#the front yard is considerably smaller than my back yard

[januishstory]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[tameblog]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[tumibaba]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[iamownerofme]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[ramestoryworld]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[alexha2210]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[angusstory]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[romaleen]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[monaleen101]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[shelyold]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[iammeandmy]

A wildlife border is a safe space for local critters and animals to feed, rest, hibernate, and reproduce. By dedicating a small strip of our garden just for the wildlife, we can turn our space into a place that works alongside our local ecosystem rather than fight against it. Those weeds in my front yard? Those are for the pollinators. Those seed heads? I’m leaving them for the birds. That mess of brambles? Those are for the little mammals. That pile of empty plant pots I’ve been meaning to recycle? Well, I wish I could blame those on the wildlife too. As you can probably tell, I treat my garden as a shared space. I’m highly aware that I’m just one facet of a larger ecosystem. Being in an urban space means there’s less refuge for the local fauna, so I try to make sure that my garden is a little haven for them. Wildlife borders are just one way you make your garden more friendly for pollinators, birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects. I know you’re probably picturing a big thicket of leaves and overgrown plants, but I promise you it can still be a beautiful space that fits right into the rest of your garden. Let me show you how. Long-blooming flowers like lavender and feverfew are perfect additions to wildlife borders. What is a Wildlife Border? Traditionally, borders were skinny, long gardening beds that grew alongside pathways, fences, buildings, and other areas in the landscape. Common with English estates, they were very manicured and complete with small hedges and trimmings. In recent years, borders have become popular spots to turn into a refuge for local wildlife. These borders can not only look good, but also become a way to support the local ecosystem. Borders on the edge of properties are often left to naturalize. These borders contain plants that produce berries to feed birds and mammals, flowers to feed and host pollinators, trees and shrubs to create nesting and hiding spaces, and create a safe playground for beneficial insects. A perennial wildlife border alongside a pathway. Designing a Wildlife Border Placement is the first consideration when designing a wildlife border. One that sits untouched at the back of the garden will look very different from one that might line the pathway leading up to your front door. Most borders range from 2 to 3 m long, but it really depends on your space. Think about the size in proportion to the rest of the yard. I like reminding people that it can be as grand as anywhere else in the garden. You can make it a focal piece of the garden if you desire! Tailoring the size of a border to your space will also work with the local wildlife, as smaller spaces will have less wildlife, while larger spaces will have lots of visitors. A wildlife border doesn’t have to look like this wild, unmanaged space. It can look consistent with the rest of your garden. You can easily make your wildlife border fit in through plant choices, colour themes, hardscaping, artwork, size and shape, and more. This border works as a great replacement for turf grass on a sidewalk strip. Plants to Choose Perennials vs Annuals A wildlife border should mostly consist of perennials. The key is to set it and forget it, letting it naturalize the space. We’re leaving it to become part of the landscape, and annuals just require too much care and maintenance. Once you have filled your space with taller perennials, shrubs, and vines, you can add in some annuals to fill in the gaps. Put them close to the front so you can easily access them. I like to plant thick, leaving no bare earth. Groundcovers can work wonderfully to suppress weeds and provide a shady base. Plants with interesting foliage can also help to fill the gaps and provide some pretty, like hostas or coral bells. You can also sprinkle in some spring and summer bulbs. Spring bulbs are great for providing a food source at the beginning of the season, while summer bulbs often have bright colour and flowers that pollinators love. This small border of dahlias within a raised vegetable garden proves you can do this with nearly any space. Native and Low-Maintenance Plants You can plant both native and non-native plants—remember that the garden is still yours and you can plant whatever makes you happy! That being said, native plants are a great choice for wildlife borders since they’re already a sure bet to fit right in with pollinators, birds, insects, and mammals. Native plants are extremely low-maintenance and can be left to their own devices. We don’t want to disturb the wildlife, so we want plants that don’t need lots of pruning, deadheading, or watering. Many wildlife borders are also not in the most accessible areas, like along a fence, and we can’t maintain them like the rest of the garden. Make sure to choose plants that will thrive in your garden conditions and the amount of sun where your border will sit. Lupine is native to North America. Pollinator-Friendly Plants The best part about planting pollinator-friendly plants is that they’re also beautiful! The flowers smell amazing and are colourful with the sole purpose of attracting pollinators, and we just get to sit back and enjoy them. Include key flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen for your local bees, butterflies, and pollinators. Remember, you need to plant lots to attract the pollinators and get them to land. I have a huge list of bee-friendly plants in this post, as well as butterfly-friendly plants here. Also plant host plants for your pollinators. Host plants are specific plants that insects like caterpillars feast on. For instance, milkweed is famous as being the only plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, so it’s essential for their population. Learn the types of bees that are in your area to properly support them. Blooming Time Another aspect to consider for your flowers is the blooming time. Plants that will leaf, flower, and fruit at different times of the year will extend the food sources for wildlife and provide an attractive year-round display. Include long-blooming flowers and stagger blooming times so there’s something year-round. Some come out early, and some stick around late! List all the plants you want to include in your wildlife border and note their bloom times. Make sure there is overlap, and fill in any gaps that you will see. Leave flower heads so the birds can feast on the seeds. Bug Hotels and Feeders Besides plants, you can add a few other items to your border to help out wildlife. Include a bug hotel as a safe place for insects to overwinter and be safe from garden work. They also look beautiful! You can hang them along a fence or build them as a free-standing structure within the garden bed. Likewise, you can add bird feeders, bird baths, bee baths, and butterfly mud puddles to your wildlife border. Wildlife Hedges Wildlife hedges are a step further than wildlife borders, allowing two ecosystems to meet. They’re often used when your property is on the edge of a wild space or a different ecosystem. It provides a transition for the creatures who share that space to have somewhere safe to go. Think of them as more wildscaped spaces that are less curated, and more so act as a barrier. Evergreen plants are great options, as they allow for a hedge to provide wildlife throughout the seasons. Plants with thorns provide protection from larger predators, making the hedge a safe haven for wildlife. Native plants can thrive in smaller gardens and urban areas, so it is helpful to keep on top of pruning and managing hedges while also being careful not to remove nests or homes. Do not prune hedges during nesting season (spring through summer) in cool climates. Astrantia major FAQ About Wildlife Borders What are the best low-maintenance border plants? Here are a few of my go-to low-maintenance plants that would be great for a wildlife border:– Rudbeckia– Lavender– Sedum– Creeping phlox– Catmint– Yarrow– Rosemary– Liatris– Daylilies– Milkweed– Echinacea– Salvia– Shasta daisy– Tickseed What is the best shrub for wildlife? Include a mixture of small flowering trees, shrubs, evergreens, brambles, vines, and herbaceous plants in a wildlife border. A diverse mix of native plants will allow for wildlife to find food and nesting sites throughout the year. What is a border garden? A border garden is a narrow garden bed that runs alongside a pathway, fence, building, or other garden structure. They are great transition spaces meant to define an area specific for planting as opposed to a lawn, patio, or path. More Ways to Support Wildlife A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants. Source link

[in-ky]

An Old Scent [1] - Negan x Reader (A/B/O AU)

Summary: During summer break, you decide to come back home to visit your dad, Rick. Over the course of your stay, you realize that your dad's friend is pretty hot.

Warnings: Eventual smut, A/B/O dynamics, cheating, age gap, Negan

A/N: yay first fic! this will have four parts! i hope everyone enjoys. this is an au where the apocalypse never happened. 3.2k words

I squinted as I stepped out into the bright Virginian sun. People swarmed all around me, creating the steady hum of airport ambience that I had grown accustomed to over the years. I had just gotten off a four-hour flight home from college and all I wanted to do was shower and curl up in bed. But I couldn't. Oh, no. First I had to endure a fun thirty-minute car ride with my best friend since second grade. I scanned the curb in front of me for her small black car and caught sight of a tall woman waving at me. I grinned and walked forward, tugging along my baggage behind me.

"Ugh, it's so good to see you, Bee." I sighed as I enveloped my friend into a large hug. She let out a laugh and swayed us gently.

"It's good to see you, too," She hummed, rustling my hair "I forgot how short you were." Bee was an alpha; tall, muscular, and very quick to remind me of our differences. Of course, it was in a 'joking with love' kind of way. I was an omega; small, rounded, and very quick to punch her gently in the abdomen.

"I forgot how much of a jerk you are." I quipped, huffing and wheeling my bag to her trunk.

"Oh, come on, babes, don't be like that," Bee laughed, opening the driver side door and waiting for me to walk back to my side. "Now get in, we've got a lot of catching up to do."

---

"How are your heats going?"

"Jesus, that's what you want to start with?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. Bee shrugged.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," She clarified, turning out onto the street "I'm just saying, I know they've gotten pretty bad as we've gotten older. Did you try out those tips I sent you?"

"Yea, I did," I said quietly, looking at the trees rushing by on the side of the highway "They worked for a while but..."

"But you need an alpha," Bee sighed, finishing the sentence for me.

"That's the plan for this summer," I agreed "Might finally settle down."

"You know, I'm always here if you need me." She said with a wink. I scoffed at her.

"I'm not that desperate," I laughed, shoving her lightly "Not yet, at least."

"Anyone take your interest back in Colorado?"

"Not really," I hummed, tilting my head in consideration. "There was this one guy. We dated for a few months but towards the end he became a total knot-head. He couldn't keep his hands off me. I thought it was cute at first, but after I started to miss a few classes...well, that shit got old pretty quickly." Bee made a disgusted noise.

"Ugh, men," She grunted, wrinkling her nose "I'm glad I never went through that phase. I'm perfectly happy with chicks, thank you very much. Much less of a pain in my ass."

"Oh, they're not so bad," I smirked "I think it's just alphas in general." She glared at me momentarily and I stuck my tongue out at her. We drove in a comfortable silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company. That was always something I loved about Bee. We never had to fill every second with chatter, we could just exist together in the same space and be just as content. She started to hum along to the song that buzzed softly from the radio and my eyes tracked a hawk. Soon enough, we reached our exit and Bee turned the car onto a smaller road, starting the countdown to my arrival home.

"Are you excited to see your dad?" Bee asked, killing the silence.

"Yea, I am," I smiled. We hadn't always had the best of relationships, but the distance that college gave had done wonders for us. A few texts and calls had worked perfectly for us. When he invited me to stay a few weeks during summer I gladly accepted. I wanted to see just how well our relationship had strengthened. Plus I knew he really needed someone.

"How's he doing?" There was genuine concern in Bee's voice. A few months ago, my mom had revealed that she had been having an affair with one of dad's work buddies. She left with him and took my brother down to Georgia.

"I think he's okay. But you know dad, he's not really an emotions guy. He was starting to get some closure but then the divorce papers came in the mail. That really hurt him," I told her, twisting a strand of my hair around my finger. "I just don't know how Lori could do that to him, you know? She won't even let Carl up to visit. The new baby's cute, though. Looks just like Shane." Bee hummed in acknowledgement.

"Well, tell him I said hi, alright?"

"Will do." A few more seconds of silence passed. Until we stopped at a light. Bee looked up and spotted a billboard that sported a very familiar, very handsome face.

"Holy shit!" Bee shrieked, slapping my arm.

"Ow, what the hell?" I hissed, grabbing my shoulder. She pointed frantically at the sign.

"That guy! Isn't that, shit- the hell's his name?" Pulling my eyes from my lap, I let them settle on the object of her excitement. All of the color drained from my face. It was an add for a law firm. There was an old geezer posing proudly on the left, and to his right, was the man who haunted my wet dreams for the majority of high school.

"Negan." I gulped.

"Yea, your dad's hot friend you never shut up about." Bee groaned, pressing on the gas and moving us away from the sign. Negan was a lawyer/make-shift-law-professor and baseball coach at the local community college. He had a sort-of contract with my dad's department. Many times I had come home after school to the two of them puzzling out a case on the kitchen table. Negan was an alpha of alphas, something that got my little omega heart (and other things) pumping until I couldn't breath. His humor and dominating persona made me blush a deep crimson color any time I saw him. Sometimes I would spend hours sitting on the stairs just listening to him talk to my dad. His voice was something else. I had gushed to Bee about him countless times during our times at high school. But I hadn't seen him since my graduation party.

"I wonder if you'll see him again," Bee teased, nudging me again to pull me out of my trance of memories. Then, she did a dramatic gasp. "What if he's your mate?" It was my turn to slap her in the shoulder.

"He's older than my dad!" I squealed, burying my now-blushing cheeks in my hands.

"You're an adult I don't think it matters."

"I think he's engaged."

"Just 'cause there's a goalie doesn't mean you can't scoooore." Bee pulled a face at me and I returned her grimace.

