How Does Your Garden Grow?

While pulling out of my driveway I look across my yard and see a beautiful array of greens and purples accented with hot pink and yellow. The sight is a delight to my eyes and soul. The greens include my short lime ground cover, the variegated longer ground cover with tiny purple flowers, grass and then flowers waiting to bloom. There are different colors of purple from straight arms of deep purple to dainty magenta blooms, to spikes of lavender. The knockout roses accent it all with profuse hot pinks and bright yellows.

I planted all these perennials in the past ten years and now, each year without any effort on my part, they appear in all of their shades and textures of beauty and glory for my pleasure.

The thought immediately hit me that this is like our investment into the garden of our family and friends. There are some investments that keep bringing results consistently like my perennials. A one time investment of time, planning, energy in planting, weeding and watering has yielded a beautiful garden to enjoy.

However, each year I invest in some annuals because they add more consistent color from spring through the fall. That means that every year I spend money and take the time to plant and care for these flowers knowing they will not return next year. But, because of their constant blooming and the color they add to my garden, they are worth the effort.

I’m not sure what applications you could get from this but it brings me great comfort to know that my investment of time, energy and love in my children and friends bring repeated results in their lives. Some things they have learned and integrated into their lives forever. The love shared has been food to their souls and they have bloomed and thrived.

However, like annuals, we always need to keep planting some love with the water of attention, the fertilizer of prayer, the sunshine of a cheerful heart and the pruning of tactful honesty. Of course, there’s always the constant weeding of negativity from our speech and the need for watering with positive words of encouragement.

Gardening takes time, money and energy but it’s well worth the results not only for us but for others.

How is your garden growing? Does it need some attention?

Galatians 6:7 “…a woman reaps what she sows.”