Saturday, April 12, 2008

Life's Lessons From the Garden



I have heard this poem before, but it bears publishing and refreshing of the memory and mind. Nina sent me this post in an email. I always love the lessons in this poem. Nina always goes to her garden while the dew is still on the roses...anyone else do this? It is a lovely time alone with nature.

How To Plant Your Garden of Friends

First, you Come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses....

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING,

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:

1. Peace of mind

2. Peace of heart

3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip

2. Squash indifference

3. Squash grumbling

4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful

2. Lettuce be kind

3. Lettuce be patient

4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:

1. Turnip for meetings

2. Turnip for service

3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for God

2. Thyme for family

3. Thyme for friends

DON'T FORGET THAT EVERY GARDEN NEEDS SOME FLOWERS, SO I PLANTED SOME GLADS.

1. Glad I live in a free country

2. Glad for all my wonderful friends.

3. Glad I'm free to worship God!!

4. Glad for another day

5. Glad for so many blessings!

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.

THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. NOT BAD, HUH?!

Thanks Nina for sending me the lessons from my garden and life.

I was quite pleased I got a few white camelias this year. The spring blooming Camelia sasanquas in my yard often get nipped by late frosts. These flowers are doing fine, though some earlier blooms on the shrub were nipped, turned brown and fell off.


The above pansies, purchased last fall, are a lovely dark color which I love. Dark colors can fade into the background, and these do, but that is ok. They are best enjoyed up close.

in the garden....

26 comments:

  1. Good Morning Tina, The pansies are so pretty. I don't plant any anymore. After getting so excited about my camelia blooming last fall, I wish I had a spring bloomer! Running out of places to put anything more.

    I have read several mentions of jasmine vines. Every one I have tried, which I believe was carolina jasmine,
    didn't winter over. So what variety should I plant? We want to put one on the swing arbor if and when we get it finished.

    Rather cool this a.m. so haven't been outside as yet. The coffee is ready so I'll get a jacket and sit on the porch awhile.

    Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

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  2. Tina,
    Heading out for a walk...if I sit here too long, it's hours later and there is too much to do outside...well once the ground dries just a bit. Good day to weed out those aliens.

    lovely bloom peaking out...

    gail

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  3. Good morning to all my cyber world friends and I hope you all have a great day.

    I have never seen the poem before but it sure is a great one and what a world this would be if everyone followed it! Thanks for sharing it.

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  4. Morning y'all --yes kind of chilly here today. The poem was very good --I enjoyed it tying into the garden. Not sure what we will do today --boys event has been postponed. I will see you all later --have one question --are those little tiny pansy looking flowers called johnny jump-ups? I saw some up by the farmers alongside the road --pretty white with purple faces and purple with dark purple --they really resemble the pansy but just in a mini version. Any ideas?

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  5. Good morning all!
    Nina thanks for the poem. I tried to dress it up as the formatting did not transfer over well. That is a bit of a quirk with blogger and word documents.

    It is cold and WINDY today. I don't ever remember such a windy winter. It has brought more supercells and damage. Can you tell it was windy when I snapped the pansies? One of them did not cooperate.

    I am not familiar with carolina jasmine. Both Lola and Skeeter grow it though. I think it is not hardy here. I love it and bought a markdown one winter. It was semi evergreen throughout the winter but finally died. I have not tried it again. Does it have to be jasmine?

    gail, I need to get the aliens too but I will be relaxing this weekend, though getting some plants from fellow freecyclers. I am excited! I got some yesterday too. All free of course! My friend gave me an offshoot of a double file viburnum. I am so excited it will match my Mt Airy and I will faithfully get some berries finally! If it doesn't match, it for sure matches my Summer Snowflake and that should help with berry production.

    Nancy, I like their smiling faces too. Just like my dog BJ. He is always smiling and it makes me happy.

    Mom, Good morning! Is it cold in Maine? A bit chilly here and we are still concentrating on no damage. The weather forecasts change almost hourly. I have held off planting tomatoes on Dave's advice. Good advice but they are still begging me...

    You never saw this poem? It is an email favorite. I saw it quite awhile ago. I may paint it on a board and place in my veggie garden next winter, when I am working on winter crafts. Though I need to make some more hypertufa. At the garden convention they were HOT items for sale. I have a procedure down now and may have a plant/craft sale at some point to raise some money for my hobby. Might be fun. Crafts now too, after the veggies and planting. Still enjoying the birds? I have a robin nesting on my wisteria arbor and I can clearly see her from here. I am so happy she is up high so the dogs don't get her!

    Anonymous, It is windy. Too windy for boating but outside work will be nice. Does your grass looks super or what? Mine does. I had to cut two straight days! We took the enclosure off the trampoline yesterday and that makes the backyard much nicer looking. What a job.

    I love Johnny jump ups. They come back each year in different places. Last year I started a bunch from seeds then covered them with mulch in the fall. They are still peaking thru. Thank goodness!

