Iris Sampler

From my uncle.

Siberian Iris from my uncle.

Bronze iris purchased many, many years ago.

From Gram.

Old fashioned from mom.

Old fashioned from mom.

Another one from my uncle.

Deep purple from mom just beginning to open.

Deep purple in bloom.

Cross breed of an old fashioned pale yellow with a siberian iris.

Be sure to plant iris close together for cross breeding.

Do not plant rhizomes too deep
and iris' do not like competition,
rather weeds or multiplication of other plants.

Patchwork

Noticed furrowed fields when out and about this week.

Reminded of this story.

Patchwork

Gleaming fields of ripening grain

nurtured by the sun and rain

swaying in the breeze -

oats, corn, soybeans, peas,

wheat, barley, silage, clover,

timothy or alfalfa.

Yellows, greens and browns.

Patchwork on the ground.

Fit together to form a whole

by several hardworking souls.

Squared corners or curved

filling in the grooves.

Golden oats shimmering.

In the breeze sashaying.

Music is made

then comes the blade

to shock into piles

mile after mile.

In the plot over there leaps

tasseled corn ready to reap.

Planted in straight rows.

Ten feet high it grows.

When the frost comes down

the stalks will turn to bronze.

Parcels of soybeans and peas

where bees buzz and stop to tease

pollinating

the blossoms

waiting to mature and age

in fields of green foliage.

Flaxen heads of wheat

soaking in the heat.

Kernels gleaned in the sun one day will make flour

after combining hour after hour.

Up, down and around

from sun up to sun down.

Down the road a stretch

more grains for market.

Glistening with dew

under skies of blue

or tawny-brown becomes

under the setting sun.

As far as the eye can see

are fields of green barley.

Squared off into acres the fields

will produce a bumper yield.

Bordered by a black ribbon road

leading to market where sold.

Miles and miles of acres

waiting to be sun-cured

after seeds were planted

and the good Lord watered

form patchwork pieces gathered together

joined by family, friends, and neighbors.

Several acres of clover, timothy,

alfalfa ready for baling early

under the noonday sun

right up until sundown.

This parcel owned by generations

of farmers making a living.

There's a tract of pumpkins

turning orange before picking

next to a cornfield where a maze

will soon confuse and amaze.

You might even buy maize

with kernels of browns and maize.

Patches sewn together by hedges or creeks

or babbling brooks which quietly speak.

Patchwork pieces of greens and golds

or brown when the earth is unfurled.

There are squares and rectangles

and irregular triangles.

Patchwork earth neatly arrayed.

Patchwork lives from disarray.

Patchwork overalls from tears.

Patchwork everyone wears.

Patchwork puts back together

what has come untethered.

Rather lives or acres

patchwork holds a cure.

Acres planted with grains

comes to life again.

Lives patch-worked back together

grow healthier and stronger.

Patchwork neatly forms

a beautiful new form

for pieces are stitched making something new

out of rips and tears - and furrows, who knew?

Patchwork makes whole

what used to be holes.

* * * * *

The pieces of your life form a whole

where joys and sorrows daily flow.

In the end someone beautiful is formed

like unmatched patchwork pieces being sewn.

All together more pleasing than plain -

the patchwork of our lives makes right again.

...beauty instead of ashes...

Isaiah 61:3

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

Moving Mountains

This morning's activity:  moving mountains.
Piled the remainder of last year's compost on the left,
then moved last year's deadheading pile to the right.
(Dream is to have a chipper when deadheading.)
Then sprinkled the dry pile with Garden's Alive quick compost starter.
Will be adding the edging sod to the dry pile to create next year's compost.
Plan to start the edging after the vegetable garden is planted this weekend.
Happy to see the trojan bulldozers (earthworms) at work in the mountain.

I house the kitchen compost out the backdoor in a composter.
This fall I'll dig a trench in the vegetable garden to transfer it to.

For a spiritual application re composting,
check out Jill McSheeby's book entitled Flourish.
I know you will be blessed, as I was.
http://journeywithjill.net/books/flourish/

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

I'll leave you with a more glamorous photo of gardening:

These poppies blew in from who knows where.  Very prolific.  

Fence

Fence

According to the weather report

rain for many days in the sky lurks.

So my brother comes to plow the garden

then I rake it over to remove the stones

for Jack Frost also heaved

(stones) when he colored leaves.

How else do you explain where more and more stones came from?

Each year they seem to multiply adding up to a ton.

As I child this chore was a pain.

Now bending over is for my gain.

Though bending over is good for me

and free exercise, I'm still too heavy.

Then it's time to put up the fence

after I pound in the stakes thence.

Years ago George C. offered assistance.

His perfection was patient persistence.

How come we don't appreciate

our helpers until it's too late?

Today a strong wind would surely blow down my attempts.

The struggle to put it up seems to cause me to vent.

A feeble attempt compared to what used to be

for a perfectionist was my neighbor, George C.

Putting up the fence will be a reminder each year

of a neighbor whose memory has now become dear.

Now the fence is up

but I can't finish up

for in Zone 5 planting gardens

takes place Memorial weekend.

The hard part is done.

