The Gardener’s Handiwork
It almost looks like ghosts have invaded my yard. Sheets and blankets hunch over my precious budding trees and bushes as if to cuddle them in a protective embrace. A few unseasonably warm days have tricked my poor plants into blooming. They know that Spring is on the way, but they have failed to account for Winter’s last gasp of chilly breath. It happens almost every year. There is nothing I, as gardener, can do to change the weather, but I can do some things to protect my precious plants from its effects.
Sometimes I wonder if the problem with the plants and the early spring freeze is because we have planted plants in the wrong place. Am I trying to grow fruit in a place that is too cold for it? Would my blueberries and apple trees fare better if they were planted further south? Or would they then just bloom even earlier, still risking the cold? Maybe I could plant them where it never freezes, but then how would I enjoy my fresh apples and blueberries this Summer? I want my fruit near me, where I can watch it grow. See it produce. Enjoy it and share it. So, when needed, I’ll protect it from the cold, fertilize it, prune it, and defend it from the bugs and critters that try to steal my blessing. It’s what any good gardener does.
“. . . my Father is the Gardener . . .” John 15:1