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  6. Hi guys,
    Thinking pansies were nan's favorite. I wallpapered the kids bathroom with pansies.
    Love the poem, it sure states it all.
    I'm mailing a payment to something I bought off Ebay. 15 olive colored wine bottles! My rack holds 9, leaving 6 for the bottle tree. Surpose Jack of all trades won't notice if they are all green?

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  7. Hi Tina! Love the poem--this is the first time I've seen it. Talk about words to live by!

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  8. Dawn, You are so funny? I am thinking even if Jack of all Trades notices he won't mind. Olive colored like camo green? Will be cool. Can't wait to see your bottle tree.

    Pansies are so fun for me. I buy them all on sale, like 10 cents a six pack, plant them in November then come spring all the way thru early summer sometimes, I have blooms. The joy of TN gardening. Ah. Still have snow? More budding out? Can't wait to see the lady's slippers. The lady whose wildflower garden I visited yesterday told us do NOT buy pink lady's slippers as they don't survive. The yellow ones do. I remember the pink lady slippers growing wild in the woods in Maine. They must still do so.

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  9. Hi ourfriendben, Welcome to my little garden blog. From your comment on Cinj's blog I thought you lived here in Tennessee. Are you a native Tennessean? And do you garden? You must like garden blogs alot even if you don't but I couldn't find many garden postings. Glad you like the poem. Wish I could take credit but I am not that witty with words. It is nice to remember when planting and in life.

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  10. The bottles look more of a darker color than olive but I'm waiting to see them, he has alot of lots, clear, brown, with shipping it was 20$. Can't drink the cheapest wine, yuck, for that price.
    I'm surprised about the pink and yellow, I have different info. Yes, pink is the most up here, some yellow and white, thought it was the soil that created the color, least it was when I transplanted them. They changed. Gotta go get Nikki, spent the night at a friend. Than to work, dull, sprinkling day today, gotta stain in this weather. Oay Vey.

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  11. Tina it is chilly and rainy today and a tad windy.

    I may have seen the poem but not sure as I have had so many emails over the years like that but it is great anyway. You should paint it as you sure have enough art suppiies and do such great art work and am sure you could scatter it with painted flowers. Nana would look down from heaven and smile at it and say "That's my granddaughter".

    Yes ofcourse I still enjoy the birds. We had a robin that built a nest in the shed last year and had her babies in it. We watched the progress of the growing babies. It was fun.

    Maine does have a lotta Lady Slippers growing wild and they used to be protected by law but not sure if that is still true.
    They are a very hard flower to transplant and survie but I think Dawn has done it. They need the same type of conditions as they were in. They are such a pretty flower. Love them.

    Dawn you ARE funny. I bet Jack of all Trades will help you make your bottle tree since he is such a nice guy. Not sure about Pansies being Nana's favorite as I think for annuals she like the snapdragons and marigolds but she did really like the Johnny Jump Ups. There are still some out back that she had planted on the slope by the drain field. They are good spreaders.

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  12. re. Names and 'Jacks' - do you have 'Jack in the Pulpit'?

    Esther Montgomery
    ESTHER IN THE GARDEN

    p.s Came across you because I'm wandering around the blogs on 'Blotanical'. E.M.

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  13. That is a wonderful poem! I think you should get the words into your Garden Tina! That would be wonderful. I have never seen it before. I am going to hang on to this one myself... Have you seen the one where God is talking to someone about the grass and yard work? I cannot remember any of the quotes and wish I had saved it…

    Nasty drizzle day here and soon the wind will pick up. Not a good day for golfing!

    Was going to get the seedlings into the ground today but not just yet. Calling for a 32 degree night on Tuesday! That is not normal for this time of year in GA... How ironic, the wind just picked up…

    I had some pansies that I put in one fall and they bloomed all winter long and until mid summer the following year! I was shocked at their long lasting beauty. Was a mild winter. I really do like the deep colored ones Tina but as you said, they don’t show up well from a distance. But will only encourage one to get closer to the beauty of the Garden. I usually get the purple and yellow ones. I have a close up of a pansy that I think looks like Yosemity (spelling?) Sam from the cartoon!

    Have a good day all…

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  14. Hi Jean --thanks --wasn't sure but now I know they are johnny-jump ups. I would like to dig them up since they are on the side of the road --I'm sure the wind spread them there or birds helped them land there. They are so cute! I might try after I get hubby off to work --still need to grocery shop but might hold out another day.
    Hi Tina --it has been extremely windy this year --not sure what happened but never recall this must wind and wind damage in this area before. Just hope it doesn't freeze tonight --I might go back out and clip more lilacs so I can enjoy them before the cold takes them away:( That happened last year and I was so bummed out.
    Hi Dawn --I'm sure your bottle tree will turn out great. I'll continue to admire others until I work the hubby into one:) Still trying for that fence first:) See you all later --stay warm. We lit the fireplace today --it's been a few weeks since we did that but it takes the chill off.