"Whatever, you're lucky we're almost at my house." I huffed, falling back into my seat with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Oh, yea, omega? What are you gonna do?" I rolled my eyes as she laughed off my grumpiness. We rolled to a stop in front of my driveway and a leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks so much, Bee, I really appreciate you," I grinned, popping open the door.

"No problem, babes," She winked, unlocking the trunk "But I swear to the gods, you better fucking call me and give me updates on everything, especially if you run into Mr. Hotcakes." I rolled my eyes once more and promised her I would before closing the door. I retrieved my bag and gave her a wave as she drove down the street. When she was out of view, I took a deep breath and turned around, walking up the driveway to the front door.

I knocked heavily on the dark oak door. While I waited for someone to answer, I decided to look around at the home I had left behind about a year ago. My childhood home had changed now and then over the years, but there were still some iconic pieces of memories in the front yard that could never be forgotten. My personal favorite was Eddie the garden gnome. He was a standard gnome: small and stout with a large white beard that led into a pointy red hat. His eyes were shut and his mouth was curved into a smile. However, he was missing a nose. I grinned as I recalled the unfortunate mishap that caused Eddie to become deformed. I was about twelve, and carl was five. He had gotten a kid's baseball from Negan for his birthday and had begged me to teach him how to play, since I was on the local softball team at the time. I relented and set it up in the front yard. Eddie was our outfielder. Eddie didn't have a mitt. Well, he did, but it was his face. Carl absolutely smashed the first pitch I tossed at him and hit poor Eddie right in the face, shattering his round, pink nose into pieces. Carl bursted into tears and I had to promise him that he did not in fact kill our precious protector of our house. Lori ran out frantically and comforted her son before giving me a thorough chewing out for damaging Eddie. We never used the set again. That she knew of, anyways. Negan always let us play in his yard, though. I smiled at the memory, but the clicking of the lock to the door pulled me from my train of thought. The door swung open and I was met with the smiling face of my father.

"Sweetie, I'm so glad you made it!" He laughed, pulling me in swiftly and squeezing me tight.

"It's good to see you too, dad." I croaked, letting out a small chuckle. I tapped on his shoulder as a signal for him to let go.

"How was the flight?" He asked as he stepped out to grab my bag. I told him it was good but that the screaming kids had given me a bit of a headache. He gave a small laugh and gestured for me to enter. I thanked him and he rolled my bag in behind me. We exchanged a few words but as soon as I walked through the kitchen into the doorway of the living room I was hit by a wall. Not literally, no, but rather a wall of overwhelming scent. It was a delicious swirl of campfire and whiskey, with a hint of cigarettes and leather. I paused for a moment, my eyes forced closed and my lungs taking a deep breath of the intoxicating air. Colors danced across my eyelids. My whole body was flooded with warmth and my toes tingled. I felt safe and calm, and there was something else; something deep within my stomach that I couldn't quite identify, something I never felt before. My eyes snapped open when I felt my father's hand rest firmly on my shoulder.

"I hope you don't mind, sweetie, but I invited company over while I was waiting for you to arrive," He smiled at me. I got a good look at him then. He looked the same, his hair was a bit longer, a bit greyer. But his eyes were different. They were darker, rounder, rawer. I gave a soft smile and told him it was fine. He guided me into the living room. It was then I realized where that deadly smell was coming from. Or, rather, who it was coming from. "Negan, you remember my girl." In that moment, I held my breath as I scanned Negan. He looked fucking amazing, just as he always had. Perfect dimples guarding a charming smile, all surrounded by a gorgeous salt and pepper beard. His hair was longer than it was when I had left, not slicked back, but it still framed his face perfectly. Negan's body was draped casually over the sectional couch, legs crossed at the ankle on the ottoman. His arms were on the top of the couch and his wrists were dangling. He knew he was hot. That bastard. I suddenly became aware of his eyes raking over my form and I shifted from one foot to the other.

"'course I do, Rick," Negan said, voice silky and deep. I couldn't help but let a small shudder run down my spine. All I wanted to do was kneel down in front of him and curl up at his feet. I forced my inner omega down, shaking the thought from my head. "How could I forget the little slugger?" I cringed inside at the nickname. Especially the use of the word 'little'. I begged that he didn't still see me as the kid down the street. Instead as a grown woman. A grown omega.

"Hi, Negan." I greeted with a small smile, swallowing to relieve my dry throat. Now that I was next to him, his scent was clogging all my senses. I gripped onto the couch and lowered myself onto the cushion, hoping to ground myself. It helped, just barely. My heart was pounding, my instincts telling me to submit to this man in front of me. Why, though? Why now? He had never smelled this good before. No alpha had. Was I getting close to my heat? I did have a stomach ache, but that could be from Negan alone.

"Hey, sweetheart. How's college goin'?" Negan asked, sipping on his drink. He kept eye contact with me the whole time. Rick handed me a glass of soda and I thanked him.

"It's good!" I said after taking a sip, thankful for the hydration in my coarse throat "Towards the end it got a little hectic, but I was able to stay on top of everything, thankfully."

"You're studying film, right?" He asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"That's right," I grinned, crossing my legs to relieve some of the pressure the movement caused to build up in my lower abdomen "You still teaching law?" This caused him to chuckle. Literally music to my ear.

"If that's what you want to fuckin' call it." Negan sighed, falling back to his original position, hands resting in his lap "I talk, the kids kinda listen. I just do it for the coaching job, really. You remember how much I love that damn sport, right?"

"Baseball?" I asked, raising a brow "You mean the only thing you talked about at all of the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners you were invited to?"

"Touché." Negan grinned. Goddamn that smile. Butterflies erupted in my chest, beating hard against my ribcage, begging to throw myself at his chest and bury myself in him. Rick cleared his throat and smiled at me to get my attention.

"I want to know more about your college experience!" He beamed, rubbing a hand through his beard "Any special alphas you've got your eyes on?" I heard Negan choke slightly on his whiskey. A small bubble of pride rose in my chest. I laughed at his words.

"Dad, I don't think Negan wants to hear about my love life."

"Shit, doll, I don't mind," He grumbled "I don't get to hear any drama now-a-days"

"What do you mean?" I giggled, tilting my head "You argue for a living. Your job is to literally deal with drama."

"Yea, but that's complex drama," He growled, waving his hand dismissively "I wanna hear simple, schoolgirl 'he loves me, he loves me not' kind of bullshit."

"Well sorry to disappoint," I snorted, running a hand through my hair "but no, there's no one I have an eye on." Dad's smile turned into a frown.

"Shame." I heard Negan whisper. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear it. It was quiet, barely above his breath, and he said it while twirling his whiskey, following the words with a large gulp.

"You really should start looking, dear." Dad said with a sigh "You know it only gets harder as you get older."

"Dad please, I don't..." I cut him off "Listen, I appreciate you trying to understand this stuff, I really do, but I don't really want to talk about it with my father." He looked at me with an understanding smile.

"Sure," He nodded "But if you ever need anything, anything at all, you just let me know, alright." I nodded.

"Well, this sure has been fun, Ricky-boy," Negan grinned, getting to his feet and stretching his arms far above his head. "We do have that big court case in the mornin', though, and I need my shut-eye."

"Big case, eh?" I asked, rising from my seat as well. Dad nodded and excitement sparked in his eyes.

"You should come! It's an open court and I would love for you to see what I do. I know you always wanted to as a kid, but your mom made you wait until you were older. Well, now's the perfect time!" He rambled, grasping my shoulders.

"W-Well, I dunno, I don't want to be a distraction," I stumbled, taken aback by my father's display of enthusiasm. I turned to Negan, as if asking for permission. He just laughed.

"Oh-o, doll, I don't get distracted. Not in there, not anywhere. Don't you worry about a goddamn thing. You should come, Rick seems like he really wants you to."

"Okay, then," I grinned, nodding in commitment "I'll see you there in the morning then." I looked up to Negan and we locked eyes for a brief moment. But in that moment, something within me quivered. He brushed up against me and smirked down at me.

"See you tomorrow, sweetheart. It was nice to see you. You're lookin' great." It took all my willpower not to let out a whimper as he walked past me, taking his glorious scent with him.

My dad said that he should also get some rest, but that I could stay up as long as I wanted to. I was pretty wiped from my flight so I opted to follow him up the narrow staircase, tugging my bag behind me. I hugged him goodnight and stepped into my room. It hadn't been touched since I left last summer. The forest green bedspread was still perfectly tucked into the mattress and two plump pillows were perched at the head of the bed. My muscles ached for the soft release of sleep. I put my suitcase down by my dresser, taking a moment to smile at some old photos of me and Bee as kids. I showered and brushed my teeth before getting into the comfortable bed. I looked up at the ceiling and giggled softly at the glow-in-the-dark stars shining overhead. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I wasn't thinking of anything in particular, but for some reason, all of my dreams were plagued by the sweet smell, sound, sight, feeling, and taste of Negan.

[the-superior-stark]

Neighbor!Steve Rogers x Reader

Neighbor!Steve Rogers x Reader

Warnings: AU, Neighbor!Steve Rogers, Married (Y/N), Cheating, Smut, Breeding Kink, Marking, Oral (f receiving), Edging. Fingering, Choking

You can request HERE!

Prompt list can be found HERE and HERE!

****

As I pulled into my driveway in the pouring rain I noticed my new neighbor struggling to get his front door opened. I rolled my window down and yelled, “Hey Steve, do you need any help?” He looked up from the frustrating door lock to my car, “I think Sam has my set of keys and I have his,” he offered in explanation.

I knew of Sam seeing as how he occasionally popped by to Steve’s house and I had a few encounters with him. Steve and him had just been out together this morning, probably when the mix up happened.

“You can come in to my house for a little while and wait for Sam to bring you your house key,” I offered, with little hesitance. Steve looked unsure but willing to get out of the relentless rain. 

“If it’s no problem to you, ma’am. I would greatly appreciate it.” The soaking wet man said with a gentle smile. “No problem at all, just let me get a few things from my car.” 

Steve walked over to my car and offered to grab my few bags from the grocery store. I wanted to protest but my cheeks were growing hot and my eyes were glued to his chest and the water droplets falling off of his blonde hair in waves. 

Me and him walked up to my front door and he stood back as I unlocked the door. I could feel his presence behind me and it was slightly intimidating but nice nonetheless.

I opened the front door and said, “Excuse the mess, I haven’t exactly had time for a deep clean with work and all and my husband sure as hell doesn't clean.” He gave me a questioning glance and I felt the need to explain myself with a short, “Late work at the office and all.��

He give a curt nod and followed me as I shuffled into the kitchen. “Can I just place these on the counter.” He asked. “Yeah, sure that’s fine.” I agreed and gave him a soft smile.

I had always thought about having this man in my house but now my fantasies just made me feel awkward. I had always had some type a thought about him that I shouldn’t. I mean who wouldn't? He is literally a perfectly created science experiment. Everything about him screams perfect.

“I’ll go and fetch you some of my husband’s lounge clothes and a towel. You’ve got to be cold in those clothes.” 

I heard him thank me as I walked briskly to the bedroom I shared with my husband. I almost felt like I needed a break from the handsome man sitting in my living room. It felt as though looking at him made me feel intoxicated. Every little thing he did made my breath hitch in the back of my throat. 

I grabbed a thin white t-shirt and a pair of joggers. Both were probably too small for Steve but they were the best I could offer him at the time. My husband definitely had a smaller stature than Steve so we had no clothes around the house to accommodate a man his size.

After I grabbed his clothes out of the drawers, I crossed the hall into the bathroom and quickly grabbed a towel and made my way back into my kitchen. I found Steve standing in the same place I left him, looking mostly nervous. I assumed it was because he was in a house of a girl he barely knew.

I handed him the clothes and towel I had grabbed. “Thank you for these, (Y/N). Can you point me to your bathroom so I can change?” I nodded and pointed down the hall and said, “First door on your left. If you need an extra towel there are some under the right side of the sink. Just holler if you need anything.” He nodded and made his way to the bathroom.

The house was decently sized but still small enough that I could hear every cluttered sound coming from the bathroom. Every little noise Steve made. It almost felt comforting to have someone in the house after all this time. When I was home my husband wasn't and when he was home I was at work. Hearing somebody making noise brought me a great sense of happiness as I made busy work by putting away the few groceries.

I heard the bathroom door open and Steve come out. He walked into the kitchen with his wet clothes. I could see every muscle ripple and felt like if he took a big enough breath the shirt would rip into. There was a greek god standing in my kitchen and I looked like a deer in the headlights as I drank in his appearance.

