autumn genocide

every autumn our oaks drop thousands of acorns ad our maples drop thousands of samaras. this is happening as i type. then, every spring, the edges of our yard sprout hundreds of tiny saplings. and then, every fall, when we brush-cut the edges of our property, we lop their heads off. there is no more polite way to say it. it feels a little bit like genocide. i actually ache while we are doing it. but for the overall and longterm health of the ecosystem, it seems to be our best option. i really never expected gardening to be so existentially difficult.

baby maple tree