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  15. Hi Skeeter --those pictures were amazing --we watched them as a slide show --me and hubby. I was in total awe of that wisteria --wow that thing was HUGE and had some monster branches -really pretty smelling flowers but those things are scary by the house. I liked how it was set out --it really is beautiful. Those little white flowers in the one picture looked like little soft balls of cotton --there was so much color. Wow, you all are so far ahead of us in blooming --and it's not really that far away --or at least it seems. Thanks again --the big boys want to see the rest of the pictures too --had a tractor fan --admiring the lawnmowers and no it wasn't me this time, hahaha.

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  16. Hi Esther! Welcome to the blog. What made mine stick out to in Blotanical? I have a hard time with the search stuff on there and am not too smart technically on it, so I don't visit as often as I should. Glad you found us.

    I don't have any Jack in the Pulpits. Dawn might have some growing wild in Maine. And I was wondering where you garden? I checked your blog and it didnt' jump out at me, though I may have missed it. Again, Welcome!

    skeeter, You haven't seen this before? I am very glad Nina sent it to me as it is a good post. I will get in the veggie garden. It will fit for sure. We all need to be reminded of life's good lessons. Me more frequently than I'd like to think!

    If it is calling for 32 temps in Georgia, then we here in TN are in trouble. Oh dear! No seedlings yet!

    Pansies are splendid and nice to draw you into the garden.

    anonymous, I must come and see your lilac bush. Sounds like it is loaded. Are you picking from the one you bought or the one that was already there?

    You can easily did the johnny jump ups. They transplant no problem. They tend to disappear in early summer, but reliably appear each year. Or maybe in late fall sprinkle a few packs of the seed (you can buy it) where you want them to grow. I think they would need to be stratified so they do need cold. Pray for now freeze. I do think the lilacs would hold up fairly well though.

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  18. Anonymous, I was impressed with the mowers to. Never seen one move that quickly before! I love Wisteria but don’t have any in our yard. The stuff grows all over our area so we get to enjoy it each spring. It kind of grows like kudzu! LOL Catch the Wisteria Fact I share on Sunday’s part 3 series on the Masters. Tina has been kind enough to let me do a complete 3 part series to explain what you are looking at… Tina, you are a jewel!!! And DON’T plant those seedlings just yet…

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  19. Tina,
    Esther is from the Southern England; UK. It's on her profile.Neat huh?
    Yes, my mother-in-law has Jack in the pulpit growing wild, I'm checking my brook this summer to see if any is there....

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  20. tina, thanks for the reminder and the life lesson today.I can always use a good dose of all you listed. Congrats on the Camellia blooms... I would think it was too cold there so any blooms are probably welcomed. Have a great weekend.
    Meems @ Hoe&Shovel

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  21. Skeeter, You crack me up! You are doing me a favor and are the jewel to take on this work. Dawn and Anonymous (I hope) just don't know what they are getting themselves into! lol You'll be having tons of profile views and will be busier than ever! And, with you posting it is like I am reading another garden blog that is not my own so I am surprised too, as if I don't read enough! I wish I could read them all, truly. So glad you put your pic back on. I really like it. See, Meems has a nice picture too!

    Meems, Thank you very much for visiting. I always hear you can't grow camelias in Tennessee and definitely not in northern Tennessee. That is so not true! I have found my trick is to plant them on the north side of something like a building. This particular one is under a cedar tree. I loved them so much when I lived in southern Tennessee. Do you have a bunch of camelias down there in your garden? Don't you love them? I just wish they had a fragrance.

    Dawn, Esther published on what I think is Wordpress and I am not familiar with that platform. Did you find it under her story or where? I tried to find it but duh, must not have looked well enough. I often have that problem. Lose stuff all the time and waste my life looking for it. The cyberworld is so cool. Who would've ever thought you mom and I could talk all day and meet so many neat people from all over the world?

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  22. So many things are going on that I keep forgetting some items. Skeeter, your caladiums should've germinated by now. Mine finally did (I had to dig them to see this). Next year I will start them in December. I am hoping Meems has some tips for making them grow faster.

    Nina, My tuberoses have also germinated! They were slow as well but I am excited they are up.

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  23. No Tina the Caladiums have not popped their heads out of the dirt as of yet! The Cannas are starting to come up from the ground. The Caladiums are in pots, maybe I should have put them in the ground.

    I never found tuberoses down here. Looked everywhere they had bulbs but no luck. Maybe next year I will order some if I cant find them.... I have so many things to do now, that is the least of my thoughts....

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  24. Hello

    Reading through the comments, it seems you are having trouble finding me!

    Here is a link to ESTHER IN THE GARDEN

    if you are interested.

    (It's about Gardening - and Martians.)

    Esther

    (Usually it can be found simply by googling 'Esther in the Garden')
    E.M.

    P.P.S. I found your blog simply by rambling through the list on Blotanical - and I thought I'd say 'hello' - then the discussion about 'Johnny Jump Ups' prompted me to ask about 'Jack in the Pulpit' . . . !

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