscape. Land was exchanged in consultation with farmers. Particularly sensitive areas were renovated in this way.

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Kleine Klotteraard and Grote Klotteraard seen from the Bels Lijntje observation tower.

The Campine is a natural region in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands. It mainly consists of extensive moors, wetlands and tracts of sandy heath.

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We walk at least 10,000 steps every day. 😊❤️🙃

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Lovely nature walks ❄️💚🌞

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