Mum's the Word

New Growth

         Mums speak the color language of autumn. They pop in rich wine, warm gold, russet and amethyst. This year I had deep ruby and saffron gold. You can see them below at the back of my little garden.

The vibrant blossoms do fade and then brown, but they hang on for a long time. Eventually you are left with canopies of dry flowers. You can get an extended blossoming season by pinching the flowers just below the head as they wither. http://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/all-about-mums/
I waited a little bit too long and my method was a little too comprehensive. Next year I will dead head them incrementally and keep the lovely umbrella shape. My Texas climate is quite forgiving though and I do have regrowth and three buds.

Early October

End of season

     All this dead heading and clearing made me think about the New Year. It's a good time to let go of ideas and beliefs that no longer serve me. "Insanity is doing the same things again and again and expecting different results." (Anonymous)   For instance, if I really want to lose some weight, I am probably going to have to go to the gym even when I'm tired from work. If I want some of  my relationships to feel different, I am going to have to change the way I look at them and how I react.
If I want to know God's will for my life, I can stop complaining and make time for meditation and prayer.
     I need to pluck the dead leaves, sink into my own roots and drink in some quiet. In silence, I can ponder how and where I want to grow. The German theologian Johannes Tauler wrote, "In prayerful silence you must look into your own heart. No one can tell you better than yourself what comes between you and God. Then listen!" I am taking a cue from my garden and "mum's the word."

Bloom

     The rustiest, oldest ones are the most interesting. You can plant flowers in fine pottery; they always look fancy there. Or you can re use and re purpose items and scatter a bit of whimsy around the garden. Succulents and flowers can find a fresh home in old tea kettles, rain boots and even flour sifters. I found a set of old wash tubs that I plan to sand, seal and repaint. I am currently mulling over color combinations; turquoise is currently in the lead. I'll keep one side for a medley of plants and one side for frosty beverages.

     People are containers too. The vessel of our physical body is the temporary home for our eternal soul. If we are honest, we can't tell a lot by the exterior alone. A pleasant expression and beautiful outside may contain a beautiful spirit, but not always. Yet a beautiful spirit glows outward imparting  a warmth and energy that is hard to pin down. Audrey Hepburn wrote, " The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."
     Working in retail, I help woman pick out clothes all day. But the biggest hurdle to this process is their own perception of their exterior. " My bust is too big." "My arms are too fat." " I don't want to stand out." I hear comments like these constantly. I say, " Nonsense." They often don't believe me. I want to hug them and tell them that those arms have cradled babies and worked ranches. Those arms have wrought a miracle or two to date with more miracles on the way. Women are hard on themselves; I don't know why. I am guilty of it myself. Indie Arie sings "I know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me." She's right. This holds true for both men and women.
     You can have the most elaborate flower pot, but it has to be complemented by just the right bloom and texture. People too. Let's work on the inside and let the spirit illuminate the exterior. Don't contain yourself, bloom.

Sheltering Trees

   

   The snow was a surprise. It does get cold in South Texas, but snow is a Christmas miracle. I brought my potted plants indoors. They line the kitchen counter like colorful dancers in a parade.

     I have spent many happy hours nourishing, watering and pruning my plants. Leaving them out in the snow was not an option. Shelter was needed; I am delighted to have my leafy friends indoors. They will go outside again when temperatures rise to 40+F.   The surprise snow storm got me thinking about what it means to offer shelter. Two other ways of offering shelter are: Prayer and Presence.

     Soren Kierkegaard wrote "Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays." Unlike botany, there is no hard science for the eternal soul. Concrete results of prayer do happen, but they are filtered through the human heart. Miracles happen constantly, but we have to have eyes to see or we may attribute divine intervention to chance. The best praying I have ever done has been for people that I found difficult. This is a daunting practice because it pushes me to examine my own shortcomings and sense of  self. Covering people in prayer is a second and powerful prayer. When my son was seriously ill, a whole church of people I never met prayed for his healing. I feel that all that love and kindness boosted my family during a trying time. There were moments that I felt lifted up for no tangible reason.
     Finally presence is shelter. Visiting the ill, comforting the grieving, giving a kind word, consoling the saddened and sheltering the homeless.  I have been the recipient of countless acts of presence.  Presence received encourages presence paid forward.
     The flowers splash color and joy around my kitchen. If shelter makes a plant happy, imagine the miracles we can create in each other's lives. Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote: "Friendship is a sheltering tree." The world can be bitterly cold and deeply dark. This Christmas may we find ways to be sheltering trees.

