Garden Tour 6/26/19

Too humid to weed, so took some wide photos of the yard after helper mowed this morning:

One of the front beds showcasing sundrops and ladies mantel right now.

These two plants multiply readily.

Another bed in front.

Orange daylilies around locus tree getting ready to bloom.

Need to remember to spray deer deterrent.

(Seems like I remember when rain is in the forecast.)

One of the most photographed beds.

Will soon showcase Korean Bells Campanella in the front.

Another flower I need to spray with deer deterrent. 

Front side and back side.

Front stone path leads to chair.

Shade garden featuring hostas and ferns. 

Hosta was too large to move after tree came down.

Beginning to bloom.

Does become sunburnt in hot weather due to lack of shade.

Rocks/stones are special to me as dad worked for the DOT.

The centerpiece stone here, with holes throughout, was a gift from dad.

Setting stones/rocks reminds me of quilting - patchwork.

 Stones/rocks repurposed into retaining walls and decorative objects.

Dad called them heat conductors.

"Sticks and stones broke my shovel,

now I'm in heap of trouble

but thanks to mom's good neighbors

I'm ready for toil and labor."

A poem in Vol I of Life Is a Garden Party.

I've learned to take a bucket with me when digging to collect stones.

Seems like this property sits on a river bed.

Vegetable garden beginning to sprout.

Can't wait for the 4 types of squashes to bloom.

I'll be out in the garden early morning to listen to the bee symphony.

Far left top is the row of potatoes planted mid May.

Seeing buds.  Will be sneaking a couple for potato salad on July 4th.

Will start harvesting red currants Saturday morning.

Birds will be squawking "mine, mine, mine."

How does your garden grow?

My compost pile is growing by loads.

Deadheading from last fall and weeding so far this year.

There are two other piles from two previous years,

one about empty.

Once emptied, will reset pallets due to heaving.

Amber

AMBER

Night comes calling.

Twilight is falling.

Just before dusk

there's a hush.

Amber transcends

as the sun descends.

Just for a moment in time

everything is golden, I find.

Awash in a hue not in the crayon array

of golden yellows found in the cardboard tray.

Everything seems heightened

in this color spectrum.

Even the birds are silent

for a moment of silence

as this golden light,

called amber, highlights.

Amber enhances just before dusk begins to set

promising tomorrow will be a better day yet.

Night quietly settles in.

It's time for me to head in.

A last look at the horizon.

Tree toads vocalize in song

in the lawn

as I yawn.

Sundown

in my town.

Twilight's

now night.

Good night.

Sleep tight.

Tomorrow there will be more delights

but at this moment in time it's quiet.

* * * * *

Oh beautiful, for spacious skies,

for amber waves of grain,

for purple mountain majesties

above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

(written by Katharine Lee Bates)

I used this verse in high school* for a composition,

which was posted on the bulletin board, about pollution.

Look how far a little encouragement has undertaken.

Only God knew there would be a "poet" in the making.

Despite the differences between republicans and democrats,

the left wing or right wing, congress, senate, or whatever bureaucrats,

God has shed His grace on us

despite our living in lust...

despite abuse of His creation,

despite our lack of appreciation,

despite abuse toward other humans,

despite our waywardness from God's plan,

despite living for ourselves

instead of lives of worship,

despite our cold, hardened hearts...

God is for us and will not depart.

God is gracious

to all the races

when we cry out for help

or weep from burdened hearts.

God's blessings abound

when we look around

for God is loving and kind

we find time after time.

There seems to be a lot of topics mentioned here

that could be expanded on or made more clear.

Perhaps another day you'll read

about pollution, government, greed.

For now this story ends

with a thought on how to mend

our relationship with the Lord,

whose grace we cannot afford.

Just pray, “Heavenly Father, thank you,

for all blessings come from you.

Your loving kindness brings delight

as you bless those whose walk is right.”

Let him that glorieth glory in this,

that he understandeth and knoweth me,

that I am the Lord which exercises

loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth:

for in these things I delight.

