How Grows the Garden

Despite winter's desperate attempts to discourage us, today we are taking some intentional steps towards beautifying the yard.

We have our work cut out for us.

The aftermath of the construction basically trashed the rest of the yard.  Against our hopes of salvaging some of what had been there before, we are now starting from scratch.  Like, really scratchy scratch.

It's helping to think of it as a blank canvass.  Something we can create together over these next months of the growing season.  And since there's absolutely nothing growing in the spaces right now, we get to start at the very beginning.  

We will have some friends come by this afternoon who are really good at this kind of thing.  Especially the part about choosing what will thrive here more naturally.  We'll be talking about ground coverings that don't need mowing, shrubs that like the kind of dirt we've got, and the best placement of a fruit tree.

We can decide what kind of shape it will all take, mapping out the pathways to the shed that's coming, and the fire pit area.  Ken and I will get a space of our own at the back, leading up to the shed that's already there.

I for one am looking forward to bringing some colour into this space.  I know we have to wait until there's no more risk of frost, but even putting some potted plants on the porch is going to make a big difference.

In all of this, I am grateful for the patience our son has with the process, and his willingness to let it all happen incrementally, as all satisfying garden spaces do.  He keeps reminded me, just by his own easy approach, to enjoy the creativity of it, the unfolding of it, even as we imagine the outcomes.

It makes me wonder if that's not actually the way God gardens me.