Before...the potatoes are lined up !.
THE SECRET OF THE GARDEN
With a few glorious days of sunshine last week I was able to make further progress in the garden. By now the potatoes are safely set and regimented in six neat drills while the broccoli, and brussel sprouts have all at last been uprooted from their Garden Centre trays and planted in the great outdoors. The brassicas of course will have to withstand the nocturnal slug assaults and since planting out we’ve had copious amounts of rainfall facilitating idyllic conditions for these silent killers. In case it might be thought that I am neglecting the flower garden, fear not as I also recently set some Sweet Pea along the wooden fence I share with my neighbour, interspersed with scented Stock and colourful Violets.
After...the drills await the miracle of growth !.
Going on the premise that man cannot live on bread ( in this case vege !) alone I hope now to sow and plant to my colourful artistic side with multi-coloured blooms and tantalisingly scented floral displays. A real problem with this frenetic activity is the amount of waste accrued which has to be brought to the local recycling plant in Mungret. Already my garden shed is full of bags ready for delivery and most of them are filled with the virtually indestructible leaves of the Cordyline tree. These leaves are long and palm like which are as tough as leather and even the recycling plant will not accept them as they snag up the mulching machines. As the lighting of fires are forbidden in urban areas the disposal of these leaves is a real headache. Anyway that’s my solitary gardening whine for today a small price to pay I suppose for the hours of pleasure I’ve already derived from getting back to nature. As the Apostle Paul says (admittedly in a different context) ‘It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.’ (1 Corinthians 3). And that’s the glory of the whole gardening enterprise, you dig and hoe and plant and sow and then stand back and watch the miracle of growth. As the lettuce thickens , the onions sprout and the trees are covered with their thick green mantle, the life-force in the very soil is evident all around, and the glory of the invisible Creator is plain for all to see. As Emerson said one time, “ All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
Going on the premise that man cannot live on bread ( in this case vege !) alone I hope now to sow and plant to my colourful artistic side with multi-coloured blooms and tantalisingly scented floral displays. A real problem with this frenetic activity is the amount of waste accrued which has to be brought to the local recycling plant in Mungret. Already my garden shed is full of bags ready for delivery and most of them are filled with the virtually indestructible leaves of the Cordyline tree. These leaves are long and palm like which are as tough as leather and even the recycling plant will not accept them as they snag up the mulching machines. As the lighting of fires are forbidden in urban areas the disposal of these leaves is a real headache. Anyway that’s my solitary gardening whine for today a small price to pay I suppose for the hours of pleasure I’ve already derived from getting back to nature. As the Apostle Paul says (admittedly in a different context) ‘It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.’ (1 Corinthians 3). And that’s the glory of the whole gardening enterprise, you dig and hoe and plant and sow and then stand back and watch the miracle of growth. As the lettuce thickens , the onions sprout and the trees are covered with their thick green mantle, the life-force in the very soil is evident all around, and the glory of the invisible Creator is plain for all to see. As Emerson said one time, “ All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
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Gerard O'Shea
8 comments:
Not very good at straight lines are we? suppin' a little early are we then? and why is that soil purple, radioactive is it eh?
Geommetery was never my strong point and naw the beer in my garden is exclusively reservrd for the jollification (and death) of the slug community ! Now the purple earth ? I dunno, maybe youre right....is there a market for pops that glow in the dark !
I have heard of Purple Rain, never heard of Purple Earth, its a worry. I would get the soil checked before you eat anything.
Yes but I bet it makes a difference to the one who does the digging!ha,ha!
Any news on the peas or did you bother?
Sorry Deirdre I didn't get around to the peas this time ! The potato stalks are cutting quite a dash at the moment, hope to blog pic soon as proof. Have you ventured yourself ?
Don't have a garden, so I make do with my potted Geraniums on my window sill. Hope to have a garden some day though.
My mother was a great woman for the geraniums, we have many photos of her posing amongst her precious flowers. I love their vibrant colours and that distinctive musky fragrance. This is the ideal weathr for them, although I bet you're busy with the watering can !
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