Jeremiah 9:24 (KJV)

*According to the yearbook, this teacher was Mrs. Mary L. Snyder,

who taught at Horseheads High School, Horseheads, NY.

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

Field of Dreams

FIELD of DREAMS

Swaying in the breeze

just waiting to tease

a field of dreams awaits

pronouncing someone's fate.

Snow white, always innocent

without a flowery fragrance,

every summer a field of dreams

decorates hills and meadow scenes.

According to tradition

while applying subtraction

one-by-one each plucked petal

seals the fate of earthly mortals.

Have you ever played this game?

A game of innocence, not vain.

He loves me, he loves me not.

Of course he does, how could he not!

Daisy happens to mean innocence.

This game is played by many a lass

while all over the world innocent lads

don't know if they should be mad or quite glad.

* * * * *

Never doubt that the Lord God loves you

for the Bible tells us through and through.

Not because of what you did or didn't do

but because of who God is, yes, it's true.

Unconditional love

from heaven above

always freely given to His children,

though beyond our human comprehension.

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

may have power, together with all the saints,

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

God has poured out his love into our hearts

by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:5b

God demonstrates his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future,

nor any powers,

neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation

will be able to separate us from the love of God

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Life is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

Showers

Showers

High in the sky, a gray, dark cloud.

Slowing moving, filled with a load.

A shower's coming

before evening.

The breeze kicks up.

There's something up.

The weather is about to change

as this dark cloud moves over the range.

A raindrop

drops and plops

on windowpanes

and fields of grain...

on parched grass and dry flowers,

on vegetables undercover.

Everything sighs

with grateful aaahhhsss!

Plants are relieved to receive

these raindrops on their wilted leaves.

Vegetable foliage welcomes

this blessing from the afternoon storm.

These drops turn into a gentle shower

chasing in the garden growers

who take cover

when it showers.

It seems the grass is greener

and flowers prettier

after a shower

passes over.

There's a fragrant freshness in the air

after a shower washes through the air

washing away the smog and pollution

that often comes from transportation.

This shower will also cause seeds to sprout.

Gardeners will then have weeds to weed out

for in the dry soil were seeds

that came from uninvited weeds.

The gardeners will also notice, too,

that the grass will need to be mowed due to

this afternoon shower that passed through

prompting the grass to grow anew.

Soon the gray cloud overhead

that watered the garden beds

is empty of its load

and turns back into a white cloud...

leaving behind gardening chores -

for there's weeding, mowing, and more

that wait outside the door.

Gardeners are never bored.

The shower has passed through

meaning break time is through.

It's time to get to work

on my patch of earth.

* * * * *

A surprise afternoon shower may leave a fragrance

that refreshes and cools the air making it pleasant.

There are other surprise storms that are not so pleasant.

It's the unexpected storms of life that upset.

The disappointments

and bereavements.

The emergencies

and urgentcies.

Mounting troubles

which double.

Long sicknesses

and illnesses.

Financial woes

which tend to grow.

Wrong decisions

causing derision.

Problems which never abate,

they only seem to aggravate.

Anxiety day and night

leaving one filled with fright.

Worry rears its ugly head.

You want to cover your head

and never get out of bed,

hiding away instead.

You'll find storms, though, have a purpose.

To strengthen us is their purpose.

For these storms will strengthen our faith

if we allow them to, giving us grace.

Grace that will enable

when we feel unable.

Courage to get up and fight back

when discouragement attacks.

Fear will abate

when you have faith.

Faith will grow our trust

to see God's best for us.

And that's exactly what strengthens us -

it's seeing God's daily faithfulness

in the midst of troubles,

knowing that God is able.

That if we rest in faith

and patiently wait

God's plan will come true

and our life renewed.

Just like a shower renews

what it touches through and through.

Remember, trust God during your storm.

Something special is waiting to be born.

He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams;

the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind.

Job 36:27-28

You gave abundant showers, O God;

you refreshed your weary inheritance.

Psalm 68:9

Do the skies themselves send down showers?

