The Artists in My Backyard

This morning, I wandered through my overgrown and somewhat neglected garden. I love being outdoors, but the heavy humidity and relentless mosquitoes of the South have kept me away for much of the summer.

In my absence, the spiders have claimed the backyard as their studio. Their webs now drape across walkways, shimmer like gates at the bridge, and hang high above me like delicate aerial sculptures.

As I moved through the garden, I realized I wasn’t admiring the plants as much as I was marveling at the spiders. They are astonishing artists. The intricacy of their webs, the patience and time each one demands, it’s breathtaking if you pause long enough to see it. At one point, I stopped and stood still, watching a spider at work. With deliberate precision, it moved back and forth, laying down thread after thread, slowly spinning a masterpiece. It was mesmerizing, like a quiet, artful performance unfolding right before my eyes.

I always feel a bit of guilt when I accidentally walk through a web, tearing apart hours of careful design with one careless step. Many people see these spiders as nothing more than invasive intruders. Yet I can’t help but see the beauty and talent in their work. Their very presence feels like a reminder that artistry lives everywhere, even in the beings we are quickest to dismiss.

With a bit of reluctance Keith has agreed that, as much as possible, the spiders and their creations will be allowed to stay. It feels like a small but meaningful pact we’ve made with these unexpected artists. In sharing this space, I’ve come to see them not as pests, but as fellow creators, weaving beauty into the untamed corners of my garden.

Soon the humidity will ease, the mosquitoes will vanish, and I’ll begin the slow process of reclaiming my garden. But this time, I’ll move gently, doing my best to honor the work of my creative companions, striking in their colors and patterns, living artworks in themselves.

As artist Andy Goldsworthy once said, “Art in nature is not just about creating something beautiful but about paying attention to what is already there.”