The Garden – Summers end 2023

It was good to watch ‘Gardeners’ World’ on the TV earlier this week as they gave their final round-up for this year’s summer season. I was encouraged to hear the experts say words to this effect, ‘it’s been an enjoyable season with lots of success, but also with some failures and disappointments’. Perhaps the most important thing they said was ‘but we really enjoyed it‘! Did I ever tell you I enjoy my garden!!!

Let’s start with a look at the flowers, most of which were bought as ‘plug plants’ from Garden Centres and Supermarkets and grown on, but towards the end of the season some full grown plants for the new flower bed were also purchased. So many photos but first a quick look at the flowers!

Trees and bushes, roses and grasses were lovely too, here are some we enjoyed

Then there was the greenhouse, and this year, just for a change I grew house plants along with the usual vegetables. Some of the house plants were bought from the Garden Centre, then grown on and split. Others I grew from seed, and was particularly happy that two small cacti that survived from seed. Hurrah! a first for me 🙂 I also tried rooting a couple of succulents from the leaves, and they seem to have rooted successfully, but what to do with them in the winter, is a bit oif a dilemna!

There were a few failures! my ‘corn on the cob’ was given much love and care but the results were very disappointing, I’ll need to get some help from my African friends, methinks! Carrots this year in a bucket were poor, and the Aubergines produced beautiful plants with lots of flowers but only one small fruit. After having it with dinner last night, I think it may be off the menu for future 🙂

I’ve probably missed something, but hopefully the above is enough to let you understand the joy of a garden. The bulbs for Spring have now been planted, and the Greenhouse was emptied and cleaned this week. Hopefully some of the plants more susceptible to the cold will be preserved there until Spring. Of course a garden takes time and effort, but that could also be said of anything worthwhile we do or achieve in life. Well perhaps a garden is somewhat different, for the simple reason that actually I don’t grow anything, all I do is plant, feed and water, but I can’t actually make anything grow, only God can do that! So I just stand back and marvel at the amazing God of creation! Here is a quotation from the book of Corinthians, which is so true, and I am often reminded of in the garden!

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow!

1 For the beauty of the earth, 
for the glory of the skies, 
for the love which from our birth 
over and around us lies. 

Refrain: 
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise 
this, our hymn of grateful praise. 

2 For the wonder of each hour 
of the day and of the night, 
hill and vale and tree and flower, 
sun and moon and stars of light, [Refrain ]

3 For the joy of human love, 
brother, sister, parent, child, 
friends on earth, and friends above, 
for all gentle thoughts and mild, [Refrain] 

4 For yourself, best gift divine, 
to the world so freely given, 
agent of God's grand design: 
peace on earth and joy in heaven.

Christ, our Lord, to you we raise 
this, our hymn of grateful praise. 

To all my friends and fellow gardeners, I hope you have had an enjoyable Summer, perhaps in your garden or in someone else’s garden. But wherever you are I wish you every blessing as we move forward into a new season. The words of the above old hymn I pray will cause you to lift your eyes and thoughts to the God who loves you!

Matthew