Gardening Tips

        While growing up my parents always had a vegetable garden.  For many years they had to travel to reach their plot. That was difficult but it saved them money when money was tight.  But when they moved to Lititz they had a plot right on their property.  Later when we bought our house they also planted things in the farmland behind out house.  Growing up during the depression they learned the value of growing vegetables and canning them.  And they regularly did that.

          After we moved into our first house we also planted a garden behind our place.  Then at our second place we really didn't have room for one.  But after moving to our present location we had plenty of land behind us and we annually had big gardens – often larger than we could even take care of.

          But over the years our vegetable gardens shrank until all that we planted were tomatos.  But a couple of years ago we even gave up on that because we could buy better ones at local markets.  We did buy corn most years at the Corn Wagon and we would freeze it.  But this year with Dianne's heart surgery even that was too much for us.

         We' ve also tried to maintain our flower gardens but that too is getting more difficult for us to do.

          But while we can't do the physical gardening anymore, there is the garden of our life that we can still care for.  Recently I found the following instructions for properly caring for that garden.

GARDENING FOR GOOD RESULTS

Plant three rows of peas:

  Peace of mind

  Peace of heart

  peace of soul

Plant four rows of squash:

  Squash gossip

  Squash indifference

  Squash grumbling

  Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce:

  Lettuce be faithful

  Lettuce be kind

  Lettuce be patient

  Lettuce really love one another

Plant three rows of turnips:

  Turnip for meetings

  Turnip for service

  Turnip to help one another

Water freely with patience

  Cultivate with love

  There is much fruit in your garden

  Because you reap what you sow.

To conclude our garden...we must have thyme

  Thyme for each other

  Thyme for family

  Thyme for friends and especially

  Thyme for GOD

Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;

And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.

Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare

Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.

Thy Word is like a starry host: a thousand rays of light

Are seen to guide the traveler and make his pathway bright.

Thy Word is like an armory, where soldiers may repair;

And find, for life's long battle day, all needful weapons there.

O may I love Thy precious Word, may I explore the mine,

May I its fragrant flowers glean, may light upon me shine!

O may I find my armor there! Thy Word my trusty sword,

I'll learn to fight with every foe the battle of the Lord.