surprising harvests ~ Garden Cuttings
May we all bloom where we are planted or find a new space to spread our roots and grow.
Tiger Singing in the Pe-can tree
a Tiger sits in the pe-can tree to sing her heart out-loud
she’s waiting for a hand to stroke, a snack, a bite, a cloud
she shimmies up the pe-can tree because she thinks she can
sneak beneath a watchful eye and dart around the hand
this hand, thinks she will bring a bit of salty snack to steal
but alas, the naughty cat discovers there NO-deal
— Petals in a garden with a naughty cat“If”
Belief?
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
— C.S. Lewis
And still, after all this time, The sun never says to the earth, “You owe Me.”
Look what happens with A love like that, It lights the Whole Sky.
— Hafez
“The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.”
— J.M. Barrie, The Little White Bird
When a gardener sees a new plant in the space of another that he or she covets, some hard questions must be asked.
- how similar is my climate to where this specimen grows?
- do I have a place where it will thrive?
- will the sun and shadow welcome?
- can I help it to survive?
- how is it propagated?
- will it take over a bed?
- do I have means to get it home?
- where’s the bell on this gardener’s gate?
Gardeners are mostly the same the world over; some are greedy, others generous. Invariably, we are quite curious about how your garden looks, how much sun you get on each side of your home, chemical or organic methods, and what kind of soil you have. Good ideas spread like dandelion seeds, when we peek over a garden fence. A kooky club that anyone can join, green thumb or not, Plant People are a genus and species of their own. We talk of herbs, vegetables, ornamentals, bulbs, succulents, perennials, annuals, trees, and shrubs, while Latin names fly around like pollinators, in sweet drops of dew, to be tasted by an unfamiliar tongue.
We are delighted to learn something new, to share something new, and we are infinitely patient. We know nothing ever stays the same in a garden. If a plant does well in its garden ‘neighborhood’, it is allowed to remain. If it is a poor neighbor, it may be yanked out and composted, dug up and moved, potted to protect others from its invasive habits, OR it may be trained another direction.
What is shared on this page has a very similar kind of existence–temporary until its worth is proven. This Cuttings Space is a tender place, where we will share what we know, what we love, and what we need to scatter like seeds of hope. May a piece of our garden be grafted into yours, with tiny roots seeking depth and protection.