I grabbed his previous clothes from him and dropped them into one of my plastic grocery bags and placed it on the counter. 

Any nervousness of his seemingly disappeared as he let out a sigh and said “Like what you see, doll.” I gulped and turned back around to what I was doing. “Guess that was a yes.” Steve chuckled out.

“It wasn’t a yes or a no, Steve.” I said, slight grimace in my tone as I wanted to say yes, but knew it wouldn't be right due to circumstances. “(Y/N), I know it’s a yes. You act like I can’t see the way you gawk at me when I do yard work or check the mail or leave for work. I see the way you look at me. Don’t try and hide that from me, doll.”

As he said what he had wanted to say, he had gotten increasingly closer to me. It felt like he was cornering me and the only thing I could do was stammer out incoherent words. Stumbling over everything I wanted to say.

“You look so pretty, all nervous over my words. You’re beautiful, doll.” Any regard I had over keeping my composure flew out of the window the moment I heard those words. I wanted him. A part of me had always wanted him since we moved into this neighborhood. 

I always had my eyes on him any chance I got. He was like a drug to me. I needed him, in anyway he would possibly give me.

“Okay, maybe I do find you extremely attractive but I have a husband.” I said trying to remind myself more so than him. “Baby, I see that relationship of yours. You spend no time together. If you’re home, he's not, and vice versa. Just let it happen. He has a girlfriend anyways.”

I went slack jawed at the mention of my husbands so called ‘girlfriend’. I mean I knew, it was just the fact that even Steve knew. I’m sure everyone knew the marriage was a sham if even he could see it. 

“Don’t worry, darling. I don’t think everyone knows. I just happen to be quite observant of you and your little life.” Suddenly relief washed over me but that didn’t last long. 

Steve had snaked his hand up to my face to wipe away a stray tear I didn't even know was running down my face. I guess it’s the sheer anticipation and stress this situation was giving me.

On one hand, I had once loved my husband and he loved me. Now the marriage was more viewed as a partnership. I cooked and bought groceries and he kept the bills paid with occasional help from me. We both spent our own money and rarely slept in the same house together, more or less the same bed. 

On the other hand, it had been so long since I had any attention. Physically or emotionally. My husband gave me nothing but a home to keep my things in. There was no love, passion, or connection. I longed for something like that. Something like that from one person only. That person being, Steve.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head?” Steve questioned. “I want to know everything and more about you. But first I want to explore you.”

When he got no response from me, he took matters into his own hands, stating “If you want me to stop, say the word. I leave you alone and we can never talk about it again, but something tells me you don't want that.”

My brain had finally caught up with the situation. I was very excited for what Steve had in store for me and I believed that he would take care of my every need.

Steve backed me up against the counter and traced a finger down the side of my face gently whispering about how pretty I was. “I wanna do so many things to you, doll. You gonna let me?”

I gave him a slight whimper and nod in return, begging silently in my head for him to do something. Steve took my nod into consideration and apparently he needed more. “I need some words, baby doll. Need to hear you say it. Need you to beg me. Or I walk out that door right now.”

A part of me knew he wasn’t walking out of that door anytime soon, seeing as how it was still pouring rain and Sam had yet to even respond about bringing him his keys. All rational had left my mind though. My thoughts were swimming in my head and my arousal was making me spin. 

“Please, Steve. I’ll be so good. I’ll do anything you want. Just touch me. Have your way with me.” The blonde man towering over me seemed satisfied with my answer and began an assault on my lips.

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” I whispered against Steve’s lips. Almost scared that if I said it too loud it would all stop. “I know, darling. Me too. For so long. Since I saw you waltz up your driveway in that black sundress for the first time. You were so perfect. Perfect for me to ruin.” 

I whimpered into Steve’s mouth and he took his opportunity to slip his tongue between my parted lips. He picked me up and placed me on the counter and began to trace his lips down my neck leaving slight love bites in his wake. “I want you to wake up and see just what I’ve done to you. I want you to remember me when you look in the mirror.”

He stood back and admired his work and began to run his hands over my soft thighs. His hands seemed to be dangerously close to where I needed him most. I tried to squirm but his strong hand kept me in place. “Where are you going, (Y/N). I need you to stay still so I can do what I want. Isn’t that what you want?” 

I nodded at his question and he continued to run his hands over my thighs. admiring me. His hand ghosted over where I needed him most and I let out a sigh. “You’re so eager for me. Tell me what you want me to do.” Steve said. “I want you to touch me.”

He complied easily with my request and dipped his fingers under the waistband of my leggings. He rubbed his fingers over the material of my underwear, slightly teasing me. My breathing sped up rapidly as I waited for him to pull my panties to the side. 

He pulled them to the side and ran a finger through my folds. “You’re so wet already? Does he not touch you like this?” He questioned. I shook my head no in response. “You’re the only one who has touched me like this in a long time.” Steve smirked and said, “Good, keep it that way.”

He sunk a finger into my core with little resistance and used his thumb to rub soft circles over my clit. “I can take more.” I said. “You’ll take what I give you.” Steve responded. I nodded my head and let him continue his work.

He pushed a second finger in and curled them in an upwards motion. I let out a soft moan. As he continued curling his fingers, I felt myself teetering on the edge. “I’m close.” The moment those words left my lips, Steve retracted his fingers and pulled his hand out of my leggings briskly.

I let out a soft whine. “Don’t be disappointed, I’ll give you what you want soon. But I want you to cum on my face. I want to taste you.”

I took no time in shimmying out of my leggings and panties and dropped them somewhere on my kitchen floor. Steve picked me up and carried me towards the hallway. “It’s the second door on your right, if you’re looking for my bedroom.” Steve nodded and continued his path. 

When he reached my bedroom, he placed me on the bed. He pulled his shirt off and hovered over me. “I took mine off, so I feel as if it’s only fair if you do the same.” I pulled my shirt off and began to unclasp my bra. “Leave the bra, I want to take it off of you when I’m ready.”

Steve began nipping his way down my chest and stopped at my bra to tug my nipple through his teeth over my bra. I let out a soft moan and raised my hips to meet his, needing more from him. “Be patient.” 

He continued nipping and kissing his way down my body and reached right below my belly button. I thought he would tease me but instead he delved right in-between my folds. He licked up my pussy skillfully and looked up at me through his eyelashes. He raised his head and said, “You taste so sweet. Wish I could stay here all day.” He then continued by drawing light circles over my clit with his tongue. 

I was a mess underneath him and raised my hand to curl into his blonde hair. He looked up briefly and I could see my juices gleaming in his scruff. I let out the softest groan at how his face looked covered in my wetness. I wish I could see him like this every day. 

His tongue dipped into my entrance and then he quickly replaced his tongue with two fingers. Working them inside of me. My legs were starting to shake and I was getting closer to my release. “I want you to let go for me. Cum for me.” That was all it took for me to let go. It had been so long since I had an orgasm ripped from me and I was still sensitive from being edged earlier.

“You look so pretty when you cum. Love that I can make you feel so good.” Steve said as he adjusted his position to give me a kiss. He grinned his hips down into mine as the kiss got more heated and let out a soft moan at the feeling of my heat pressing against his cock.

“Can I fuck you? I wanna feel you wrapped around my cock. So tight, just for me.” Steve said and I nodded and palmed him through the pair of joggers. “I’m gonna fuck you raw. Fill you up and make you mine. Mark your walls with my cum. Nobody will ever touch you like this again. Only me.”

I felt dizzy at the idea of that and quickly tugged at his joggers. I had only just now realized that I had not given him any boxers earlier and felt the heat rise to my cheeks. I pulled his joggers down and watched as he springed out of his confines. 

He pulled his joggers off the rest of the way and hovered over me with one hand near the side of my head and the other pumping his cock. He placed himself at my entrance and I nodded at him, signaling that he could begin easing in. 

He slipped past my entrance with ease and pushed the rest of the way in. Pain twisted over my features, as it had been a while since I had fucked anybody. Especially somebody of his size. He gave me a moment to adjust and soon the pain turned into an overwhelming sense of pleasure.

I nodded and he thrusted in and out of me at an agonizingly slow pace. “Faster please, Stevie.” I said letting the nickname slip and begging for more. He complied and brought a hand around my neck and slammed into me at a quick and harsh place.

I felt him brush against my sweet spot and let out a loud moan. Steve noticed and angled himself where he brushed against it every time. “You’re so fucking tight. Squeezing me like that. I love the way you make me feel.” 

I moaned and gripped his cock even tighter, feeling the heat pool in my stomach. “I’m so close. Please don't stop.” I begged out to him. He did anything but stop and set a much faster pace. “I’m close to. I’m going to cum in you. Fill you up so full. So good. Want you to go to sleep dripping.” I moaned out at the idea.

“C’mon baby doll, I'm so close. Just a little bit longer.” I nodded and he grunted signaling just how close he was. Steve nodded and as I felt him painting my walls with his cum it triggered my release. He helped us ride out our highs and stayed like that for a moment.

He rolled off of me and took in the moment. Giving out sweet praises to me about how good I was for him and how much he enjoyed himself. Once we both came back to reality, Steve looked over to me.

“I don't want this to be a one time thing. I want you. All of you. Anything you’ll give me. Anytime and anywhere. I love you and have for quite some time.” Steve confessed.

“I love you too, Stevie.”

[ateezmakemeweep]

line without a hook.

mingi x reader; lovers to strangers au

word count: 13k

angst, fluff (tw: mentions of death)

you could personally never understand one’s desire to run as far away from their hometown as they could.

maybe it’s because you’ve had the privilege of growing up in a beautiful, prosperous place, with cozy winters, amazing festivals and snowfalls on the frozen lake before spring came and melted it away.

maybe it’s because you have fond memories tied back to this picturesque place, shops and restaurants surrounding the lake in a way that almost seemed too magical to really exist.

you’ve met so many different people purely because of that sight, men and women of different cultures and backgrounds always so eager to take in your hometown’s natural beauty.

fortunately for you, the lake ran right through your yard and acted as a place of solace where you could get away from everything in the busy, touristy town.

a place you went when you were feeling happy, sad, angry or when, truthfully, you didn’t know how to feel.

it’s also where you first met your boyfriend, one of the many come and go visitors, who introduced himself as mingi.

except he had walked right through your backyard like he owned the place, a small smile on his handsome face as he took in the sight of the frozen water.

he looked at it with such wonder and fascination, like he’d never seen anything like it before in his life; and you can remember that night, even with how you’re feeling right now, that he looked at you the same way.

it’s the only thing that reminds you, at some point, you two must have really loved each other.

two years ago - december 13th

you were hunched over your desk finishing the last of your final essay, only a page left before you could throw every syllabus away and rejoice at having two months of winter break.

it was a chilly night but you couldn’t help but be outside on the porch, a big warm sweater and fuzzy socks on as you read over your work so far.

you’d gotten used to the sounds of nature, the chirping of birds, pitter patter of animal feet and even the loud, slightly terrifying barks of deer.

but the footsteps crunching on the leaves in your driveway definitely weren’t those of chipmunks or rabbits, your strained neck craning over to see a tall figure walking right past your porch and deep into your backyard.

strangely enough, whether it be the frigid temperatures getting to you or the stress of finishing this paper, you weren’t panicked; the man technically wasn’t even on your property, he was right outside of it along the grass that turned to decking.

so you continued to make revisions and edit your paper silently, your eyes fluttering up ever so often to check on the mysterious, tall figure. his shoulders were broad and his hair was messy, that much you could tell from your spot on the porch.

when five minutes past, then ten, then twenty, and he had still yet to move or realize he was in someone’s yard, you decided to investigate - because one, how long could he really stare at this frozen mass of water and two, your head was pounding from looking at this stupid document.

so without an ounce of fear or hesitation, you wrapped your sweater tighter around your body and made your way down to the man.

your slippers were loose so the last remaining bits of snow were seeping into your socks, a slight grimace on your face when the coldness touched your skin.

the sound of crunching snow caused him to turn around, his lips quirking up into a small smile when you came into view.

it was when you got closer that you saw just how attractive he was, pale skin that glowed, plump lips that were slightly chapped and messy hair that looked even better up close.

he looked different than most locals and tourists around here, many of them pastel wearing men who wouldn’t dare stick an earring in their skin.

but the man in front of you had a completely different vibe, earrings and chains and a gray t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest despite the freezing temperatures tonight.

a few minutes of silence pass, neither him nor you concerned about filling it; it seemed as if he could’ve stared at the lake just as long as you could’ve wondered why the hell he liked it so much.

“aren’t you cold?”

more silence passed and for a second you think maybe he didn’t hear your blurted out question.

but then you discover he did when he looked at you with a smirk, the snow crackling underneath him as he shifts to take in your big sweater and pink slippers.

