JOY In Our Garden: Bloom Where You are Planted

JOY in Our Garden:  “Bloom Where You Are Planted” has been a directive given to people for years.  When I  plant something it is generally on purpose. A hole is dug and a seed, seedling, plant or tree is placed in the hole, the dirt smoothed around the stem or over the seed, some water applied and, with continued care given I expect to eventually see a fully grown plant. Unfortunately, not every seed or plant has a will to live even if planted and cared for carefully. You cannot make a plant grow, mature, nor bloom. Certainly, conditions can be arranged to make blooming more likely but, growth comes from within.  In early December I cut some leafless red branches from a bush to make a decorative outdoor display. I stuck them, some pine boughs,  teasel stems and dried hydrangea flowers into the dirt to make a lovely arrangement that pictured festivity and JOY.  The first week of May I was emptying the pot to plant spring flowers in it.  The red branches were in bud and clearly alive! They had survived being roughly cut, stuck in some dirt, left out in harsh winter conditions while bearing some red and green ornaments tied on securely, stood strong through an ice storm, and then survived a severe wind storm. Still, there they are, JOYfully setting up a root system and leafing out. They chose to live in spite of adverse conditions. They chose to bring JOY.   I encourage you to choose to live in JOY. No matter what your early our current circumstances, living in JOY is your choice.  by Maxine R McLellan