This fall I’ve been working to save seeds to share with my Colorado Backyard Gardener friends. Why? Seeds make me hope. Thus I suspect that by sharing my seeds I might plant some hope. It’s that simple.
Be A Dreamer
Photos
This page contains the resources that I have found useful as I garden and as my personal chef (aka: hubby) creates his amazing dishes. Admittedly, it is an eclectic list. It contains everything from quotes and books that I like to podcasts, videos, and slideshows.
If you don’t want to scroll through the entire list, you can click on one of the links below and filter the resources by specific category.
I will update this list as I discover new resources. If you have a resource you think I should add, please email me.
Saving Seed Planting Hope
Happy For A Lifetime Take Up Gardening
This quote makes me laugh. And it is so true for me and for many gardeners I know. In fact, for most people who have something they do with their hands (woodworking, cooking, knitting, building an engine) they are happier. And happy is NOT bad. If we do something in the pursuit of happiness as an end in itself, we may end up disappointed. But to do something so that we do it well and so that others are served, then happiness happens! So does joy.
Yes, this quote rings true for me. Gardening has helped me find joy (an attitude) and happiness (a state of being) in the midst of tough times. Thanks be to God. What is one thing you can take up doing — something that requires the use of your hands? Do it. Take it up. It will bless others. THAT brings joy. And your spirit will be lifted.
Healing In The Garden
Healing in the garden. In the last 11 years, I have navigated at least 11 hardships (some I would call tragedies). Each time I have gone to my backyard garden and put my hands in the soil. I have been made better there. Thanks be to God this is true. And, I think the hard clay soil is different as well. Thanks be to God this is true.
This is a picture of my Rose of Sharon bush. It blooms in August. I love things that bloom in August, don’t you?
Clapping in the Garden
I adore this quote. Adore it. Why? It tells me that I’m allowed to participate in the creation of things. Even if all I do is put a seed in the ground and step back to watch it grow. I get to clap for two reasons. (1) God is creative and benevolent and fun and whimsical and….. (2) And I participate with him in all this. He invites me in. So clap away in your gardens my dear friends. You garden (or whatever you do) WITH God. You change diapers WITH God. You create a new Excel spreadship WITH God. You clean out the garage WITH God. You teach WITH God. It’s a WITH God life. God celebrates you as you celebrate Him. Clap away because it is a shared moment of delight WITH God.
Consider
Sunflower
You Can’t Plan For This!
You really can’t plan this type of decor. But take a look at this photo of a wind chime hanging on my friend Robin’s front porch. For about 3-4 years hummingbirds came and built their nest on this! Can you believe it?
Mentoring: Growth Is Optional
A mentor and colleague of mine was oft heard quoted, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.”
As I think about my life and the mentoring of others, I think he is right. Change happens all the time. But if we want to grow in the midst of change? That’s a decision we have to make for ourselves.
I think this is the same in gardening. My plants are going to change. But I, as the gardener, do play a part in helping them grow, in helping them flourish. It’s a decision I make each day in the backyard.
(Side note: I’m not much of a garden decor person, but I love this one given to me by my friend Kathi. I always hang it near my Scarlet Runner Beans.)
My Fence Of Peas (and my beast in the background)
Some pea plants grow 2 feet tall. Others grow 7-8 feet tall.
This year I had to get up on my tip toes to pick the pods off these vines. Crazy fun! I can’t tell you how much my garden has given me joy and hope. I remember when I used to have just 5-6 pots on my little deck in the city of Seattle. That gave me joy too. Watching something grow reminds us that we are meant for life, even when we are in the midst of experiencing death.