“no.”

it’s a short and simple response but his voice is somehow incredibly warm, looking at you with a twinge of soft light in his eyes before he opens his mouth again.

“why? are you?”

a confused smile pulls at your lips as you shake your head, looking over his bare (muscular) arms conspicuously.

“no. but i’m not wearing a t-shirt in december.”

he sends a smile your way, his large body turning allowing you to fully take in just how big he is. you feel incredibly small next to him and it should probably make you nervous - a large, stranger unwelcomed in your yard and staring down at you.

but there’s a weird sense of tranquility over both of you in this moment, the moon shining off the frozen lake as his gaze meets yours.

“well that’s a good thing,” he hums, your eyebrow quirking up before he continues. “because i don’t have a jacket to give you.”

a surprised chuckle leaves your mouth that has a smile spreading across your face and he feels his own doing the same at the sight of it.

“what makes you think i’d take a jacket from a stranger?”

his eyebrow raises after a few seconds of pondering the rhetorical question, his large hand suddenly coming between your bodies.

“my name’s mingi. i’m staying a few houses over at my aunt’s for the holidays.”

your lips purse together as you wrack your brain for which neighbor it could possibly be, remembering that the woman who brought you left over lasagna for thanksgiving mentioned her nephew was coming for christmas and new years.

she didn’t mention that her nephew looked like this or that he went onto the property of anyone he pleased.

“i’m y/n,” you say, taking your smaller hand in his cold one before a teasing smiles crosses your face. “and we’re actually standing in my backyard. so thank you for trespassing so politely, mingi.”

his eyes widen as an embarrassed look crosses his face, the small hint of pink on his cheeks just as endearing as it is humorous.

“i- i’m so sorry, oh, my god,” he chuckles out, your cold hands still intertwined. “my aunt said i could take the first road i saw to get to the lake. that there was a better view down here than from her house.”

and you can see in his eyes the exact moment his next sentence came into his mind, like he thought it was gonna be the smoothest and coolest thing he’d ever said.

“and it looks like she was right.”

the loud laugh that bubbles out of you is uncontrollable, mingi’s quickly following as his cheeks turn even more pink.

“sorry, i couldn’t help myself,” he mumbles sheepishly, sounding completely unapologetic as he finally pulls his hand away from yours; you try not to think about how much colder your hand feels now, quickly sticking it in the pocket of your sweater to compensate.

“right,” you quip, a tiny giggle leaving you as you crane your neck to meet his gaze. “but really, you should probably get a jacket if you’re gonna be out here a lot. you don’t wanna get sick and it can get pretty cold here.”

“will do,” he hums, his eyes roaming yours and making your heart jump in your chest; he really is the most attractive person you’ve ever seen.

there’s a few beats of silence as he cranes his neck to look out at the lake, eyes roaming what seems like every piece of frozen ice and snowy tree surrounding it.

“my aunt actually told me people sometimes skate on it.”

“yeah,” you confirm with a nod, taking the time to look at the beauty you take for granted every day. “it’s thick enough this year. sometime we’re not allowed.”

“cool,” he says with a smile, a slight shiver running through him that makes you frown. “so... can i come back here to do that?” he asks, his eyes hopeful and soft as he looks at you. “or should i use the real path?”

your eyebrows pull together at his question, confusion covering your face but only meeting his cocky, playful one.

“are you asking if we can skate together?”

he bites down on his lip so he doesn’t smile larger, his tongue peeking out just before his teeth make contact.

“yeah,” he hums lowly, the deep tone of his voice sending butterflies through your stomach. “i guess i am.”

your lips quirk to the side as you weigh out the pros and cons.

you’re on your own a lot and definitely miss talking to someone.

he’s attractive and funny and seemingly nice enough.

you know his aunt and can easily confirm his story, the chances of him being a murderer who moseyed into town considerably low.

the only con you can think of is falling on your ass in front of him and even that it isn’t such a deal breaker.

so you smile at him and nod your head, a melodic “okay,” leaving your mouth that has him smiling back at you just as sweetly.

present day:

you knew going to this dinner with mingi was gonna end in disaster.

you were both too on edge after your fight this morning, past the point of screaming and yelling for hours that, now, you’ll exchange a few harsh words at each other before falling silent.

you’ve learned that the tense silence after a fight is worse than screaming and yelling.

at least with that, it seems as if there’s still some passion there. there’s words being exchanged and feelings coming to the surface that both people feel motivated enough to express.

but with the silence, you’re both bottling it up.

deeming it useless and letting it brew and brew and brew until one of you goes completely over the edge - and more often than not, that person is him.

the car ride over is no better, not even the radio playing to distract you both from the building tension in the air.

your friends know immediately that something is up, yunho eyeing mingi and san eyeing you; yunho, san, seonghwa, and wooyoung had been your friends since elementary school.

you’d been through a lot with them and have seen each other at all your highs and lows.

throughout your two-year relationship with mingi, him and yunho had grown especially close and it was sweet to see; you knew it was important for mingi to have another friend in a place he didn’t grow up in and you were genuinely happy they created a great friendship.

“hey guys!” wooyoung chirped happily, already chowing down on the chips and salsa in the middle of the table. “how is everyone?”

and like he’s almost oblivious to the tension in the room, mingi only mumbles a grumbled “fine,” before he starts happily babbling again. you try a little harder to put up on a happy front, giving wooyoung a small smile as you talk to him about your last semester of school.

as the dinner goes on, appetizers turning to meals and meals turning to alcohol, mingi downs sangria after sangria before he becomes a lot more chatty.

“oh, shit, there he is,” wooyoung smiles happily, a drunken flush to his face as he pokes his arm playfully. “you were scaring me for a hot second. looking all pissed off and shit.”

“that’s because i was pissed off. still am, if i’m being honest, woo,” mingi says, a conniving hint in his tone as he finishes the last of his drink.

your eyes immediately move to him and you’re quick to narrow them, hoping and praying he doesn’t start round two in this public restaurant right now; but apparently, that’s exactly what he plans on doing.

“what’s with the face, y/n?”

mingi spits your name out like it’s the last thing he wants to say, a quietly snapped “nothing,” leaving your mouth.

san and yunho look to each other immediately, concern on both their faces as they feel the tension start creeping back up.

they knew something was wrong the second you both came in, have known things have been off between you two for months, and it was even more obvious when you immediately took the seats a few spots away from each other.

“nothing?” he asks, his voice deep and gravely due to his anger and the alcohol. “because it sure looks like you wanna say something.”

“i don’t have anything to say to you.”

“you never do, do you, babe?” he asks, his humorless laugh and vindictive tone making your skin prickle.

“did you even miss me?”

your eyes meet his from across the table when he finally speaks, your eyebrow raising as you two stare at each other blankly.

he had left two nights ago after telling you he needed space, not hearing a word from him until he came barreling through the door just a few moments ago at seven a.m.

you’d just gotten up to make yourself coffee, plagued with worry and upset over your fight and his lack of communication.

“maybe if you looked at your phone, you’d know.”

because how could he think you wouldn’t miss him? how could he think you’re actually okay with him leaving after every fight? not hearing from him for a day or two while you stay in this apartment and let your mind go off into every worst case scenario.

a humorless laugh can only leave him as he shakes his head.

“of course you’re putting the blame back on me. i just can’t make you happy, can i, y/n?”

“you staying after a fight would make me happy. but of course, you can’t do that for me, can you?”

he doesn’t say anything and instead just clenches his jaw painfully tight.

you watch it tick dangerously and instead of feeling anger or sadness, you just feel utterly defeated; you don’t know how many times you guys have had this exact conversation.

a fight will happen.

he yells, you cry.

you just want him to see your tears and obvious pain and stop the yelling.

hold you and kiss your hair and mumble that you guys are gonna figure this out and get passed it.

he leaves, you stay silent.

he just wants you to fight for him a little.

call him out on his shit and prove to his insecure self that you still love and care for him, even though he’s a dick. ask him to please stay because he wants to figure this out and get passed it.

but then he comes back and you’re both okay for a bit, just for the cycle to repeat itself over and over.

“is that why you leave, mingi?” you speak again, looking at him curiously as you shake your head. 

“make me sit here and worry about you for days, while you purposely ignore me, just so i can tell you i miss you? is that what you want?”

the words are on the tip of his tongue. that yes, that’s exactly what he wants from you.

but the words are also on the tip of your tongue. that you want his first instinct to be to stay. to stay here and talk things out with you before immediately jumping up to flee.

he wants you to tell him you miss him but you want him to tell you he loves you, that he loves you enough to stay when you guys fight; but right now, neither of you are even sure if that’s true anymore.

“i don’t know about y/n, you guys,” mingi says suddenly at dinner, the drunken slur to his voice evident to everyone. “i love her but sometimes.... i think i actually fucking hate her.”

you feel your heart sink when those words leave his mouth, your face dropping just as the boys call out his name roughly.

“mingi, what the fuck,” san growls from across the table; but the boy is completely unbothered, shrugging his broad shoulders as he looks directly at you.

“how ‘bout you, babe? how do you feel about me?” he asks, leaned back against his chair like he’s completely calm, cool and collected.

“i’m not having this discussion with you right now.”

“you never want to have this discussion,” he mocks, the anger and rage in his eyes only making your blood boil even more. 

“i’m getting tired of it, y/n. i’m getting tired of all this shit.”

his voice is raising and you’re becoming increasingly embarrassed, knowing that the last place for this blowout fight is in front of your friends in a public setting.

“mingi, this really isn’t the place to-”

“shut up, yunho, we’re gonna finally-”

but you’re not intending on doing anything, already feeling humiliated and belittled as you get up from your seat and walk toward the door.

you leave your bag and jacket so the boys know you’re not leaving, hoping and praying that your drunk asshole of a boyfriend follows you outside; and sure enough, two minutes later, you smell his familiar cologne when the door opens.

neither of you say anything for the first few seconds, him leaned against the wall and you facing him with your hands on your hips.

“what’s your problem?”

it’s the first thing you think to ask, looking at him with such concern and defeat in your eyes. 

you hope he can see it but you’re sure he can’t, far too absorbed in whatever he’s been going through for the past few months to notice.

“i don’t have a problem.”

“you obviously do,” you snap, your voice raising as you take a step closer to him.

“you just embarrassed me in front of everyone and you’re acting like a fucking child. we could’ve had this conversation at the house instead of not speaking for days.”

“why? so you could just turn shit around on me or ignore what i’m saying?” he snaps back, raising an eyebrow as he looks down at you. “maybe we need an outside source to listen.”

“not our friends, mingi, and not at a public dinner when you’re getting drunk.”

“you always have an answer for everything, don’t you?” he snaps, his jaw clenching and eyes flaring as he continues to peer down at you.

“and it’s always on me. when we tried to talk this morning, you blew me off, too, y/n. it’s like you don’t ever wanna have this discussion.”

“because i don’t know what you want me to say, mingi. how many times do i have to repeat myself and tell you i don’t know what you want from me?”

“have you ever thought that maybe that’s the fucking problem, y/n? that after all of this, you still don’t know what i want from you? are you fucking stupid?”

“are you fucking stupid?” you yell back, the suppressed anger and rage you knew was brewing boiling over right here and now.

“you want me to tell you that i miss you when you leave every other week, mingi? why would i tell someone that who could give a shit? i could tell you i miss you or that i’ll miss you and you’ll still fucking leave me.”

“how do you know?” he snaps, “you’ve never tried!”

“i’ve never tried?” you yelp, tears of frustration burning your eyes as you look at him.

“what’s me texting you when you leave like a little bitch every single time? or me obviously worrying when you pull that stupid shit over and over? i’ve been trying mingi and you don’t care! you leave me crying alone every single time!”

he meets your gaze with fire in his eyes and you can only stare back with tears in yours, waiting for him to scream something before he decides to kick over the metal garbage can a few feet away from you.

you watch as it clatters against the side walk, a loud, deep “fuck!” leaving him as you watch him blankly. his chest is heaving and you can tell he doesn’t know what to do with himself right now but you also don’t know anymore.

because you’re shaking inside and out and feel like you wanna throw up, knowing that right now you both look like the worst type of couple; but it’s nothing compared to how you feel, how even though you don’t want to, you can’t stop yourself from acting out on these negative feelings.

