Change often happens too slowly for us to see — unless we look closely. For over 5 years, this quiet patch of lawn turned meadow has grown, shifted, and thrived in ways that only patience reveals.

Here’s what a meadow teaches us when we give it the gift of time.

What happens to a meadow over time? Does it stay the same? Can you see a difference? The ecological change often unfolds gradually, shaped by seasons, weather patterns, and time. Over five years, this meadow evolved from scattered seedlings to a thriving habitat, revealing the subtle but powerful processes of natural succession. This is the quiet work of a living landscape, captured in three photographs. This meadow also bears the unique profile of planted trees within the space. That added dimension of biodiversity and habitat offers depth, beauty, and vital shelter to the meadow’s growing community of life. It is not just plants that are thriving here…insects and birds are too.

This meadow has brought a lot of joy over the years. It is the first thing I see when I arrive home. I have seen countless birds raised in the nest box. Easter egg hunts have taken shape here. I have even come across new plants, like the bottle gentian that I saw for the very first time in this space.

A five-year picture series below you can see photos from 2019 through 2025 and the variations of growth, even though the date of April 27 is the same. You may also notice that absence of a giant ash tree in the background that is not longer there. Also, though, is the growing tulip poplar in its place trying to fill those shoes. It is amazing to me to see the variation in the growth of the meadow. Not only in time, but based on the coldness (or warmth) of the spring.

There are also other factors too that account for some changes. Difference in lighting that day, or even the type of camera used can fool the eye. But still, I notice in the below images that the meadow growth was much farther along in terms of height of the plants back in 2019. Levels of moisture could also be a factor here too. In January of 2019, there was about 4.49 in of rain/snow while in 2025, we only had 0.78 in.

Why do I even have these photos anyway? I was actually backpedaling though some old content that I wrote, and the first time I took these photos was back during the pandemic and I was looking for something uplifting in the spring. Then, in the beginning of January of 2025 I began a blog/website refresh and thought it would be fun to look back at this, and re-vamp an old post. So I marked my calendar for “take a picture of mini meadow on 4/27”. Calendar commitments are not easy to put off, so if it’s on the calendar, it gets done!

April 27, 2019

April 27, 2020

April 27, 2025

Standing here five years later with my back against the mailbox post, it’s clear that real transformation is almost never immediate. It’s the work of quiet seasons, of unseen roots and steady rains. This meadow is a reminder that change is happening all around us — even when we can’t see it yet. Maybe all it asks of us is to slow down, pay attention, and trust the process of growth, wherever we are. And it is only April. June and July have a ton of growth in store for this space.

What quiet changes have you noticed in the landscapes you love? I’d love to hear your reflections.