Friday, May 6, 2011

Working in the garden

Been out trimming mesquites. AGAIN. Three acres of Mesquites can be a year round job, even with a house in the middle. But, paraphrasing Jacob, a natural tree is an enemy to the garden. Especially mesquites and pomegranates. Some trees want to grow up, but those two seem to believe they were born to be bushes. They are so busy putting out suckers and side branches they would never reach their potential without me and the trusty saws-all. But once they are trimmed up they can become actually amazing.
And something else. The living water? Unless you are trying to grow a garden, create an oasis around your house and home in the desert, that expression may not have as much meaning as it could. But, I start and end my day with watering. And, things I never thought I could grow are flourishing. Cut off my water and we are dead here. I mean literally--DEAD. There goes the corn, the strawberries, the callow lilies the daffodils, all of it.
Pulling weeds I thought of this "There is order in all things" and I thought it must be our job to find it. I mean left to themselves the weeds would wreak havoc, where now they are tortoise food! They never even imagined they were putting all that energy into growing up so I could pull them out for tortoise food.
My husband says the corn rows looked like they were planted in the dark. That is the kind of order I like. Kind of mellow, wandering rows that end up at the right spot at the end of the field.
I do know this. There is hardly a nicer way to start a day.

And the fruits of your labor shall be sweet!