Thursday, May 7, 2009

Something Out of Nothing

Here in South Georgia, everyone is agriculturally knowledgeable. On my way to church from Albany to Dawson, I drive alongside farm after farm of peanuts, cotton, and soybeans. Everyone here is a farmer, knows a farmer, has a relative that's a farmer, so when I moved here, I had a lot to learn. I was the little girl from the big city. Kind of like Green Acres...but without the catchy theme song.

For instance, every late spring, it's time to "put the 'matoes in." (really it's more like "tamatuhs") Since I have been introduced to Mayhaw jelly, learned how to make homemade skillet biscuits, and started to say things like "actin' a donkey" (thanks Amy) since moving down here, I thought, what the heck. I'll build a flower bed. 

I will spare the details of my trip to Lowe's to get the materials. All I'm going to say is it involved 15 calls to dad, three trips back and forth across the store, bruises, and a few held-back tears. I hauled timber, handsawed the timber, nailed it together, got sunburned, and accidentally hammered my knee. 

But it was worth it....I bought some "tamatuh" plants and put them in. I put in some basil, other herbs, and even a watermelon plant. I started some zucchini seeds, not really sure what would happen, but they're growing! My little garden is doing well....I've been hovering over it like it's a child, but it's paid off. 
 


Some chives, just beginning to come up.



Some basil. Please excuse the focus, I had it on auto-focus because it was drizzling and I was holding an umbrella over the camera with my other hand.




Okay, anyone know what this is? Is it a real rose or one of the dreaded "knock-out" roses. They're pretty, they're thorny, but they don't seem quite like a real rose.  Anyone? Bueller?

Please notice the little bugs in the bottom left-hand corner. They're little hineys were touching and I could only assume that what was going on was....um....something that their mama's wouldn't be proud of. I couldn't resist, I flicked them off. Is that bad? I just felt like they were violating my roses, real or not.





Soon to be pesto.




This is an Invincible Hosta. Seriously, you can't kill it. I tried. On purpose. Well, it didn't start as an intentional plant murder, but I forgot to water it....and that turned into me thinking, "I wonder what would happen if I just didn't water it." So I didn't. For an entire year. 

So imagine my surprise when this spring, guess who was back? Mr. Hosta. I named him out of guilt over my terrible little experiment. (my grandma would be so ashamed)



Zucchini sprouts! These are going in the garden this weekend.


All this gardening and plant-talk has got me thinking about the little miracle of plant growth, and I can't help but marvel at God's creativity. The daily growth of a plant is a tiny, beautiful, unique miracle and I am amazed that He can take a seed--lifeless, useless, ugly--and turn it into something so beautiful.....

..... I can't help but be thankful that He took me from my lifeless, useless state and gave me life and purpose. Thank you Jesus! 


No comments: