At the library last evening I picked up a book titled 1001
Tips for Canadian Gardeners. My own garden
has taken years to get where it is now, and I’m still learning. Two of our three daughters bought new homes in the last year. This year they’re still
figuring out what to do with the land around their homes.
The soil at both places seems to be
heavier, unlike the sandy soil we have. There is a need to emend the soil both places—to lighten and feed it.
Our youngest daughter started to work
with her garden area and flower beds last year, pulling out overgrown plants
and taming weeds. In some areas, it must feel like a losing battle, but she’s
added fresh soil to the garden area and likely compost too, and so this year
it was ready for a small vegetable garden that is indeed growing well.
The yard at the home of my eldest
daughter once was quite a show place, according to photos the owner’s family
left behind. Yet, the place had been untended for years, and there was much
work to do inside and out. Last summer, with a young child, and a baby coming,
the indoor renovations took precedence, but this spring and summer, the
outdoors has received attention too. The front bed with
overgrown shrubs and hundreds of grape hyacinths has been cleared for now. The
backyard needed attention, too. Both friends and family helped remove the overgrowth and trim mature trees that provided good shade.
The book I borrowed addresses many
features of taking care of the land and gardens, in planning, considering environmental
factors, along with garden design and soil modification. Both yards will become more manageable in
time. For now, one with a baby wanted to grow food, and the other, with a small
child and a baby, had to consider safety and put up fencing to keep a
two-year-old safe.
In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13), the
sower went out to plant. Some seed fell on rocky ground and couldn’t take hold
and grow. Other seeds fell on the path and the birds ate the seeds. (They need
to eat too.) Seeds that fell among thorns were overtaken and never had a chance
to grow. Then the seed that fell on good soil did very well and produced a good
crop.
Jesus interpreted the parable for his
disciples. People of the time would understand those lessons, too, for they
were keepers of the land as we are today.
In the same way, good seed planted in
our minds help us to stay closer to God. Weeds were the evil, Jesus said, that
choked out the good crop, making plants wither and die. He wanted his people to
understand how to bear fruit, not just to grow it.
The book of gardening tips will be
just as helpful to the serious stewards of the land as the Bible is to our understanding of God and the kingdom. And I’m sure God, the Creator of beauty,
would appreciate a nicely kept yard and garden too.
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| Author's vegetable garden |
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| Author's flower gardens |
Carolyn R. Wilker is an editor and author. Learn more about her at www.carolynwilker.ca
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| now available from the author and Angel Hope Publishing |
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4 comments:
Thanks Carolyn. Soil type and condition are important. We've had a variety of soil types in the areas where we've lived, from heavy clay to light sand and others in between. How simple and clear Jesus reveals the condition of people's spiritual receptivity to the good seed of God's Word in His parables! I like your application.
Looks like you've a lovely place and that your hard work is bearing fruit. ~~+~~
Yes, Peter is correct. You do have a lovely place and well tended, Carolyn. My Cup Plant has multiplied exponentially. Please tell Len!
And thanks for the spiritual application of the gardens. The girls are blessed to have you as their advisor! :)
Thank you for your kind words, as always, Peter. Does it help that I'm a farmer's daughter?
It takes time and energy but once established, it's not as time consuming, usually.
Glynis, thanks for your kind words as well. I will let Len know how your cup plant is producing. We have more where those came from. ;)
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