Why Bio Profiles?

When we walk through a garden, the first things we notice are the obvious ones—the trees, the shrubs, the flowers. In most gardens, these are known. They’re labeled, recognized, or at least familiar. We say, oh, that’s this tree or that flower. Even if we don’t know the Latin name, we usually know a common one—sometimes local, sometimes idiosyncratic, sometimes surprisingly creative.

With those names come stories. A flower that was Grandma’s favorite. A tree in an uncle’s yard, you climbed with cousins. Even if you’re not a horticulturist, landscaper, or gardener, you likely know a few plants—and carry a few memories with them.

That sense of recognition—of naming—is why I have a section here called Bio Profiles: short profiles of the life that exists all around us.

Bio Profiles grows naturally out of attention. It’s a secondary part of Hortiwijk, shaped by the same impulse—to record what I’m seeing and to learn from it. This time, the focus shifts beyond plants, trees, and flowers to ask a simple question: Who else is living here?

“Knowing the names of things is a way of knowing them.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer

Over the years, I’ve shared a series on native plants and, more recently, posts about the insects I’ve encountered. This winter, I’ll review the bugs I found last year and share them here as Bio Profiles. I hope you enjoy these small observations—on Facebook, Instagram, or here at hortiwijk.com.

Sometimes, the first step toward caring is simply learning a name.