Monthly Archives: April 2015

The Lie About Replacing a Tree

April 29, 2015 – 11:12 am

There is a mis-conception that if a tree gets destroyed or cut down, all that needs to happen to repair the situation is to plant another one.  Or plant several.

Um, a seedling is only inches high, it can’t do what an older tree does. It will be years before the new tree can begin to accomplish what missing tree was doing. I won’t go into the cleaner air and water and other benefits.

My sister picked up some pecans for me on a road trip. So I made salted buttered pecans this weekend and it got me to thinking…

It takes 10 years for a pecan tree to produce fruit. The trees at the community garden were 10 years old last year.  I’ve only been a member for 3 years.  I get to benefit from other peoples planning and planting. Yay!

Oh wait. No I don’t. The squirrels benefited.  They had a party and ate them all!

When I’m ready to make my next batch, I will have to find another source of pecans unless we can wrestle some from the squirrels.

But if the current trees aren’t cared for and need to be replaced, the wait will be even longer.

By nothousebound | Posted in Garden | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Nuclear Threat and the Community Garden

April 23, 2015 – 12:12 pm

For as long as I can remember, we’ve been worried about nuclear threat from ‘them’.  Then the cold war ended and that was supposed to be that.  But it isn’t really.  I caught a headline the other day. Something about a nuclear threat and someone being happy about it.

I thought it was strange to have the word happy in the same sentence as nuclear threat.  Then I thought, “Well, if you are going to set off your bombs go ahead. But be sure to blow the whole Earth up. Do do a half-assed job.”

Stupid people.  Don’t you know that your side of the world is ATTACHED to our side of the world?  Even if you don’t blow the whole world up, the wind and the currents of the oceans will bring fall out to your side.

And then I went to the community garden and forgot all about the threat.  There is new life all over the place, plants, animals, birds. And I pray the things I do to better the garden will be carried by the wind and the currents of the oceans to your side of the world and give you a better day than you are having.

By nothousebound | Posted in Garden | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Loving My Neighbor

April 9, 2015 – 11:30 am

We ask ourselves at the garden how we can reach those who live closest to us.  Some we know, it’s as easy as talking over the chain link fence next door.  Others will stop and talk to us as they pass through on their way to the bus stop.

However, there are some, and we don’t know how close/far  they live from the garden, they have been taking things.

Since I started coming to the garden the following things have been missing:

Fencing for the back area – when this gets replaced, we’ll be ready for bee hives again

Wheel barrows – this makes carrying loads lighter.  With these gone, not as much can get done.

Plants donated for the plant sale – this fundraiser pays for the waterbill.

All the figs from the trees! – we would have shared with you  and would love to get to know you but did you have to take all of them? We were planning on making jam. We’d love for you to have some of that as well.

Dirt for the latest community garden project – we have targeted neighbors of the gardeners that can’t make it to the garden to build raised beds at their homes. Now we have to decide who has to wait.

But now you know what you have done, how will your tell-tale heart let you come and be part of our community now?

And I tell you now that it doesn’t matter what you have done in the past. We’d still love to meet you, have a cup of tea (or coffee) and truly be neighbors.

My prayer is for all the things that have gone from the garden with and without our knowledge/awareness/permission will come back 100 fold.  May all that flows from this garden bless whoever have crossed our path and bring them to us for relationship, renewal and redemption.

By nothousebound | Posted in Garden | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Bejeweled

April 8, 2015 – 11:26 am

A couple of days ago, when I went outside, there was dew on the plants by the front door.  I like that this poinsettia has survived freezes, frosts and living part of the winter in my garage.

The picture doesn’t do justice to what I saw.  All of the plants were bejeweled.  Arrayed in finery that would rival royalty.

AND it didn’t cost me a dime!

The beauty of the moment reminded me to enjoy each second as I would a precious gem stone.

What makes you feel like royalty?

bejewled poinsetta

bejewled poinsettia

By nothousebound | Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Bird Poo Tree

April 1, 2015 – 8:00 pm

The community garden has a Hackberry tree along the fence line in the back.  In front of it, we have some pear trees and we are amending the soil behind it to continue the orchard.

Becky calls it a trash tree.  I showed it to my grand-children the other day and remembered a story Gpa told.

You see the birds will eat the seeds of plants and while they sit on the fence, they will poop it out.  The poop feeds the seed and the tree will grow undisturbed for the fence will help protect it.

No one has been caring for this tree and it’s been allowed to grow however it wants.  I think if we took some time and trimmed it up a bit, it would be fun to sit in it’s shade and have a picnic.  I think I’ll make a sign so other’s can enjoy Gpa’s story.

Thanks, Birds!

trash tree

trash tree

By nothousebound | Posted in Garden | Comments (0)