Special Memories From My Deleted Gardening Blog

(This is an older post, which I had unpublished, but I think it, and Paul, deserve a spot.) 🩷

Paul

Little bird rest in peace,

rest in peace

as your wings find final 

release

In a cage, you gave your all,

would comfort and enthrall

A constant companion

to a boy all alone

now fly away free

to your heavenly home

My son's cockatiel died this morning. He was about ten years old. How sad I felt as I buried him. I placed a cross and flowers on the spot to honour his little life.

Now, I am not the kind of person who puts animals above people, but I've had my share of pets and they have all been special in their own way. Paul was a special friend to my son and I will always be grateful for him. 

He was given to us by a kind bird-breeder friend from church. No doubt, God's timing was spot on as it always is.

It's at times like this, that I am reminded that God truly cares about the small details and comforts of our lives; that He cares so much that He will even organize a fluffy or a feathered friend to help us in our time of need. God loves His children deeply.

This little story does not end in death though. In God's perfect timing, a yellow budgie flew into a net in our neighbour's yard. My father kept it for a while, then gave it to my son, who has two large empty cages. This happened just a short while before Paul died.

God is so very kind and loving, isn't He?

Thanks for popping in🩷🩷🩷🙏🙏🙏🤗🤗🤗

Until next time, God bless,

Alison

 

Garden Memories

My mom started gardening when her own mother asked her to take over the family garden. She was becoming increasingly debilitated by diabetes. Previously, my grandmother had been a keen gardener, and from what I've heard, English blooms were favoured in her Wynberg garden. A faded photo, in which my mom's jet black hair still stands out, was taken amongst some showy dahlias. A grapevine also prospered in the small suburban yard. This was the start of my mom's long gardening journey. And the start of my own; unaware, and uninterested as I was.

If gardening is like a journey, then we must be prepared for many twists and turns; as well as steep bits along with the dry, boring stretches. One thing is certain, you will never stop learning as you go, and the journey will certainly not be uninteresting.

So is life too, isn't it? And if we allow Jesus into our lives, He will be our Saviour, Lord, Friend, and Guide as we travel. And yes, He cares about our seemingly small problems like failed gardening attempts, and difficult conditions too.

May God bless you in your life and garden,

Love Alison

My Gran

A journey

Memories of my Mom

 ****

(Not  my mole:))

The Mole

My garden is a battlefield,

and mole its silent foe.

Everywhere are heaps of soil,

for that critter's on the go!

I try to stay on top of things,

I rake and flatten; hoe

and even pour out smelly "Jik,"

but the mole just will not go!

Then thinking of a brand new plan,

I grab my garden hose,

I blast away to drown him out,

but his heaps just grow and grow!

Then on a day of peaceful work,

of happy cheerful labour,

my foot sinks down and hard I fall,

to cheers from moleish neighbour!

And now, you ask, was battle won,

by this insistent digger?

Have garden tools been packed away?

Whilst nasty beastie sniggers?

Oh no, my friend just rest assured,

the mole did me a favour,

for now the value becomes clear,

of planting in containers!

***

Mole hill

Alyssum growing in a pot

Thanks to the mole, we had to move our pool to more solid ground.

Thanks for visiting! May God bless you.

 

Surprise

Surprising Beauty and Money Saving Tips

It happens each year: I am caught by surprise when my prickly plants put on their best.

The cacti flowers which I have been privileged to see are definitely some of creation's finest.

Now, I don't pretend to be a cacti expert. What I can tell you is that they are pretty forgiving and unfussy. Also, potentially painful. One of my cacti has heaps of babies but I'm not feeling very keen about transplanting them! I think I should get some tough gloves first.

Obviously, overwatering can be a problem when growing cacti, but I do feel that they will do better with proper care and a little liquid feed from time to time.

Once more, my little cacti has reminded me to look for beauty in unusual places and to remember that I can still bloom in my toughest seasons.

***

Tips:

*Lawn clippings are free, (other than labour) as well as abundant. Spread them generously over your beds and containers. If you don't have, ask a friend for a bag full.

*Make your own liquid plant food by soaking clippings, grass, and green material in a large bucket. Shove everything under the water then put a lid on it. After a couple of weeks things should be getting interesting in your bucket. The longer it stands, the better it gets. I dilute mine by adding two plastic mugs worth to a large watering can which I then fill to the top. You can look the exact ratio up, but this works for me. The liquid when poured will look like tea. I give this "plant soup" to my plants at least every second week.

*Deep waterings end up saving you money and time.

*Use bore hole and rain water where possible.

*Re-purpose all suitable containers for the garden.

*Collect as many seeds as you can. Dry, then place in labelled and dated envelopes.

*Allow as many plants as possible to go to seed.

That's all for this week. I hope you have a blessed week in your garden.

 

Perfectionism Can Be A Problem In The Garden😉

Just as in all areas of life, perfectionism, although often socially acceptable, can lead to problems when gardening.

As a mother I have observed this in my parenting: children are often very messy, and when we try to achieve a perfectly neat home when they are about, it usually leads to frustration, stress, and unhappiness.

In the garden, the downside of perfectionism is a bit harder to spot. Outwardly, my garden may seem to be a well oiled machine, but is it really?

Am I pulling up flower plants before they have a chance to spread next year's bounty?

Is my soil tidy and bare, with no cover crops and roots to keep it healthy? (Did you know, weeds can act as a cover crop in a pinch?)

Is my vegetable garden rigidly neat with no pollinator attracting flowers in sight?

And lastly, am I so busy weeding, tidying, raking, and mowing that I have no time at all to simply sit on my bench and enjoy the birds and flowers?

Perhaps now, you can see my point. I have been guilty of this in the past, and I have to admit to neglecting my bench of late. :)

Of course, gardeners need to maintain and care for their gardens, and sometimes, that can be sheer hard work. But let's ask God for wisdom and allow His joy to fill and strengthen us. Let's see our gardens through more child-like eyes.

Why not sit on that bench and watch a bug go by? Or allow that weed with the pretty yellow flower a little corner. Why not grow some Alyssum amongst your vegetables? And most of all, let's enjoy our gardens and families and leave perfectionism behind. 

Messy Garden Bits

And just for fun and coziness, my sister V's cat, Prince Theo. :)

 

Hope.

Some of the plants I have come to love are waning now: California Poppies, Nasturtiums, Linaria, as well as the brilliant blue Cape Forget-Me-Not.

I'm going to miss them.

Yet hope peeks out in the form of tiny, abundant Alyssum seedlings, as well as in the tomato plants I have just transplanted. It is a dream of mine to make tomato jam from my own tomatoes one day.

I also know that I will see my favourites again soon. What a happy morning that will be in my Spring garden!

Where do you see hope blooming in your garden?