“and if i never try, mingi, then just leave again,” you say, tears blurring your vision and a lump growing in your throat. “you can stay and come home with me tonight. or you can leave. at this point, i’m too tired to care.”

you weren’t surprised to go home alone that night.

watch as seonghwa and yunho helped your boyfriend to their car and promised that he’d be back in a few days; you were only able to sleep soundly that night because you knew he was safe with them.

but it didn’t stop you from crying yourself to sleep that night, the night after that and the night after that for the next week; the same would’ve probably happened the next night, too, at least for a little bit, had you not heard your front door open just after midnight.

you were getting in one last episode of your drama when mingi returned home, craning your neck back to see him lazily kicking off his shoes at the front door.

his head looked up to meet your gaze, the glow of the tv hitting him just enough to tell you he looked like shit.

he had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was tousled messily, like he hadn’t washed it since you last saw him. his face was sunken and pale as if he’d been away in the wild for months opposed to his friend’s house for just a little over a week.

but when he’s away from you, this is what happens each and every time - he can’t sleep or eat or function properly.

he’s only plagued with the thought of you, memories running through his mind or constantly wondering what you’re doing. if you’re safe and feeling okay or if something bad is gonna happen to you because he’s not there.

the couch dips next to you before you feel his skin graze yours, a quietly mumbled “hey,” like he just came in from work casually spoken through the air.

you crane your neck up at him to look in his sunken eyes, an uncontrollable frown on your face as you swipe your finger across his purple skin.

it’s the softest touch he’s received in a week and he’s missed it more than he cares to admit. shutting his eyes and smiling slightly when he hears you mumble “hi” back.

you bask in each other’s comfort and warmth for the rest of the episode in silence, your head resting on his shoulder and his arm wound tightly around you until the tv screen falls black.

you two walk into bed and he pulls you down with him, your head falling to his chest and his hands in your hair. you moan against him sleepily and it’s a sound he’s missed so dearly, tightening his hold on you as he feels his body immediately relax.

you’re both completely comfortable and at ease, days of worrying finally calmed as you’re beside one another again.

but even with this comfort, even with the familiar feel of each other’s skin and warmth soothing both of you, you know it won’t be enough.

because you still don’t say you missed him and he still doesn’t tell you he loves you.

a year and 11 months ago - january 10th

you weren’t sure if it was possible to fall in love in less than a month but it really felt as if you and mingi did.

from the moment you saw him two days after your initial meeting, skating together and braving the frozen lake together, your connection was immediate.

you’d spent everyday with each other, frolicking through the town in the afternoon before going back to your house at night.

you usually spent it cuddled up on the couch or making food in your kitchen, his arms wrapping around your waist before tossing you up on the counter playfully.

“you didn’t strike me as a chef,” you tell him, watching him stir a pot of noodles with a content look on his face.

“well, i didn’t strike you as a rapper either,” he says, a smirk on his face as a giggle leaves your mouth.

you learned that mingi was an aspiring rapper, him and his friend hongjoong trying to get their foot in the door for the past year. you listened to a few of their songs and even got a live performance from him, your eyes wide and cheeks flushed as you watched him.

in a fit of absolute astonishment, because you didn’t think mingi could get any more attractive, you blurted out that he didn’t seem like a rapper. that his personality was too “cute and charming” despite the deep growl to his raps and voice.

“i told you just personality wise,” you whine with a pout, reaching your hand out to squeeze his arm reassuringly. “but appearance wise, absolutely. you’re very tough. very cool looking. i’m scared of you.”

“you’re making this a lot worse for yourself, baby,” he hums lowly, another giggle leaving your mouth as you bite down on your lip.

“did your friend hear back from that producer yet?” you ask him curiously, your legs criss-crossed as you sit on the counter and peer up at him.

he looks over to see you staring at him all wide-eyed and interested, a soft, happy glint in your gaze that makes his heart pull in his chest.

he hasn’t even known you for a month but he’s never been this happy before.

he’s never had anyone be there for him the way you’ve been, dedicating their time to him and being so actively interested and supportive of his decisions; it also doesn’t help that you’re the most beautiful person he’s ever met, both inside and out, that made him extend his trip a week longer.

he couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to you yet and he’s still not sure if he can; he’s grown incredibly attached to you and it’s something he’s never felt before.

something all consuming and magical that’s making him incredibly vulnerable.

“not yet,” he mumbles, his eyes roaming your face.

your eyebrows pull together when you notice the way he’s looking at you, soft and sweet with a fondness that makes your heart flutter dangerously.

“why are you looking at me like that?”

a smile crosses his face as he lowers the heat on the stove, caging your body in and cocking his head to the side. he bites down on his lip when he sees your eyes widen, a large hand coming up to push pieces of hair out of your face.

“because i’m happy i met you.”

a small, touched smile pulls at your lips as you peer up at him, raising your own hand to smooth out the chain around his neck.

your fingers brush against his warm skin and it’s like there’s electricity coursing through both of you, your bodies close and hot breath wafting together.

“i’m happy i met you too, mingi.”

his heart soars at the way you say his name, eyes falling to your lips as he presses himself closer to you. you push yourself against the cabinets, swallowing the lump in your throat when you follow his gaze.

your tongue peeks out to lick over them unconsciously, your own eyes falling to his lips. you feel your stomach swoop dangerously, wanting so badly to feel them on yours - they’re one of the first things you noticed about him.

“y/n?”

“hm?” you hum, your eyes lingering on his mouth before hazily meeting his eyes; and there you see it, the soft intensity you’ve yet to grow used to.

you’ve seen this look from him more times than you can remember despite the short time you’ve known each other.

on the lake when you two were skating, grasping each other’s hands and giggling as you tried to keep yourselves from falling back.

in town when your hands bumped and you’d stop dead in your tracks to look at each other, completely unaware of the people around you giving each other knowing looks.

on the couch when you’d allow your head to rest on his shoulder, cuddling closer to him because the weather is really cold for january and you need body heat.

but it’s never been as strong as it now.

your heart’s never been beating this fast and you haven’t been able to feel his own pounding against his chest. probably because he was nervous to ask-

“can i kiss you?”

neither of you can remember what happened after he uttered those words.

just that one minute, he said it and the next, your mouths were connected. parting on one another’s as he completely caged your body with his.

your arms wound around his neck and he hummed contently against your mouth, slipping his tongue in when you started playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

he had half the mind to turn off the stove before carrying you to the couch, your legs wound tightly around his waist as every hint of desire and want overtook you.

he plopped himself down as you situated yourself on his lap, lips never disconnecting. you moaned against him when you felt his body underneath yours, tongues colliding and mouths pulled into smiles.

his hands gripped onto your hips gently, pulling your body closer to his as your kisses grew hungrier and more intense.

you finally pulled apart for air with heaving chests and red, puffy lips, your eyes meeting and every hint of vulnerability and longing in them.

“i’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” he finally says softly, almost whispering it in fear that someone else would hear.

but this house is empty. it always is and it has been for quite some time.

until you met him and he completely changed your life.

now there were two pairs of shoes at the door and two empty cups in the sink. there was someone to talk to and someone to be in the silence with.

because you’ve learned over this past month that even a silence with someone else is way better than the silence of being alone.

“me... me too,” you admit shyly, a warm blush creeping up on your face. “i’m... really, really happy you’re here, mingi.”

his eyes widen when he sees tears well up in your eyes, his mouth pulled into a frown as he brings his hands to your face.

but you only shake your head before he can comment on it, placing your hand atop his before connecting your lips again.

he meets the kiss with the fervor you need, everything about it soft and sweet and passionate. like you guys know time is running out and you need to fit it all in.

“that producer got back to me and wants to meet in person so you’ll be home next week, yeah?” hongjoong asked mingi over the phone, the boy laid out on his bed a few days later.

he can only keep replaying the memory of you in his mind, the tone of your voice and the teary look in your eye when you told him how happy you were that he’s been here.

there was a certain type of sadness behind you that he hasn’t been able to shake, making it incredibly hard for him to pick a day to just pack up his car and go.

“i... uh. i don’t know, yet.”

“what?” hongjoong asked.

him and mingi had been waiting to meet producers for months, getting either put on a list or straight up rejected. and now when they have a chance, “you don’t know yet?”

mingi licks over his lips as he hears the disbelief in his friend’s voice, knowing that hongjoong won’t be able to believe this. they’ve been waiting for this moment ever since they were in high school and had the dream of rapping as a duo.

he was only supposed to be here for a few days and now it was almost a month. what could possibly be keeping him there? what could possibly have made mingi-

“what could you possibly not know, mingi? we’ve been waiting for this moment for years. you even extended your trip for a bullshit reason thinking i’d really buy it.”

“okay but my aunt really did need help around the house...” he mumbles because yes, she needed help around the house as she redid her bathroom but she was quick to hire professionals so, technically not a lie.

“so what, what’s your excuse this time? did you meet some chick?”

there’s a silence that stretches over the phone for what feels like hours, mingi attempting to find any words before hongjoong lets out a loud groan.

“a girl? mingi, are you fucking kidding me?”

“i really like her, hongjoong,” mingi tells his friend, a sweet genuineness and innocence in his deep tone. “i really, really like her and i... i don’t think i can leave her yet.”

he reluctantly opens up to hongjoong about you, telling him that you’re in school and live alone in this quiet little lake town. that you and him have been spending every second together and he’s never felt this way about anyone before.

“i’m happy for you, man, i really am,” hongjoong says, never having heard his friend talk like this before. “but i mean... is she worth changing your plans? what the hell is there for you?”

he wants to say that you. you’re there.

the girl he’s known for less than a month but has gotten him so tight around her finger - and once he leaves, will still be here.

except she’ll be within the walls of her house all alone again, in a town based off people coming and going where she’s never seemed to have a stable relationship with anyone.

where she now knows what it’s like to spend every day with someone and look forward to their company every morning and night. spend hours talking until the sun rises and sleep until it’s dark out.

“i wouldn’t be changing my plans that much. i still have our music, hongjoong. we can still do shit even if i live here.”

“live there?!? hongjoong blurts out, “you’ve been there for a less than a month, dude, that’s fucking crazy. you’ve barely know her and you’re gonna move there?”

“i can’t leave her.”

he didn’t think at the time that it was crazy. he didn’t think he’d ever come to regret that decision because, at the time, he really couldn’t imagine leaving you.

he couldn’t picture himself hugging you goodbye and telling you that you’d keep in touch via texting and facetime.

he couldn’t picture going back home with a genuine smile on his face when it felt as if he left behind something, someone, would could make him the happiest he’s ever felt.

he couldn’t picture that he’d ever come to resent you because when he told you he was gonna consider staying in town longer, a bit more permanently, the smile that lit up your face was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“really?” you smile, jumping up from your spot on the couch and running over to him.

you’re so smiley and happy and bouncy until you’re not, your face dropping ever so slightly when you look over his face.

“but wait... what about the producer? did he ever answer?”

“he did. hongjoong’s meeting with him tomorrow.”

your eyes widen at the news but he’s quick to cut you off, bend down and press a long, lingering kiss to your lips before scooping you up into his arms.

“but i told him there was something better for me here.”

present day:

he wasn’t sure when the resentment started.

he just knew that, one minute he loved you, and the next, he started to question everything.

it could’ve been from seeing hongjoong’s success, album after album and talk of him all over social media right in his face every day.

it could’ve been his lack of success, pursuing a music degree via online school while still keeping up with his previously established career as a rapper; it was enough to get the bills paid and keep his name lingering around but that’s all it was now.

it could’ve been that all of his passion was gone and he blamed you for that; because if it weren’t for you, he’d be with hongjoong now. he’d be making money and feeling inspired and at the peak of his creativity and motivation.

but he loves you, right? he loves you more than he’s loved anyone in the world and he made the right decision.

“sometimes i question if i made the right decision.”

it was a relativity quiet night for you and mingi, the past few days calm and uneventful, so you knew a fight was bound to happen soon.

and with that statement, it seemed as if the night was quickly headed in that direction.

“what do you mean?” you ask, looking up from your textbook.

he was sat on the love seat opposite you, computer in his lap and a beer on the side table as he watched you. he’d been wordlessly watching you all night and you hadn’t been sure what to make of it.

now, you can see, he might’ve been watching you with disdain.

“i mean i sometimes wonder if i made the right decision in staying here. just... so quickly not accepting that producer’s offer with hongjoong’s.”

his words hurt you more than you let on, your stomach sinking and knotting as you let his words sink in.

you had asked him for weeks after he made that decision if he was sure.

if something he worked so hard on and something he looked forward to for so long was something was worth giving up.

and anytime you asked, he’d say the same thing.

“you’re worth it.”

you wonder now if he said it so many times to qualm your ever present worries or to convince himself. tell himself over and over again that, yes this girl is worth staying here and no, i won’t come to resent her.

it’s something you worried about in the beginning but faded with time.

because your love grew stronger and you both became more secure. your relationship was the closest thing to perfect you’d ever experienced.

but not now.

now it’s a fucking disaster.  

