Transplanting Crepe Myrtles

I have nursed four beautiful crepe myrtles for 4 years to great height and health. Now, my husband decided they need to go so we can plant bamboo there instead. So I am transplanting them to my mom’s house to give her carport and walkway some needed shade. And she will benefit from the beauty of them.

I have found the best way to plant trees and plants in central Florida where our soil is garbage/sand is to dig a way bigger hole than you need. Then you mix black cow, potting soil and sand from where you dug it up in thirds. Then you put the mixed soil around the newly planted tree/plant until the hole is filled and water it very well. Then put mulch on top.

And this is caring for God’s creation and is effective for His glory. And it is beautiful to get into the soil and promote the growth of plants and trees God made. It is precious. I highly encourage gardening and farming. 😃❤️

Garden Joy

Today I planted peas, carrots and radishes. We already have blackberry bushes growing and rosemary thriving. I also transplanted two ginger plants the birds were kind enough to plant in our yard. So God has been good to us. And very little in life brings me more sheer joy than working our garden. I was raised on a farm in Buchanan, Michigan and having a garden was my normal. I live it. It has taken me a while to Learn the stark differences to growing food in central Florida. Growing seasons are different, soil needs a lot of love constantly, bugs are incredibly resilient and prolific, so on. So these first few years are experimental but I am hopeful we will do well. I am watching a lot of youtube tutorials for our area. So may God bless our efforts and let’s see what happens. 😄❤

Our Herb Garden

So, here is what we did today. We planted herbs- oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley- as well as one tomato and lavender, with several marigolds. I am happy with how it turned out- all my husband’s design and planning. Yay! I feel an amazing comfort in getting back to my farming roots. So happy God has reconnected me to gardening again. I feel so blessed. And admiring it’s beauty, I watched a great gray heron fly up and perch in a tree next to me to wait out the brief storm. What majesty! I can see God’s glory everywhere. It is beautiful and peaceful. I am so very grateful to God for everything. How I love Him!❤❤❤

A Farmer’s Life

Let me start by saying that few people on the planet are better people than farmers. I am not saying that because my dad and most of his family are farmers or because I grew up breathing the fresh air on a farm or because I never had better vegetables and fruit than what I grew up eating on the farm. But a good farmer grows much more than he needs as a business to feed people but few know how little he really makes or how few appreciate it. My dad used to say he felt sorry for city folk who think food comes from stores. No, food comes from the love and hard work of a farmer who tilled and planted and babies and waited then harvested that food all for months with a resulting pay that barely kept up his tractors and supplies and a little left over for the taxes on the land if we were lucky. But farmers do it because it is their passion to work the soil, produce food for people, raise cows for milk or beef, raise chickens for eggs and meat, etc. They know how and are good at it. They were in a long line of farmers who shared their knowledge, it is a part of them. They believe in America, the most patriotic people around. They love their families and it all starts and works for and with them. They know and love God because He surrounds them in the nature, talks to them in isolation for days on a tractor, is with them in the fresh air, the soil, gives them rain at the right time, provides for them. Farmers are ingenuitive, keeping things going, rigging things up, getting function where others would give up in tears. Farmers are businessmen, getting the most of every rare dime. Farmers are the strongest people I know in mentally tough ways and physically tough ways. I watched my dad move full oil drums himself, no equipment to help him. Just picked it up and moved it. Farmers should be studied as roll models and industry leaders, though most would never want that kind of glory. They are humble souls, doing what they know are nd loving what they do, resting up for the next thing on the schedule. Farmers a render beautiful people and you need to learn from them and hug them and thank them for the food. I am proud of that aspect of my highly respectable daddy. And I hope to go back someday and work the soil. It is in my blood and lungs, after all.