When the Butterflies Leave: Listening to the Seasons Shift

Last Thursday, the air along the drive to the farm shimmered with hundreds of fluttering monarch butterflies. It was like stepping into a dream—orange wings dancing through the light, brushing past the windscreen, reminding us just how alive the landscape is. For nearly a month, these gentle visitors have graced the drive with their presence, filling the air with quiet magic—and more than once, slowing us down for fear of hitting one.

But nature never stays still for long.

Just four days later, there was only one butterfly. A lone flicker of orange in the breeze, like the closing note of a song. The change was sudden, but not unexpected. The butterflies, like all things in nature, move in rhythm with the seasons. Their quiet departure is a signal—subtle, yet unmistakable—that the wheel is turning once again.

Outside the office window, other signs begin to stir. The trees, so recently still and bare, now wear tiny clusters of new buds. The early bloomers are preparing their show—delicate hints of green, tight curls of petals waiting for the right moment. There’s an energy returning to the garden, one that feels both fresh and familiar. Spring is whispering through the branches. Still a while away but starting to peep through to say the cold days are numbered.

Within weeks, the orchard and gardens will burst into life—an array of bright colours, soft fragrances, and birdsong. It’s a reminder that every ending leads to a new beginning, and that nature gives us these gentle cues if we’re paying attention.

At Chestnut Brae, we’re always listening. To the butterflies, the buds, the breeze. They’re all saying the same thing: spring is near, and with it, another season of wonder.