almost planting time...

Like a pioneer woman from the days of old, I am so happy to finally have a bit of land. We have a modest (mortgaged) piece of land here and the idea of spring has got me pretty excited. There are just so many planting opportunities! All the plants that I have looked at longingly I now have an opportunity to become friends with! Yipee!! I would like to plant a prayer garden. (Given that the frost date is less then a month from my due date it may take a great deal of prayer to put ANY such garden in!) HA! Being pregnant and contemplating a garden are redundant. Both anticipate blooms birthing and the need for nurture. Anyway, I am trying to get my list of biblical plants, plants that remind me of my savior and those that are sentimental to me since they were sentimental to family members. My grandmother always had clematis. Deep purple. The purple reminds me of Christ’s majesty. My grandmother was Catholic and Polish and took her religion seriously. I wonder what our conversations would look like if we spoke today. Would we talk about Christ? Do we really share His Spirit? I wonder about the mystery behind Catholicism. The Virgin Mary in particular and her place in Catholicism is so interesting to me. Evidently she was very special to my Aunt Joanne, my Godmother. I wonder why? I never asked. At her death I was asked to lay roses in the niche where the statue of Mary was. I remember feeling confused- why to Mary? Anyway roses will also be included- both for the memory of my Aunt and Grandmother, but also since it reminds me of the crown of thorns, and the entrance of sin into the world in the Garden. I wonder what species of beautiful flower friends I will never meet since the Curse took hold. I imagine that many were displaced as the thorns encroached upon their territory. I will also plant some sort of orchid. Orchids are indigenous on every continent of our blue planet- reminding me of God’s handicraft and that flower serving to testify to its creator. Also I would plant it as my wish for all people to know Him personally. Who knows? Their curiosity could start with just one flower. Other things I plan to plant- Israelites: onions and leeks (flowering) to remind me of their example of humanity. That we always wish for what we can’t have, but that God will provide what we need always. I have no idea where to find hyssop- but it is mentioned in a few key places, especially when Jesus is given sour wine on the end of a hyssop branch at the crucifixion. Thistle, bitter herbs or some sort, bleeding heart, fig, lilies, and butterfly bush will be included and “son” flowers will be sprinkled throughout since I adore them. I like the way sunflowers remind us to keep our eye on the “son” and a heavenly perspective even as we are rooted to the earth. All of creation truly testifies to our great Creator and Sustainer. I love that gardening is a way for me to meditate of Him. Of course it has its frustrations, among them pestilence, dirt, sweat, (sometimes) blood, never enough time or money to do it the way I want, and sometimes even tears…