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| Milk can and roses near our porch on a rainy morning. |
In the late morning, a slight drizzle began to fall. I was on my way outdoors to walk the grounds. I had to take my umbrella with me for protection. This was to be my leisurely stroll to check the gardens.
We currently have four rose bushes, scattered throughout the land. Each one showed encouraging signs of new growth.
The grape plants by the side fence look promising. All the fruit bushes and flowering trees are showing tiny bits of red and green growth. I was delighted as I crouched down, lowered my eyeglasses, and made a careful inspection of each part of the tree or plant.
I resumed my walk over little hills and a rock-lined driveway. Then I looked at our park benches, where we often rest while the children are playing. I gazed at the river as it rushed along the back grounds. Then I paused my steps to observe the peaceful landscape all around me.
The rain increased as I walked. The umbrella kept me comfortable and safe in the cool mountain air of our Village.
Our lilac bushes are thriving by the front of the house, as they start to come back to life after a long winter. As I walked towards the back of the property, I noticed a patch of Sweet William, which were planted, as seeds, last year. It looks like we may very well be blessed with their beautiful flowers this season.
One thing I have realized, on this journey to understand and to learn about gardening, is that since I am not dependent on the crops of food for survival, I have time to learn to garden at my own calm pace. One day, it is my hope that much of what the grounds produce, under the blessing of my Heavenly Father, will replace what I am currently buying at the store. This will provide us with nourishment while saving us a great deal of money.
Some of our plants will take years to mature. Others are providing us with food every summer. In the midst of all this work, in the rain or heat, it is such a blessing to pray and thank the Lord for another day of life to enjoy the work of our hands. We cherish the beauty of results of tending and laboring, with a sense of gratefulness, in the work we are doing at the old homeplace.
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
The example of my Parents - Minding my own Housekeeping Business.
The Reality - Retirement Planning for the Poor.
Finding Genuine Happiness at Home - Peace be Upon This House.
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Help for hard times at home -
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5 comments:
here is nothing quite like a garden for one's health, both physical and mental. There is such a sense of satisfaction in watching things grow and develop, and knowing that food will be on the table is an extra blessing.
If I were to garden, this is exactly how I would hope to do it...slowly, while learning. Gardening is intimidating, especially since I've never had a "green thumb", but the thought of growing something is very satisfying. I hope you have a beautiful, bountiful garden in the future, to add to your estate. What a blessing that will be for you.
I'm thankful that you took us on this calm tour of your garden and for your gratefulness to God for all His blessings.
You inspired me to do the same! Daffodils, tulips, hyacinth! My hostas are like pointed fingers ready to unfurl:). Most lovely were the trees across the farm field that are now looking slightly chartreuse with new leaves budding. So many shades of green! Thanks for the nudge:).
I am so glad you are giving serious thought to learning more about gardening and using your land to produce your good local food. I have been gardening since 1974 and we produce just about all the fruits, veggies, herbs and dry beans that we eat. The only things we buy are what we cannot produce ourselves, such as meats, flour, sugar, paper products, coffee, tea, etc. Gardening is extremely money saving and rewarding if done right. I do canning, freezing and drying to preserve what we grow. I would encourage you to plant heirloom or open pollinated varieties of seeds - not hybrids - so that you can save the seeds for next year. There are a few hybrid seeds that I do buy, but mostly we save our own seeds. I wish more people would garden (if it is possible to do so) and produce local food, instead of buying what comes from huge corporation farms that use lots of sprays, insecticides and herbicides. As I have mentioned we are beekeepers and so we never use any chemical sprays so as not to kill our bees. There may be a few bugs to deal with occasionally, but things like peppermint oil or thyme oil or simply vinegar/dish soap spray also works pretty good to deter the little pests!
Good luck to you. I know that the Lord has blessed us greatly over the years with our gardening.
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