I may have mentioned before on this blog that I do not have a green thumb. It’s probably been a while since I mentioned that, though, because I generally do not talk about plants at all. For one thing, I don’t know the names of most of the plants around our house. And for another, I rely on a very nice landscaper who visits our house twice a year to make sure things are still alive and well. If left up to me, they would all be dead, so I consider paying him to be an investment in our home’s curb appeal. I’m thinking a house surrounded by dead, scraggly gardens would not sell well.
Despite my lack of gardening ability, every great once in a while, in a fit of horticultural adventure, I plant something. It’s usually done in a fit of spontaneity and I never expect much to result. But still, I plant something.
When we moved here three years ago, that “something” turned out to be a few iris bulbs I picked up on clearance in Wal-Mart’s garden section. I figured that for $1.50, I could afford to fail. And I fully expected to.
The first couple years, some measly green sprouts showed up, but that was about it. To the untrained eye (in other words, mine), it looked like a small patch of very wide grass.
But this year, I’ve been thrilled to see this:
Lovely purple blooms, looking (to the untrained eye at least — again, mine) healthy and vibrant.
Because I am gardening-challenged, I had no idea that many perennials may not bloom for the first couple years after they are planted, but rather need those early years in order to become established in their location. While you can’t see much going on above-ground, they are slowly working hard underground, maturing, developing, absorbing nutrients.
But when they are ready, they bloom.
If I’d become discouraged by the measly greenery and ripped out the irises, embarrassed by more apparent evidence of my non-green thumb, I would have missed out on these beautiful flowers. If I’d uprooted them and moved them to another spot in the garden, thinking that I didn’t have the soil or sunlight quite right, they would have had to start all over in their establishment, and it would have been that many more years until I saw a bloom.
All they needed from me was time.
Patience.
Something I’m not too great at.
So often, I want to see much-needed changes in my heart take place immediately. I identify a serious shortcoming (there are many to choose from), I pray about it, I work at it, and one week later, I wonder why I’m not perfect yet. Or at least significantly improved. The truth is, it takes time to mature, time to become established in any area, time for growth to take place. There are things — life lessons, God’s instruction — that have to be absorbed. Growth takes time. And patience.
But when the prep work is complete, we’ll bloom. And if those irises are any indication, it’ll be worth it.
The irises are beautiful! I’ve always loved them. And I think I remember my father planting some that didn’t blood right off.
As for patience, I’m with you. We tend to get to caught up in meaningless things and don’t understand that God is at work. We simply need to trust… and as you’ve said, have patience.
cjh
What a beautiful post! I used to work at a nursery and my favorite gardner taught me the secret of a green thumb. If you take your thumb and push it into your soil and your thumb is completely covered you will have flora/fauna success. Interesting to add to your analogy. Sometimes it is not about what is planted but about how prepared we are (the soil) to receive it.
Thanks for reminding me.
Wow- beautiful Irises. I miss the ones we had at our old house. MIL is gonna give me some bulbs from her house in the fall.
Love your analogy- I’m right there with you too. I often find myself wondering why nothing is changing quick enough in my life-or changing at all. But I KNOW my answer -as of late- I’m not watering or fertilizing enough to even deserve that change!!! Thank goodness God has the Green Thumb that I need!!!
Beautiful irises…and post.
Isn’t it funny how we think God should just give us what we ask for, instead of giving us the opportunity to become what He wants us to?
So glad you were able to find that patience – it’s something I still seek.
Great job on the irises, they are beautiful! I don’t have much of a green thumb either.. usually I realize that I didn’t water things enough once they are already dead
That’s awesome!
Terry planted some tulip bulbs last year, not knowing if they’d come up. Well, they did, but they were very random–one bulb every 12 inches or so in certain spots. I asked him if they just didn’t come up. He told me that they didn’t all come up, but that is how he planted them.
That cracked me up (and sort of irritated me as well to be honest). Doesn’t everyone know that bulbs are planted in clusters??
As a fellow black-thumb plant-killer, and as one who doesn’t like to wait either, I can definitely relate. Love the analogy! and the irises are beautiful!!
This was a lovely post! I totally didn’t see the theological point coming up and it really struck me when it did.
Thanks, Katrina! That was lovely.
There are tons of theological things we can say about gardening. Take compost–God takes garbage and turns it into something beautiful, if we let it die first. Or he takes what we think is junk and uses it to nourish other things. Or he turns junk into beautiful roses. Etc. Etc.
I think it’s neat that nature is God’s own blackboard for teaching us lessons. And your blooms are beautiful!
Visit To Love, Honor and Vacuum today!