“where did that even come from?”

you can hear to your own ears how shaky and unsure your voice sounds. it’s filling you with as much shame as it does embarrassment, knowing that you can’t even talk to your own boyfriend openly and honestly.

without feeling upset, like you know you have to walk on eggshells or can’t express how much he’s been hurting you.

“i don’t know, i’ve just been thinking,” he hums, taking a swig of his beer as he adjusts himself on the couch.

you don’t know what to say so you don’t say anything, only humming lowly as you nod your head.

you lick over your lips as you look back down uncomfortably, blankly staring at the words of your textbook. your brain can’t absorb any of the terms or phrases on the page, the sinking, awful feeling in your stomach taking over.

you can’t even remember how long you’ve felt like this.

when butterflies turned to this gut wrenching, awful feeling.

like the feeling before a plane takes off or you have a presentation to do or when the one person you’ve loved in this world has decided they don’t want you anymore.

“i stayed for you.”

the words you feared hearing pierce the air and you hold back a shaky breath, biting the inside of your cheek so harshly you’re hit with the metallic taste blood.

you look up and see his eyes narrowed in on you, tears burning the back of yours as you beg them not to fall.

because you can’t keep crying in front of him just for him to ignore you. to just watch you lose it with a blank look in his eyes, instead of holding you or attempting to soothe you.

“i couldn’t leave you alone in your house,” he begins, like the words he’s rationalizing in his head are coming out of his mouth uncontrollably.

“i wasn’t ready to leave you yet and i didn’t even think twice about how i would feel in the future. because i was so fucking consumed by you, y/n.”

there’s an obvious and palpable pain in his voice and it makes your gut wrench even more; you hate that he’s in pain but you’re in pain, too. you were in pain before him and now you’re in pain because of him.

“i’m still consumed by you but i feel...angry now. i feel so fucking angry, y/n, and i don’t know why. i don’t know if i’m mad at you or myself but i know i stayed for you. if i never met you, i never would’ve stayed here and now i feel like i’m stuck.”

“but i never asked you to stay, mingi,” you whimper out, the tears quickly coming to the surface.

they’re a mix of sadness and frustration, because it hurts so much hearing this, the obvious regret in his words, but it also makes you mad - that was his choice and his choice alone.

and it’s like he knows that too. because he doesn’t say anything in response, just continues to stare at you with a look in his eye that breaks your heart.

“i asked you so many times if you were okay with doing that,” you begin after moments of silence, your teary, wet gaze meeting his. “i asked you again and again because i knew you’d come to regret it.”

“i’m not saying i regret it, i’m just saying i-”

“you’re saying you stayed here for me like it’s my fault,” you say, shaking your head as tears leak from your eyes and down your cheek. “like i asked you to and like meeting me was your downfall. but i never told you to and i would’ve never ever expected you to.”

“what, so i was just supposed to leave you alone?” mingi growls lowly, emotion behind his tone that’s almost masked by the brashness.

he can’t help but feel all of this coming up, all of these feelings he’s been going through these past months and making him a completely different person.

“why would i have left you when i knew i loved you?”

neither of you focused on loved being past tense, probably because it’s a fact both of you know by now.

“i didn’t want anything else but you in that moment.”

“do you want a prize, mingi?” you snap, every defensive and defeated emotion coursing through your veins.

“you could’ve left me alone. you could’ve just left the way you wished you did so fucking badly. you would’ve saved yourself all of this obvious regret.”

“you think i regret staying with you?” he asks, his voice low and deep as he rises from the chair.

his frame is tall and broad and looming as he walks closer to you, standing over your chair as you sit there and stare up at him. his eyes roam your face and he follows the few tears rolling down your cheeks, his hands stiffly hanging at his sides.

he used to hate seeing you cry.

it used to make him wanna destroy whatever was hurting you. he used to kiss your tears away and wouldn’t let you leave his arms until you were smiling and laughing again.

“well, what do you call this?” you whimper quietly, sniffling and stuffy and feeling small tears stream down your face.

“you basically said if it weren’t for me, you’d be happier with your life. and i... i was so happy when you decided to stay, mingi, i’m not gonna lie to you. i was so happy because i knew we would love each other so much,” you whimper out, the knot in your throat making it difficult to speak.

“but i also knew that one day, you would probably regret it and resent me. it’s why i asked you over and over and over again. because i was so scared this was gonna happen.”

his mouth grows dry as he licks over his lips, a burning behind his eyes as he hears your voice break. he’s quick to shake his head and blink away the tears, though, because he knows if he starts crying, he’s never gonna stop.

“i thought you would leave with me eventually,” he’s finally able to get out, his throat clogged and voice gruff as he voices his innermost thoughts and wishes.

you compromised for him once, why wouldn’t you do it again?

“i thought if you actually loved me the way you claimed to, you’d be able to go.”

“well, i was always honest with you about that too,” you murmur, feeling utterly defeated and guilty as you meet mingi’s glossy eyes. “you know i never intend on leaving.”

a year and 5 months ago - june 19th

he learned about your parents accident on the 4th year anniversary of their death.

he had noticed that week you were especially gloomy, a sad look in your eye and the fake smile on your face making him cling to you just a bit more than usual.

and apparently, you had noticed too.

“mingi, are you okay?”

the words were muffled against his shirt, your face pressed against his chest as the two of you lay on the couch. his hand had been running up and down your back gently all night, like he’d been trying to calm you without any words.

like he knew there was something wrong, even though you hadn’t said a word.

his eyebrows pull together in confusion, placing his fingers under your chin. he lifts your face as his eyes search yours, that sad look behind them masked by a soft curiosity.

you’re trying to hide your pain because you think he’s hurting and that alone only makes him even more sad.

“of course i am, baby. but are you okay?”

you can’t find it in you to say yes so you only nod shyly, a small smile gracing your face as you look at him.

his eyes are full of such warmth and love that it makes tears prick behind your eyes, dropping your gaze quickly as you bury your face back in his chest.

the movement causes him to swallow nervously, adams apple bobbing as he presses his lips to the top of your head.

he knows something’s wrong. he knows something’s very wrong but he doesn’t know what happened or what’s brought this on.

“you can tell me anything,” he mumbles against your hair, his arms wrapped tightly around your body. “you know that, right?”

because he also noticed that you started seeming off when he mentioned moving in together, looking at apartments in town for himself before getting the idea to live with you.

you guys are already together all the time, it only made sense for you two to live together as well.

but he could tell immediately the idea unsettled you, you clutching desperately on to him as you muttered that you’d think about it.

at first, he would’ve assumed you didn’t wanna go that far with him. that it was too serious a commitment and you were completely uncomfortable with that.

but it was the way you were clinging to him, burying your face in his chest like you were begging him not to leave you that made him realize something deeper was going.

it’s why he dropped it at first. looked for apartments on his own with the idea that, best case scenario, you’d move in with him too.

could that be what’s wrong right now? you dealing with moving in with him and fears coming from that? or something else entirely?

he just knows that when he starts to hear you cry quietly into his chest, he needs to know what’s been wrong because he hates seeing you like this.

“hey, hey, hey,” his deep voice mumbles, large hands pulling you from his chest and wiping at your face. “what happened, baby? what’s wrong?”

and since you started crying about this, remembering the day and the circumstances around it so well, you won’t be able to stop. you can only continue to cry into him, tiny sobs wracking your body as you clutched onto him tightly.

“i... i can’t.”

you couldn’t talk, you couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t tell him, he wasn’t sure.

that’s why he shook his head and pulled you back into his chest, the warm safe place you’ve come to know so well and usually calmed you whenever you needed.

“i don’t know what’s wrong but i promise you’ll be okay,” you hear him mumble against your head, his hand running up and down your back gently. “i’ll try to help you in any way i can, baby, but i’m gonna need to know what’s wrong.”

but he can’t help you bring back your dead parents.

he can’t help you time travel the way you so desperately wish you could to tell yourself not to go on that senior trip.

that if you didn’t go, your parents never would’ve driven you to the airport and they never would’ve gotten in the car accident that took their life on the way back.

you’d spent a week in a foreign country while they spent a week in the hospital, your aunt and grandparents dealing with the repercussions before you came back and said your goodbyes in a dingy, hospital room.

mingi doesn’t know how long you both sat there in silence, your cries muffled against his chest and his arms wound tightly around you.

he loosened his hold immediately when he felt you try to pull away, watching as you stared at him, wiped your eyes and told him everything.

“my parents died four years ago, today.”

he watches with soft, sympathetic eyes and a breaking heart as you tell him about your guilt.

how if you just decided to stay home after weeks of begging them to go, they’d still be here.

“they didn’t have the money but i begged them for weeks, mingi,” you tell him, tears in your eyes and voice thick with emotion. 

“i wanted to go so badly because all my friends were going and i was too selfish to see they really couldn’t afford it.”

he can tell you’re not done talking so he only presses his lips together and grasps your hand tightly. squeezes it reassuringly as his thumb gently rubs back and forth against your skin.

“they both worked overtime for two weeks straight and gave me the money the last day it was due. and i barely thanked them,” you remember, the scene you’ve replayed in your mind hundreds of times flashing yet again.

you jumped up from the couch and snatched the money from their hands, throwing your arms around them in a quick hug before screaming your thanks and running up to your room to tell your friends.

“a drunk diver hit them on their way home from the airport and the doctors couldn’t believe they both didn’t die on impact. a-and no one in my family could even call me so i said my goodbyes when i got home, in the hospital.”

you look to mingi with tears streaming down your cheeks and you see wetness in his own eyes, his hand grasping onto yours tight.

“i couldn’t even talk to them one last time. or hear their voices. i don’t even know if they heard me.”

your voice breaks off after that, not being able to handle recounting this after years of staying silent about it; he’s the first person you’ve talked to about this besides the counselor you saw a few months after their death.

he pulls you in his lap and wraps his arms tightly around you, rocking you back and forth as he presses his lips to your head.

your eyes are closed tight as you focus on his breathing and soft murmurs. his deep, full voice muttering sweet nothings and quiet reassurances.

that your parents did hear you and they loved you till the end.

that it was no one’s fault but the driver who decided to get in a car after getting drunk.

that you shouldn’t put any blame on yourself, because your parents would want you to be happy and thriving.

“i know but it’s just hard,” you tell him, you teary face pulling away from his wet chest.

you look around the living room full of books and wooden furniture, a family portrait hung above a cluttered-filled desk; it was taken when you were ten and you remember hating that day because you had to wear an uncomfortable dress and tights.

“i don’t know how i’m ever gonna leave this place,” you voice aloud to him, one of the many concerns that muddled your mind when you started deciding on college or jobs or moving in with your perfect boyfriend of almost a year.

“it’s the last thing i have of them. i don’t... i don’t know if i’d be ever to leave this place, mingi.”

not after what happened last time.

not wanting to leave the house you grew up in to strangers who would create more happy memories and replace the ones you made with your own parents.

his face contorts into one of sympathy and pain, his heart breaking as the obvious guilt and dread is in your eyes.

he’d always seen a bit of torment behind them but you were always able to smile.

laugh with him and tease him and push whatever demons he knew you had aside; but he started seeing it again when he mentioned moving in, fear and anxiety and discomfort that he hated to even see behind your eyes.

“i don’t know how that will effect us, it’s something i’ve thought about a lot recently,” you confess quietly, playing with the edge of the blanket nervously. “especially when you mentioned us moving in together. i... i want to, so bad, because i love you and i think it’d be fun. but... i can’t leave.”

your tears start up again and a frown crosses mingi’s face, his body hovering over yours as he takes your face in his big hands.

he wipes at the tears threatening to slide down your cheeks before placing his lips on your head, breathing slowly and calmly against you as his warm breath wafts over you.

“baby, i understand completely, i really do,” he says, everything making sense now but... “but i don’t think your parents would want you to... limit your life like this.”

because you obviously had an interest in seeing the world. you obviously wanted to see different places and cultures and sights in the world that even your precious little town doesn’t hold.

but he can see tonight isn’t the night you’re gonna see that, if the way you shake your head and bury yourself back in his chest doesn’t show that.

and because he loved you more than anything else in the world, he understood it. held you and kissed you and made sure you knew he’d be by your side in whatever way you needed.

it was with his patience and love and unconditional support that you were able to live with him. keep your parents house as a sense of security but slowly move yourself out of it.

leaving a toothbrush at the apartment, a few sets of clothes, some shampoos and soaps until one night, you were waking up and falling asleep with him every morning and night.

present day:

the fight that ended you and mingi was over a trip to disney.

something meant to be so childish and fun and innocent morphing into a blowout, gut-wrenching fight that left the two of distraught.

hit both of you with the realization that whatever you once had had fizzled out and turned so horribly toxic, you were both losing yourselves.

it had started with yunho, san and wooyoung planning the trip, mingi over their house one day after the tension in the apartment got too much. he had scoffed when san mentioned it at first, wondering what business they had as college going twenty-somethings booking a trip to disney.

