Grace in the garden

Tomatillo

So often I have written about pests and weather and trials of gardening, but today I want to write about grace given through the garden.  Grace can be defined as unmerited favor.  There is nothing that we may do.  There is no work that we may accomplish that provides us with what comes of grace.  Please understand, in the garden and in our lives, there is a need to do work.  Yet, ultimately our work is based on trust in the One who gives growth both to the garden and our spiritual lives.  Ultimately in each we are dependent on the reliability of the One who sends the sun and the rain and even sends His Spirit.

Cherry Tomatoes

Peppers

Yes,  truly it is the His grace gives us a proper amount of sun, rain and temperature.  There are other specifics.  As He is gracious, we will have sun cherry tomatoes (yellow cherry) at the congregation As He is gracious we will have tomatillo and perhaps even get together for salsa making - completely with fuego-jalepeno peppers.  The seeds for many of these came via my brother.  That is gracious also.

Volunteer Marigold

Volunteer Tomato

Yet, above and beyond that, the Lord has provided things that we did not plant.  Although I don't know what to do with it, we have yarrow.  Dill has planted itself in the herb bed (and between and within the other garden beds.)  We have volunteer marigolds from last year.  I started little dainty french marigolds, but last year's marigold's were a contrasting yellow and a bit taller.  It just so happens that I ran out of marigolds to go around the Beth Am Messiah Congregation sign, but with these volunteers I have a second row of taller marigolds.  They will fill in nicely.

Onions

Some of our tomatillos did not make it.  It just so happens that some tomato plants came up between the beds.  I have put these where the tomatillos did not take.

Grace and God are often unexpected.  He does all things well.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory..

Ephesians 3:20f NIV

Struggling toward the Harvest

Groundhog Burrow

There are many enemies to the garden.  I've talked about animals and I probably again today, but weather can be a friend or a foe.  In the greater NYC area, we've had temperatures above 95 and the heat index has been over 100.  We are in extreme heat conditions.

Broccoli at Secret Garden

At my house, many plants had withered before I watered them.  Fortunately, they came back.  I have a bit of a test garden in that my brother gave me samples of seeds.  I really like the Rador Wax Beans.  They were well nigh perfect and next year we can plant a packet to share.  The sample packet of cucumbers and the sample seeds of zucchini are doing well.  (More on squash and cucumbers later.)  There are little tomatoes on the plants.



Tomato at Secret Garden

Acorn Squash at Secret Garden

Now about the sun, it is God's gift.  Without it nothing can grow, but too much heat can cause disaster.  The secret garden is so secret and shaded, that the growth is stunted.  I believe there are all of three peas on the podded peas.  However, the broccoli, though a little slow, is great.  The tomatoes are a bit... thin.  It could be the variety, but I think it is the lack of sun.  We will (eventually) have tomatoes and broccoli from the secret garden and maybe even some acorn squash.  I plan to start some autumn cabbage to replace the peas.



Cucumber

Melons last week

Melons this week

We had an animal invasion at the Potato garden.  The potatoes are fine, but the vine crops are over pruned.  There are currently 3 melons.  I have hit the vines with hot pepper.  I have placed an animal control substance of extreme pepper compounds around the garden.  I will be placing some deer deterrents that I used last year and netting over the melons.  The cucumbers and melons will come back.  However,  whatever animal it was, grazed on the peas and for all purposes, they are gone.  I plan on replanting with Provider Beans.



Tomatillos

Last at the congregational garden, things are dry, but coming along.  I placed straw around the tomatoes and salsa garden to keep the moisture in.  The onions that are ready will be harvested on Friday.  There will also be some leaf lettuce available.  This is the last leaf lettuce until after we plant again in August.

Greens at Congregation

So our garden has woes, but the harvest is coming in and is starting to look promising.  The same is true in our spiritual lives.  We have setbacks, but when we give ourselves to the things of the Lord and indeed to the Lord, himself, we begin to shine with a reflect of His glory.

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory,

are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory,

which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  

2 Corinthians 3:17,18

The Harvest is Coming

Potato Garden before Weeding

We have had animal trouble.  The skunks are no more.  I think the garden gate is now secure enough that the groundhog cannot get in.  However,  as I sat in the basement one night in a meeting, the groundhog waved at us in the window.  I have applied pepper around to keep the groundhog at bay, but we will see.  It was reported that while they did not eat crops in the secret garden, deer have bedded down there.  All of God's creation desire a bit of the harvest.

Amaranth- note flower

However, other than some weeds, the potato garden is great!  I had transplanted some muskmelons and they are in bloom.  The cucumbers will soon be flowering.  The potatoes look great!  Compare the two pictures.  You can distinguish the purple potatoes from the reds.  The only issue is the amaranth.  This was an experiment in nontraditional grain.  As you can see, some of it has started to flower.  That would be fine, except it should be about five times as high.

Purple Potatoes - Note color

Snap Peas between potatoes

At the congregational garden,  things are picking up.  The tomatillos have fruit.  Some of the tomatoes are starting to blossom.  The beans are up.  Cabbage is making a slow recovery.  The second planting of beets are beginning to emerge from the soil along with parsnips, root parsley, and carrots.  We will be picking greens on Thursday including perpetual spinach, rhubarb chard, and beet greens.  There may be some lettuces as well.  The early onions are almost ready, but I think we will wait until next week.

Listen and hear my voice;

    pay attention and hear what I say.

24 

When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?

    Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?

25 

When he has leveled the surface,

    does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?

Does he not plant wheat in its place,

    barley in its plot,

    and spelt in its field?

26 

His God instructs him

    and teaches him the right way.

Cucumber

Muskmelon

In Isaiah 28:23-26, there is an extended comparison between the way a farm is planted and how Israel is to behave.  We have broken up our soil and had even two plantings so far.  There may be some more planting, but the in farming and the work of the Lord, there are right ways to do things. If the farmer keeps planting melons in August, there will be no crop.  In like way, if we do not do things according to the plan of the Lord, we may well end up in disaster.  In the text, Israel sought to trust in countries, rather than the Lord.  Ultimately the harvest of Gan Am Messiah and in our lives is based on our trust in the Holy One.

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