Planting will be fun.

* * * * *

I was reminded of the story of rebuilding the wall in Nehemiah.

The prophet's enemies were also known to vent loudly against Nehemiah.

In fact Tobiah ridiculed the rebuilding of the wall and joshed,

quite seriously, a fox could break down the stone wall if it was pushed.

Do you know any Tobiah's

who have a defeatist attitude?

Worry is having a defeatist attitude.

In fact worry will bring on a sour mood.

Worry seems to be a learned response

passed down through generations oft.

It's doubting God's goodness,

His daily faithfulness.

Faith takes a backseat when worry consumes

for faith lifts one up while worry brings doom.

The two cannot exist together.

They're like fair and stormy weather.

When worry comes

the evil one

has won

so run.

Just boldly proclaim,

“Away from me Satan”.

He does what he is told.

Stand in faith and be bold.

...if even a fox climbed up on it,

he would break down their wall of stones!

Nehemiah 4:3

Do not fret – it leads only to evil.

Psalm 37:8

“Away from me, Satan!”

Matthew 4:10

Be self-controlled and alert.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion

looking for someone to devour.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith.

I Peter 5:8-9

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

Eyes

Plan to plant potatoes this afternoon.  Reminded me of this story.

EYES

Potato eyes

underground lie

where they now spy.

Potato eyes

silently spy

on earthworm guys.

Earthworms say hi

although shy.

Then bye bye.

Potato eyes

will one day sigh

growing more nigh.

Potato plants grow knee high

then blossoms are seen nigh.

Be sure to sneak some. Why?

Potatoes are the best, that's why,

when new – either red or white dyed.

Be sure to take time today to try.

More grow nigh

by and by.

No need to buy.

After the vines die,

they taste real good fried

or on shepherd’s pie.

Be sure to try

baked versus fried

with your guy.

If the potato's skin is green dyed

they won't taste as good for they did lie

above the soil, now sun burnt or green dyed.

You might save these potato guys

to plant next year for these green eyes

will grow a new family by and by.

* * * * *

Potato eyes are where the sprouts form

that grow more potatoes one morn.

They are not for seeing.

They are just for growing.

We, though, have eyes for seeing

and also eyes for growing.

The Bible calls these all-seeing eyes “the eyes of your heart.”

These eyes allow us to grow believing faith within our hearts.

The windows/eyes of the heart, is a knowing, that’s key,

that we have a hope, or an absolute certainty,

that God has a plan and a purpose

and will give us His power for His use.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

in order that you may know

the hope to which he has called you,

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Ephesians 1:18-19

One hill of Yukon Gold potatoes from Garden's Alive

washed in the recycled outdoor sink.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

Did plant two rows of potatoes this afternoon:
the Yukon Gold and Fingerlings that were sun burnt last summer
(stored in the crisper over the winter).
Covered both rows of crooked rows of potatoes with compost.
Will hill up once I see growth.

Also put up a mismatch of fencing.
Was reminded of Mr. Czim who used to help me.
Everything squared and picture perfect.
My attempt reminds me of Nehemiah in the OT.
His enemies laughed at Nehemiah for rebuilding the wall
and stated that a fox would knock it over.
I'm certain that wall was squared and picture perfect.
My attempt to kept the unwelcome guests out is laughable.
Will try to post the fence story I wrote regarding this next time.

Rain

As today and tomorrow 100% rain is forecasted:

Rain

Rain greens the grass like a can of paint,

like applied fertilizer can't.

There's a luminous brightness

greening the grass with a freshness.

Aglow

it grows

overnight,

polished bright.

Blooms tip heavenward to receive

the rain falling on blades and leaves.

Rain welcomed

in gardens

where there's a colorful rainbow on the ground -

red, yellow, orange, blue, green, purple is found.

More will be found tomorrow, you'll find,

when their petals unfurl in the sunshine.

Birds singing in the rain shower.

Their tune as bright as the flowers.

Cheerfully they take a bath

as the rain shower does pass.

Others hover

under cover.

Some cover their little ones

when the rain comes down on them.

Rain cools the air

and scents the air

with a freshness

and cleanness

while clouds pass over

so that others

to the east will receive

as a breeze stirs the leaves.

When it comes in the middle of the night,

rain becomes a lullaby tonight

for this shower

passing over

is like a blessing

everlasting

sent from God above

with abiding love.

Even though rain grows more weeds

it's still a blessing indeed

for a free exercise program awaits.

Everyday there's an expected date.

Weeds call my name

after the rain

softens the earth making easier weeding.

I find the end result is always pleasing.

This week rain is forecasted every day.

Between the showers you'll find me, today,

putting on my gardening boots

for it's a good time to uproot

those weed seeds that sprout overnight

pushing their way into sight.

The birds are singing.

It's time for weeding...

* * * * *

Sunshine, rain and the brown earth

are needed to give birth

to seeds

and weeds.

God's Son made a way when He came to earth

to ensure those who believe a second birth

when we believe

then receive.

In this second birth we become children of God

Who dwells within to guide us on the path we trod

for earth is our temporal home.

Heaven is our eternal home.