“it’ll be sweet!” san said, “we could go to the parks for a few days, everyone loves roller coasters! and then we can drive down to the beach, go surfing and go to bars and shit. it’d be so much fun, guys.”

and the more all of them thought about it, the more excited they got. looking at flights and car rentals and getting all their swim suits in order - that was until mingi came back home a day later and informed you of these plans.

“me and the guys were talking about booking a trip to disney,” was the first thing he said to you. not a hello or how are you or sorry for leaving and making you worry for a week.

“oh?” you hummed quietly, looking up from your spot at the kitchen sink; you’d made breakfast for two just in case he came home early but it was another serving of eggs and bacon in the trash.

“yeah, so is that something you’d wanna do?”

there’s something off about his tone that you immediately pick up on. snippy and on edge and defensive, like he’s already fully prepared to break out into a fight.

because he already knows you won’t do it. you won’t leave the 70 mile radius you’ve trapped yourself nor will you even try to go out of your comfort zone for him and you or anyone else.

and quite frankly, he’s grown really fucking sick of it. call him selfish or call him someone looking out for you, someone who knows this type of living isn’t normal, he can’t deal with it anymore.

“i... well i mean...how would we get there? and when?”

“we were looking at flights three weeks from now,” he says, carefully observing your face with slightly cold eyes. carefully waiting for the next hint of a breakdown he’s not gonna properly respond to.

you bite the inside of your cheek as panic starts to stir in your chest.

you haven’t been anywhere since the accident. you’ve gotten yourself so used to this environment that going anywhere else seems terrifying.

but you’ve seen how bad things will happen when you try to venture out. you left to do the same and it cost your parents your life - who’s to say you wouldn’t get your karma soon?

leave mingi without a girlfriend he doesn’t even care about anymore or your grandparents without a granddaughter you can’t help but feel they blame for their child’s death.

tears are quick to prick your eyes as you try to push down all of these feelings, looking down at the floor in a move mingi already knows is dismissive.

you hear him scoff and it sends a flurry of emotions through you, not even needing to lift your head to know he’s shaking his head.

“figures,” he hums lowly, making extra noise as he puts down his bag or plops down on the dining room chair. “i don’t know why i bothered asking.”

“mingi...” you begin breathlessly, guilt and shame and sorrow filling you.

“no, y/n.”

his voice is firm and hard and makes you meet his gaze, the look he’s throwing you icy and completely empty. he’s done and you’re done and there’s basically a ticking time bomb between you two.

“you didn’t even let me give you an answer.”

“because i know what it’s gonna be!” he roars, feeling stupid for getting excited when he knew damn well you wouldn’t be able to leave. “i know you’re gonna make up some bullshit excuse about school or work or money and you’re gonna say no.”

you can’t say anything because you know he’s right. but what he doesn’t know is that you’re trying. you try every day and every week and every month to push yourself out of your comfort zone and it just doesn’t work.

you’ve tried going away with him and you’ve tried expanding your horizons - you’e even moved out of your parents house to live with him. but it’s hard when you’re constantly reminded by the fact that your decisions ended a life.

while it was technically the drunk driver’s fault, your survivors guilt heavily outweighs that. intrusive thought after intrusive thought until you start to question why you’re even still here, too.

“i’m trying, mingi,” you say, your voice shaky and defeated. “i’m trying but you don’t even see that.”

“how are you trying?” he asks, watching your dejected form a few feet away from him. “you haven’t done anything different since you moved in with me. we’ve been living the same life for the past two years, y/n.”

but you just remember how patient he was when you first tried moving in. how he was so patient and kind and gentle and was everything you needed him to be.

but he can just remember how much he loved you. how patient and understanding he was, not fully grasping the severity of what happened to you and how incapable he was of dealing with it.

“i’m... so fucking sick of it. i’ve grown to be so sick of you and i hate that, y/n. i hate feeling like this but it’s the truth.”

“and you don’t think i am?” you blurt out, the dam of tears breaking as you hear him say those specific words to you - i’ve grown to be so sick of you.

your frame is smaller and fragile and you’re like a shell of the person you were when you first met as you make your way up to him, looking over him with all the pain and exhaustion in your eyes.

“you don’t think i’m sick of feeling this way? of seeing how much you obviously hate me and are over this when i can’t stop feeling this way? because i’m sorry it’s been inconveniencing you, mingi, but it’s been ruining me, too. sometimes i can’t even believe i’m still here.”

the last part of your sentence stirs something in him but he can only focus on your broken state. watching as you grow weaker and weaker because of him.

“you haven’t even been helping me,” you suddenly say, words quiet and soft-spoke but filled with an obvious hurt. “i... i don’t know why you’d even wanna go on a trip with me because we’d just fight, mingi. we’d just fight and i’d cry and you’d leave me. th-that’s what we keep doing.”

tears burn the back of his eyes, a knot growing in his stomach so big it feels like he’s about to puke.

“because i don’t know what to do anymore, y/n,” he say, his voice less harsh but still holding a certain degree of bite. “i tried so hard with you and nothing seems to work. i loved you, i still love you, and i was there for you and i tried so hard with you but... i don’t know how to help you.”

“you think yelling is the way? or leaving me is the way?” you laugh out manically, tears rolling down your face that you desperately try to reach out and wipe. “you’re sick of me but i’m sick of you, too. i’m sick of feeling this way and i’m so fucking sick of thinking you still love me.”

“you don’t think i love you?” he asks, rising from his chair and making his way over to you. 

his looming height should make you nervous, the way he’s looking down at you and threatening to trap you against the counter should make you nervous, but it doesn’t.

because coming to terms with this right here is the worst part. the conversation you’ve been avoiding for months and the obvious change in what you two have become.

“i don’t,” you say, finally meeting his gaze and seeing hurt and anger swirl behind them. they used to hold such a sweet softness that would sometimes make you feel better, even if just for a little bit.

“because even if you do, you’re still sick of me, right?”

one year ago:

“what if you get sick of me?”

the newest compromise had been his family coming here to meet you.

you and mingi had booked refundable tickets for a week in his hometown, a part of you wanting to desperately prove you could do something for him. something that would make him happy and maybe prove you love him a little more than you can convey.

but the second you got on the highway to the airport, you knew you weren’t gonna be able to.

memories played through your mind of you in the backseat of your parents car, laughing and talking with them as you promised to be careful and take a lot of pictures with them.

hearing them tell you they loved you and were so happy you were able to go after all.

and then you’d looked to the other side and see in your mind a car hitting the other. spinning out and smacking into the divider as an eruption of fire, car parts and the chaotic screeching of breaks echoed through the air.

mingi had to pull over to calm you down, bring you back to the real world in the form of hugging you close to his body and his hand running through your hair.

“i’m- i’m sorry, mingi, i’m sorry, i-”

“sh, you don’t have to apologize, baby, there’s nothing to apologize for,” he hums against your head, pulling you over the console to rock you gently in his lap.

he was warm and broad and soft spoken and everything about him made you feel safe. you couldn’t grasp at the time how or why he was so understanding and sweet but you didn’t even wanna question it.

because he was the one thing in your life that made you feel okay. that you had him and he had you and there was nothing that could be that bad if you had each other still. 

he didn’t let go of your hand once as pulled onto the highway, got off the exit and made his way back home.

he guided you back into the apartment and told you to go lay down and that he’d be there in a second. 

he cancelled the flight and called his mom, telling her you guys got rained out and that, if it was okay, he’d pay for them to fly out here next week.

the bed dips a few moments later, broad strong arms wrapping around your waist before you’re pulled into his chest.

it was after a few silent minutes stretched between you two, the calming rise and fall of his chest against your back, your small voice pierced the air.

“i’m sorry, mingi.”

he could tell you were gonna cry before you even started, turning you in his arms as he pulled you closer to him.

“baby, i already told you you don’t have to-”

“but i do,” you cut him off, lower lip trembling and stomach knotting guiltily. 

“i... i don’t think this is normal, mingi. i should be able to move on with my life and travel somewhere. i wanted to go so badly and meet your mom but i-” your voice breaks as tears fill your eyes and you try to catch the breath threatening to suffocate you.

“i’m scared i’m gonna be like this forever,” you say quietly, looking up and meeting his soft, sweet gaze. “i’m scared i’m gonna be like this forever and you’re gonna become tired of it.”

“baby... that’s never gonna happen,” he assures you, voice gentle but firm as he runs his fingers through your hair.

“and you’re not gonna be like this forever. we can get you help. and i can help you,” he says, his eyes looking into yours with such a raw honesty and love. “i... don’t really know how but i’ll do whatever it takes.”

“what if it’s not enough?” you ask, because at the time it’s like you knew just how bad this was gonna get. that even with as low as you felt then, it wasn’t even rock bottom.

“what if you get sick of me?”

“i won’t,” he reassures, pressing a long, lingering kiss to your head before settling you onto his chest carefully. “that’ll never happen because i love you, y/n. and i always will.”

present day:

in a turn of events, you were the one who left after that. 

came right to the place you first met, except now the lake isn’t frozen over and the late-afternoon sun had just set.

his words were too harsh and reminded you too much of his broken promises.

you felt too weak and pathetic and completely hopeless, the tense silence so horribly loud between you two you left without a word; and he hadn’t said anything either.

and now, as you sit at the spot you’ve always come to and found solace in, you can feel why he was always so hurt when you didn’t ask him to stay. because even though you were fighting and even though you both hurt each other, you wanted him to ask you to stay.

to please not go because that would’ve been the last possible way for you both to see there was something still there - even though it’s plain to see there isn’t.

too many fights and too many words have been said. too many lapses of silence and too many unspoken thoughts that now when uttered are just hurting both of you.

you’re both too hurt and you both have too many things to sort through that you can’t do together. 

one second you were staring down at the lake, your own broken reflection staring back as your feet hung in the water, and the next you couldn’t see. tears flooded your vision and sobs wracked through your body, loud, ugly, horrific sobs that you’ve been holding back for far too long.

you cry because you know it’s over with him, you know it’s been over for a while, but now it all feels real. 

you cry because you know you need some help to get past all of the guilt you feel, how if you don’t get help, you’re never gonna leave this town and see what else is out there.

you cry because you don’t even know where to start and know, even though it hurts, you have to do it alone.

you’re so lost in your thoughts and the way your cries echo through the yard that you don’t hear footsteps approach you.

you don’t even know anyone’s behind you until someone bends down and pulls you into their broad, warm chest. a chest you know far too well and a body that hasn’t held you like this in what feels like forever.

he knew you’d be here and he couldn’t stop his legs from jumping in the car and coming to see you after you left. half because he knew this had to happen and half because he was far too scared for you to be out here like this.

he knew what conversation was gonna follow but he knew had to hold you one last time. he missed holding you and he missed wiping your tears away.

“i don’t know what happened to us, mingi,” you whimper into his chest, the tears that have been building behind his eyes finally coming to the surface.

he doesn’t know what happened either. he doesn’t know when or where you guys went wrong or when you stopped talking to each other. he doesn’t know when he stopped loving you in such a way that was all consuming, where he knew he’d do anything and everything for you.

“i don’t... i don’t think this is working. i don’t know what to do but i know i can’t do this anymore.”

“i don’t know what happened either, baby,” he mumbles against your head, his words wobbly and wet as he tightens his hold on you. it feels as if every part of is heart is breaking, for the way he’s neglected you and the way your crying against him.

“i’m sorry i can’t help you. i wanted to so fucking badly but now... i just, i can’t, baby.”

you cry harder as you shake your head against him, feeling him plop down and pull you into his arms tighter.

it feels every bit as heartbreaking and upsetting as you both knew it’d be. it’s probably why you guys put it off for so long. because even though you feel the love you used to feel, you both know nothing will change.

he’ll resent you and you’ll resent him right back.

he’ll say he stayed for you and tried to help you and you’ll say you never asked him to do any of it.

you both sit there and cry and hold each other until the sky falls dark and air turns crisp, the moon reflecting off the lake in a way that hasn’t changed in two years.

but everything’s changed between you both and it’s too heartbreakingly obvious.

“i’ll miss you,” you mumbled to him.

because you know he’s gonna go on and do all the great things he’s wanted to. move out of this town and pursue whatever dreams he put off for you, the girl he once loved more than anything.