No, it is you, O Lord our God.

Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.

Jeremiah 14:22

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth

to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

II Chronicles 16:9

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime;

it is the Lord who makes the storm clouds.

He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone.

Zechariah 10:1

Stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

I Corinthians 16:13

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or discouraged...

for there is a greater power with us...

with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.

II Chronicles 32:7-8

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings

until the disaster has passed.

I cry out to God Most High, to God,

who fulfills his purpose for me.

He sends from heaven and saves me...

God sends his love and his faithfulness.

Psalm 57:1-3

...the storm subsided, and all was calm.

Luke 8:24

He stilled the storm to a whisper...

They were glad when it grew calm,

and he guided them to their desired haven.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

and his wonderful deeds for men.

Psalm 197:29-31

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

Garden Tour 6/9/19

Morning Tour:

Cantoon 

Primrose 

Foxglove

 Catmint

(Need to share with neighbor's cats.

Do share catnip with them.)

 Verbascum

Perennial Bachelor Button

(Know you all would love my Great Aunt Sophia, who gifted this.) 

 My largest hosta.

 Creeping Sedum in bloom.

 Bronze Iris

Dark Purple Iris 

New Growth on Japanese Maple 

Valerian (an herb, fragrant).

Cranesbill 

 Rosa, very fragrant.

I see:  promise of tomorrow. 

 Self-seeded Lupine

Lupines 

Ladies Mantel in bloom. 

 Lemon Day Lily, fragrant.

Salvia, bee magnet. 

Could have taken many more photos,

by my hand was full.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted,

his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Psalm 148:13

Thank you, Lord, for you many blessings.

We praise you and thank you

in our prayers, our songs, our conversations, our thoughts.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

All glory belongs to you, Lord.

Ode to Rose

Ode to Rose

How lovely a blooming rose.
It's beauty comes from within, it shows

as its petals open and pose.

Spiraling around it goes

one petal at a time, it grows

full bloom into a lovely rose.

How fragrant this blooming rose

delighting everyone's nose

as most everyone knows.

How beautiful it grows.

Covered with dewdrops, it glows.

Yes, how lovely a rose.

It's the object of many poet's prose

who often pen heartfelt tributes to a rose

one day quoted as romantic words sowed.

You'll find this perfect rose from thorns arose -

as joy from sorrow one day will be bestowed.

Yes, hope deferred is born as time will show.

It's the thorns in life that eventually sow

internal beauty grown from heartache and woe,

the end result being lovelier than a rose.

Long-time gardeners know a rose

will endure a lifetime of woes

for roses attract many foes.

Not only are poets romanced by a rose,

so are aphids and green worms, and black spot grows.

These insects might be knocked off with the water hose.

Even deer are know to nip off rosebuds by their nose

often tattle-tailed by the tell-tale print of their toes.

Yes, roses are know to attract many unwanted foes.

Despite the woes

that roses pose,

lovely is a rose.

This ode to a rose

written in prose

now comes to a close.

* * * * *

This ode refers to "hope deferred"

as in when our dreams are on hold

or when prayers are seemingly ignored.

As we all know, waiting is hard to do,

even though patience is bestowed, it's true,

as a diamond in the rough turns into a jewel.

Yes, waiting has much to teach everyone of us.

It ultimately grows our faith as we learn to trust.

It's meant to be a time of rest instead of stress.

As we grow in faith and faithfully trust

we realize God has a good plan for us,

our prayers are heard and therein we place our trust.

So we wait for our prayers to one day be answered

then often realize God had a better answer

for it's in God's time wherein lies the key to the answer.

Sometimes when God doesn't answer your prayers when you'd like him to,

it's because He has something much better in His plan for you.

In the meantime, continue to give God glory because He loves you.

In God's time, in God's time...

God makes all things possible in His time.

May the prayers I offer Him

bring glory to my King

as God makes all things possible in His time.

(Deviation of “In His Time”.)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

Psalm 29:2

Thy will be done.

Matthew 6:10 (KJV)

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.