Our journey on earth will be full of difficulties,

disappointments, sorrows, troubles and a lot of worries,

all of which are temporary,

seemingly making life contrary.

The Bible tells us to expect

life to be less than perfect.

But the Bible also gives us abiding hope

for Jesus has overcome, to help us cope.

So when a little rain rains on your parade

in the form of troubles which sometimes cascade,

remember adversity builds trust

which in turn will build ones faith up.

I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God

unless he is born again.

John 3:3

For our light and momentary troubles

are achieving for us an eternal glory

that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

II Corinthians 4:17-18

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have gained access by faith

into this grace in which we now stand.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings,

because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:1-4

I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy:

for thou hast considered my trouble;

thou hast known my soul in adversities.

Psalm 31:7

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

Comments always welcome and/or leave a review on Amazon or B&N.

All photos are from my garden here at Rainbow's End.

Robin Red Breast

ROBIN RED BREAST

Robin red breast knows just when…

every springtime to return -

when the earth’s temperatures warm

and earthworms are born,

for robins eat worms

every morn -

that’s just norm.

Robin red-breast knows just when…

their rounded nest to form

where safe from springtime storms –

a baby dorm –

with twigs adorned

and mud walls worn.

From robins we learn.

Robin red-breast knows just when…

to sit like a hen and tend

their little blue eggs, continually fend

safe from windy storms

in their twig-nest den.

Even when the wind bends

they will stay put and tend.

Robin red-breast knows just when…

their growing young ones will learn

from their parents being stern.

They teach how to fetch worms

and sing songs in the morn.

Young ones soon fly away from home

then never again to return.

Robin red breast knows just when…

to awaken us every morn

for the early bird gets the worm.

Wherever it is you may roam,

if forlorn or reason to mourn -

robins will weather the storm.

From robin red-breast we learn.

Robin red breast knows just when…

every springtime to return

for we all have much to learn.

A song they will send

to men and women.

For robins we yearn

for their quick return.

* * * * *

How welcome it is to hear the birds

when in the spring their trill can be heard.

How welcome it is to see the robins

searching for their dinner, their heads bobbing.

How unwelcome is Christ the Savior

quite often in hearts of men and women.

Despite bestowing us all with loving favor

He is rejected by His greatest creation.

We are God the Father’s greatest creation

yet often we turn away in rejection

for we seek our own selfish will

instead of seeking God’s perfect will.

It’s been so from the beginning of time

for we all seek to have a good time

when we could be having the best time

if only we’d seek God all of the time.

…the birds make their nests..

Psalm 104:17

Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests,

but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.

Matthew 8:20

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

Between Storms

 Between Storms

There goes another storm...

heard when thunder roams

across the hills

then raindrops spill.

Passing through

the air cools

then humidity rises

when the sun surprises.

What does the sun bring with it today?

A burst of spring flowers in a bouquet.

Pinks and purples and whites

always bring much delight.

Each flower adds to the bouquet

emitting springtime fragrance today.

Daffodils which smell spring-fresh

or spicy scented hyacinths.

Today the hardy magnolia burst into bloom

as the morning's sun warmed the earth before noon.

Unfortunately this week's forecasted rains

will cause its snowflake blooms to downward rain.

Can't wait to see pink bleeding hearts on a stem

intermingled with purple globe-shaped alliums

in the same bed with white lily of the valley

identified by their tiny bells so wee.

The dogwood will bloom soon.

Can't wait to see its pink blooms.

Will two robins build a nest here this year?

If so, I'll be awakened with morning cheer.

Soon the white crab apple will blossom.

Beware! A hive of bees will descend.

Do take a moment to watch them,

a study in pollination.

Should another storm pass through

the dormant grass will change its hue,

while robins search for breakfast

after the storm is past.

In the meantime pictures are taken

for when another thunder storm threatens

many springtime blooms will be seen raining down

while others lose their color, turning brown.

* * * * *

Spring storms bring many welcome changes

though life storms bring life-altering changes.

Yes, life is full of change

so we should not think it strange.

Though change is seldom ever welcomed,

in the end the result is welcomed.

Think of it as one door closing and another opening

or endings giving way to necessary new beginnings.

Life's many surprise storms,

in the form of problems,

will mature us in the end

as they teach us to depend

on God who already has the solution worked out -

to have believing faith and trust, to not give in to doubt.

It's doubt that sees the situation as impossible

forgetting that with faith in God, all things are possible.

So next time the winds of change storm in

remember that God is with you, He's within.

Your storm is not yours alone

but God's time to perfect, to hone.

Change is meant to grow your faith

as you rely on God's grace

and faithfulness

through each test.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers,

whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith

develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work

so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

Though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials,

These have come so that your faith –

of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire -

may be proved genuine and my result in praise, glory and honor

when Jesus Christ is revealed.

I Peter 1:6-7

He must believe and not doubt,

because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea,

blown and tossed by the wind...

he is a double-minded man and

unstable in all he does.

James 1:6-8

All things are possible with God.

Mark 10:27

 Hardy Magnolia

 Bleeding Hearts

 Dogwood

White Crab Apple

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.