“i love you,” he confesses quietly against your head. “i really really did love you.”

because he knows he still does, he knows he always will, but it’s not something either of you can bear to hear right now.

you both have said what the other needed to hear and when you guys part tonight, maybe you’ll finally start feeling better. fix yourselves and the damage you’ve caused each other and maybe reunite when the universe deems it right.

two and a half years later:

it had always been your dream to see the northern lights.

something about them had always fascinated you, how they almost didn’t see real or were just a figment of fake editing that would only ever be seen in photos.

but you had an overwhelming need to see them before your very eyes. see the sight before you and marvel in just how truly fascinating and beautiful it was.

so that’s exactly what you did.

you wrote down a list of all the places you wanted to see: the egyptian pyramids, the great wall of china, the taj mahal, the eiffel tower, all of the sights that you knew in order to see, you’d have to leave the perfect little town you loved so much.

it took a lot of attempts, a lot of tears and anxiety and frantic calls to your therapist, but finally, you were able to do it.

it was the third to last place on your 6-month journey around the world, jet lag getting to you immensely but an extremely fulfilling pride and excitement within you.

you were able to do it. see the sights and meet hundreds of different people and experience all the things you convinced yourself you didn’t need or want. 

and you didn’t have a single regret until this very moment. 

because the rookie mistake you made within this amazing, journey of self-discovery around the world was not investing in a parka.

the biting temperatures of alaska were surely getting to you right now, your glove covered hands over your ears as you trekked through the snow with other groups of (properly dressed) tourists during the aurora season.

you found yourself in a snowy, freezing field, tall evergreen trees above your heads as you waited patiently for the sky to change perfectly, a buzzing excitement and low chatter from the people around you.

footsteps crunching on snow filled your ears from every direction, your eyes on the trees and large sky above you. a harsh gust of wind whipped past you and you let out a tiny squeal, your hands shooting up to your red, wind-burnt face.

you could hear a quiet, low chuckle beside you, something about the strangely familiar sound sending a whoosh of butterflies through your stomach. you didn’t understand them at that moment, ignoring your bodies odd reaction and keeping your eyes focused on the sky. 

it took hearing his voice, the same one you’d fallen in love with in your own backyard, for your eyes widen and quickly look over the snowy vast of land surrounding you.

mingi stepped in front of you, eyes full of amusement and pride and even disbelief, looking over your face with the same type of a fascination he had when he first met you.  

“aren’t you cold?”

inspired by: line without a hook by ricky montgomery, ty tiktok

tag list: @mochibabycakes @atinyarmyx1 @middle-of-a-wonshua-sandwich @chrryhwa @baekhvuns @marksflvr @bunbaebae @markleeyeosang @inkigayeo​ @nlost21​ @toffee-hwa​ @hyunjeansuniverse​ @cherryeonii​

[mikrowrites]

destiny

winchester!sister , dean x sister!reader , sam x sister!reader

SPN SEASON 15 FINALE SPOILERS!!!

summary: Y/N always knew she was destined go out one way or another, so when destiny arrives Y/N just wants her brothers to hold her.

warnings: ANGST, death, blood, violence, language, there’s some fluff I swear!!!

There’s a moment when you are confronted with your destiny.

Maybe your destiny is to end world hunger. Find a cure for an incurable disease, open a restaurant, some shit like that.

Y/N Winchester was always destined to die.

It’s every hunter’s destiny, really. They resign themselves to the incredibly high odds of their inevitablely early demise, and she made her choice long ago. She would die, and her brothers would live...

The vamp wrestled with Y/N, definitely stronger but one of them is holding a machete and guess what? Not him.

She sliced his head clean off, turning and seeing her brothers fighting off the two remaining vamps. Y/N smiled a bit, before rushing over to help Dean. She kicked the back of the vamp’s knee, throwing her brother the machete. He’s about to swing it when the vamp turns, grabbing Y/N and pushing her back against a wooden beam.

Pain enveloped her body as she let out a strangled gasp, looking up into the vamp’s eyes with her own wide ones. The moment doesn’t last long before Dean slices his head clean off. Y/N looked down at her stomach, her breath shakey as her mind reeled, trying to process the situation. Something was pressed into her back, making her insides feel as though they were on fire.

“Hey, Y/N/N?” Dean spoke up, Y/N snapping back to reality, her eyes softening as she looked up at her brothers. “It’s okay, everything’s good, kid. Let’s get out of here.”

“I-I can’t...” Y/N responded, her bottom lip trembling.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“Uhm...” Y/N struggled to catch her breath, her hand gesturing to her stomach. “I-ah—something... somethings got me, in my back, feels like it’s going right through me, ah-shit...”

Sam walked forwards as Dean remained rooted where he was, his face contorting into one of fear. The taller brother put his hand on Y/N’s shoulder, before reaching and touching her back as the girl hissed in pain. Sam pulled his hand back, his head snapping up to look at his sister when his palm came back painted red.

“That doesn’t look good.” Y/N murmured, Dean rushing over, seemingly surveying the scene.

“Okay, um, if we’re just careful we can pull you off—“

“No! No! Jesus Christ, haven’t you both watched TV? You pull me off I’ll bleed out instantly.” Y/N reasoned. “I’d... I’d die quicker.”

“Sam call for help.” Dean insisted.

“No!” Y/N shouted again.

Sam shook his head. “Y/N, we need to get you help—“

“—and explain the corpses laying around relieved of their heads? Besides, if help came I wouldn’t make it to the—“

“Stop. No.” Dean dismissed. “You aren’t... you’re not dying.”

Y/N bit her lip, shaking her head. “You know that isn’t true.”

Both brothers were silent, looking at their sister in despair and helplessness.

“Just... please... stay with me?”

Dean raised his hand to cup her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. “Always.”

Sam walked over, Y/N grasping each of their hands in hers.

“I need you both... to find those two kids and get them somewhere safe.” She spoke to them, her eyes gathering tears.

Dean and Sam nodded, Y/N exhaling.

“And—uhm—Miracle’s food is in th-the lower l-le-left cabinet in the kitchen. A-And—“

“We’ve got it, sweetheart.” Dean reassured, his eyes moistening. “You don’t have to worry about all that.”

Y/N smiled sadly, a tear cascading down her face. “But I’m worried about y-you two.”

The two men became distraught, Y/N continuing. “I need you both to-to m-move on.”

“We’ll find some way, we’ll figure something out and bring—“ Sam began to reason, before Y/N interjected.

“No. No, please, d-don’t do that. Don’t try and bring me back. That ne-never has ended well.”

Sam truly began to cry, Y/N squeezing his hand. She smiled through her own tears, looking at the two men. “You’re my big brothers. I love you-you both s-so much.”

“It can’t end like this.” Dean begged, holding up and grasping Y/N’s hand. “It can’t...”

Y/N cringed in pain, the two brothers looking at each other distraught. A single tear dripped down Dean’s cheek.

“Re-remember when y-you both found me? That was the b-best d-da-day of my life.” Y/N sputtered out. “Y-You took m-me in an-and raised me. Th-Thank you. For be-being my brothers... whe-when you didn’t ne-need to, bec-because you wanted to.”

Sam nodded, Y/N smiling slightly at him as they both acknowledged her fate. She knew Sam would be okay. He was strong, and he could handle this. Y/N was sure of that.

But her smile faded as she turned her head to look at Dean, who was on the cusp of falling apart. Y/N squeezed his hand. “Dean.”

The man looked up at her with the most broken, sorrowful eyes. Y/N exhaled shakily, pulling her hand out of his grasp to lift it to his face, cupping his cheek. “I’m n-not leaving. I’ll al-always be... right h-here.”

She lowered her hand to his heart, Dean placing his large hand over her smaller one. Y/N smiled softly, feeling the darkness blur her vision.

“Pl-please... hold me...” Y/N’s voice cracked, the two brothers immediately pulling their arms around her. Sam sobbed into her shoulder as Dean placed his hand on the back of her head, still holding Y/N’s hand to his chest.

She could feel warmth envelope her body, but Y/N held off, fearful of what would happen if she left.

“Dean?”

“Yeah, Y/N/N?” Dean asked, as tears silently traced down his cheeks.

“I need to kn-know you’ll be okay. I need you to—“ Y/N broke off as she swallowed a sob rising from her throat. “I n-need you to tell me you’ll both be o-okay.”

Dean’s grip on her hand tighted, the man squeezing his eyes shut before pulling away from embracing his sister, nodding through tears as he forced his ever-so-charming smile.

“Yeah sweetheart. We’ll be okay.” Dean sniffed, smiling as he struggled not to fall apart.

“You can let go.”

Y/N exhaled, her face loosening into a neutral expression, one full of peace and finality. She squeezed Dean’s hand one last time before her eyes fluttered shut, her body slacking into Sam’s.

The barn was silent as Dean felt her hand go limp in his, his façade morphing into shock as he struggled to breathe, Sam crying out.

Suddenly Dean’s face began to contort into a painful expression, the tears gathering as a sob ripped from his throat.

His baby sister was gone.

Y/N inhaled deeply, opening her eyes. A soft breeze blew through her hair, her eyes adjusting to her surroundings.

She stood in the valley of a beautiful mountain range, the foliage sporting beautiful shades of green, orange, and yellow. Y/N took a few steps forward, looking around. “Hello?”

“Y/N.”

The girl spun on her heel, stumbling back as her breath caught in her throat. John Winchester, her father, stood before her, considerably younger than when she met him for the first time in the bunker.

“Dad?” Y/N gasped out.

The man smiled, opening his arms. Y/N rushed towards him, wrapping her arms around him, letting her eyes close as she hugged him tightly.

John chuckled. “Welcome home, kiddo.”

Y/N smiled, truly smiled, as suddenly numerous visions flooded her head:

Dean, carrying a little girl through a park, her shirt embroidered with the name “Y/N”.

Sam, marrying Eileen and hunting with her.

A white picket fence in the front yard, photo frames scattered on shelves.

Sam teaching his son to play catch.

Dean, eating pie with his teenage daughter.

Y/N opened her eyes, her smile widening. Her destiny wasn’t so much as to die, though she had to. No, it was much more complex than that.

Y/N’s destiny was to give her brothers the lives they deserved.

“It’s good to be home.”

————————————————————

tags: @writeroutoftime

[where-the-fig-tree-twists]

Quail and Clover

>Chickens and Quail<

I did some research and found this link to be especially helpful. Quail produce more eggs, but are smaller. They also reach maturity quicker and are easier to process than chickens. Their eggs are smaller though, and “require specialty tools to open them”? But, it only takes 8 weeks to start laying eggs! So that’s very helpful and cool, and I think it’d be encouraging to have something that lays faster.

I also think it’d be easier to use them to process for whole prey model raw for food for the dogs, but that’s a topic for another post. Quail also need much less space, meaning it’s a far less daunting or exhausting task to build them a coop or tractor - they only require 1sqft per bird, while chickens require 12:1. That’s a ton of space! Obviously, I’m going to give them much more space than that, but it’s something worth taking into consideration.

Unfortunately quail aren’t a walking garbage can like chickens are, but, honestly, we don’t really have enough waste I could give chickens currently. We have turtles we give leftover vegetables and fruit to, and extra proteins and grains go to the dogs and hamsters.

🐓 🌸 🐓 🌸 🐓 🌸 🐓 🌸 🐓 🌸 🐓 🌸

>Clover and Gardens<

Clover is hardy, and grows very well in areas where little else does. unFortunately, that’s… pretty much exactly my land. Living here, I’ve seen more than my fair share of cliche tumbleweeds larger than the front end of a Kia Soul. Clover “hibernates” over winter, and comes back during the thaw, so I don’t have to worry about it dying off over the winter. It also requires very little intensive care, and tends to choke out other invasive species. Perfect - I’m so tired of grass burrs in my carpet, and seeing my poor dogs limping across the yard. Another added bonus, on the topic of dogs, is that clover holds up extremely well to dogs and increased foot traffic. Fantastic, as I train, foster, show, and do dog sports, and have a good number of dogs. It’s resistant to dog pee as well and doesn’t yellow like normal grass. It’s soft, pretty, and attracts all kinds of natural pollinators. I’m kind of thinking of also planting wildflowers with my clover seed, to get extra pollinators in the area and help boost our natural ecology.

I learned that if I use something to increase the nitrogen in the soil in my gardening, the clover won’t invade my plants! Bone meal, earthworm castings, cow manure, liquid kelp, guano, nature fertilizers like that will help keep it back. If my fertilizer isn’t enough, corn gluten meal or vinegar, water, and a drop of dish soap sprayed on the intruders will help protect my garden. This also keeps clover mites out of the garden, without threatening any of the helpful bugs and insects.