Keepers of the Light

    Their complexity makes them beautiful. Curving over pathways, shading picnic tables and gracing gardens, branches form a canopy over many settings. Geometric patterns arise as the tips of the branches and leaves grow outward seeking sunlight. This growth is typically seasonal and often occurs in spring and early summer.

     Sunlight, water and air are crucial for growth and nourishment. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy .  Leaves contain chlorophyll, a green compound that is a photo receptor. Water is drawn up through the root system and combined with carbon dioxide that enters the leaves' pores. Light is the catalyst that creates glucose and a release of oxygen to the atmosphere surrounding the tree.
     The molecular structure of  chlorophyll is a ring centered around a  magnesium atom. In the human body, the oxygen transporter, hemoglobin has a similar ring structure but is centered around an iron atom.       http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/chlorophyll/chlorophyll_h.htm
There are three striking similarities between branch and human growth that are worth exploring.

Chlorophyll Molecule

     Branches grow from the tips or edges of their comfort zones. There must be a stable root system for a tree to flourish, but new growth always comes from the tips. If you have ever seen a nail or wound in a tree, it does not travel higher on a tree trunk; the growth happens closer to the sky not the  earth. The intricate patterns of branches bring beauty. The same is true for people. It is the complexity of a person that reveals their true beauty. Real growth occurs when people push past expectations and look up. Whether it's learning something new or thinking in a new way, this is where the growth occurs.
    Oxygen is the second parallel. Everyone learns about plants in elementary school, yet we take them for granted. Plants continually cleanse the air and give off oxygen that we need to live. We breathe so automatically. Unless there is a problem, we don't think about it. Our bodies need oxygen to function and thrive, but we rarely take the time to refresh ourselves with a deep breath and quiet.
     Light is the final and most important factor. Without light there is no photosynthesis and no growth for plants. For human beings, love is our light. Children in orphanages wither without it. Grumpy people bloom in its presence. Faces shine when they feel it. It is a gift that anyone can give, at any time.  Theodore Roethke wrote, " Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light." This holiday season, may we be keepers of the Light.

In the Weeds

   

     There is an army of them,  little soldiers that  invade and claim the turf. I had only left my garden for a week, and yet they crowded out the smiling pansies and over ran the rosemary. A weed is simply a plant in the wrong place. Many weeds are used for medicinal purpose, teas and even food. While I appreciate their utility, I don't want them crowding out my flowers. So on a unusually crisp Texas morning, I found myself in the weeds.     The type of weeds that populate your garden can tell you a lot about your soil. Crabgrass, spotted spurge , moss and others favor moist soil. Dry sandy soil is perfect for plants like sorrel, nettle and pig weed. Low fertility soil harbors Queen Anne's Lace (wild carrot), mullein and fennel types. Queen Anne's Lace thrives in alkaline or sweet soil while sorrel seeks an acidic environment.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-types-and-weeds.htm

If you have an overgrowth of clover, your soil may be nitrogen poor. An infusion of high nitrogen fertilizer can make your yard less hospitable. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/lawn-care/lgen/what-the-weeds-in-your-lawn-are-telling-you.htm

     There are different ways to manage weed roots. The easiest weeding is done right after it rains. The invaders with shallow roots easily give way and the deep rooted ones are more pliable. Yet not all weeds are eradicated by immediate removal. The Canadian Thistle requires a consistent,creative effort.https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/canada-thistle-control.htm

     The Canadian Thistle has a deep root system and a craving for low fertility soil. The first step is to improve the soil of your garden. Local extension services offer soil testing. Once you know your soil composition, you can use a chemical or organic approach. While chemicals are effective, they will also destroy surrounding plants. Pulling this weed out by the roots risks splitting the root and seeding it. Though time intensive, the scissor method is more precise. Cut the thistle off at the base, then trim any new growth that occurs. This will force the plant to use energy for regrowth instead of spreading. It will eventually wither away.
     Time in the weeds can be instructive. In the restaurant world if you are" in the weeds" you are so behind that you are on the verge of being over run. The server has too many tables and not enough time to take care of them properly. This happens in life too, especially during the holiday season. Expectations have a way of crowding out the beauty and peace. Flowers need space to flourish; People need space to flourish. Better to accomplish a few activities with joy, then a  full schedule with resentment. If you are like me, some of your expectations will need to be constantly trimmed back, much like a Canadian Thistle. That's the work of weeds. Weeds teach about soil, expectations teach us about ourselves.