Part 3 – Notes from the Garden. Click here to see series (https://notesfromthetrail.org/notes-from-the-garden/)

I mentioned in “Beauty” about the vast variety of Hibiscus flowers – many of which have been “man-made.” Humans made new varieties through grafting and other ingenious techniques. God has allowed us to co-create with him to multiply beauty and variety. 

My garden is a great example of the privilege God has given me to create with Him.  God supplies the vital ingredients – soil, water, sun.  But I play a major role as well.  I get to decide what to plant and where, pull the weeds, enhance the soil, improve the drainage, and install watering systems. 

One of the benefits of staying in our house for over 25 years is that I can enjoy the cumulative benefit of many years of work.  I have planted everything in my yard except four large trees.  You can see not only God’s creative work but mine as well.  The garden reflects my personality.  You can quickly tell that I love lots of colors and a loosely organized layout (not too proper!).  I am also moving fast to more natives and perennials to ease the burden of maintenance 😊.

Like the garden, God has given us a beautiful canvas on which to write our life – complete with its mysteries and contingencies and curve balls.  We have a big role to play too.  And that role is getting a lot bigger as God entrusts us with greater co-creative powers through genetic bioengineering and AI.

Thank you God for the gift of creating.

Toodling and Noodling, Stan

Notesfromthetrail.org

For a series of short “Stroll through the garden” videos click here (https://notesfromthetrail.org/stroll-thru-the-garden/)

Sometimes they get so entangled with a “good” plant that I can’t extract them.  I have to live with the weeds if I want the flowers!  The weeds inevitably grow alongside the flowers.  Beauty comes with the weeds. It’s a package deal.

Weeds also remind me that I am not in full control.  I like the idea of having “dominion” over my garden – the feeling of control.  I have sprinkler/drip systems that allow me to remotely control everything – grass, beds, and pots.  I try to control squirrels on my bird feeder (a lost cause).  But it’s really a false sense of control.   My garden is interconnected with so many things out of my control…neighbors, drought, heat, spread of disease and weeds by the wind and water, birds dropping seeds, losing trees in storms. The reality of life is that I have some – but limited – control.

Thank you, God for weeds…..

Toodling and Noodling, Stan

Notesfromthetrail.org

For a closer look at the garden, as a series of short “Stroll through the garden” videos here: (https://notesfromthetrail.org/stroll-thru-the-garden/)

Part 2 – Notes from the Garden. Click here to see series (https://notesfromthetrail.org/notes-from-the-garden/)

I’ve had a long-standing requirement that anything I planted in the garden had to bloom color.  No boring stuff.  I have since loosened my rule to allow ornamental grass and other things I find cool.  But in my heart I like color – the more the merrier.  Color adds beauty.  Take a look at some recent flower shots from the garden.

The first lesson for me from the garden is beauty. Beauty comes in many forms – but I am drawn to natural beauty.  My garden is full of beauty.  God seems to love beauty and variety.  Endless variations of beauty.

Consider the Hibiscus – one of my favorite flowers (yellow flower in pics).  There are about 200 core species of hibiscus – but literally thousands of additional varieties cultivated by humans – creating exponentially more beauty! I even considered trying to graft new varieties when I was younger (a missed dream!).  God has gifted us as co-creators to maximize beauty.  The best way for God to maximize creativity was to create creators!

Thank you God for beauty.

Toodling and Noodling, Stan

PS: At my funeral please no “in lieu of flowers….”. Bring double flowers!

“There is more to the flower than the botanist can study” – unknown