I began this post at the end of the summer when our  garden was in full bloom.  I had GREAT intentions of posting this then…but procrastination got the best of me.  I still wanted to share it with you, even though it’s FREEZING outside! Hopefully it will help you reminisce on the warm summer days a little….

 

When we first began gardening, our kids were really little. Our younger children are 24 months apart or closer (the youngest are 10 months apart).  With babies and toddlers, and pregnancies, it was hard for me to be active with the gardening, so it was more of Daniel’s thing for many years.

He spent a lot of time learning about the garden.  He figured out what would grow well in our zone, when to plant what, how to make the most of a small plot of land. 

Now that our kids are bigger, I’ve started taking on more of the garden.  Daniel has taught me so much, which often just looks like me asking him what to plant and when to plant it.  But I am trying to make it my own, too. 

I recently decided to add some cutting flowers to our raised beds.  This is something that I have planned to do for awhile now and just never got around to it.  I have the tendency to talk myself out of things that aren’t practical.  

Planting food seems logical to me because it serves a purpose. We have a lot of people to feed in our house!

But to take up prime garden real estate for something that is purely aesthetic seemed like a waste of space and time.

Deep down I knew that wasn’t true, and so I bought some seeds .  Our daughter, Arden, helped me plant them. It was a fun experience for both of us.  We planted many of them in seed trays and then transplanted them to the raised beds when they were ready.

She helped me check on them and water them everyday.  When they were ready we transplanted them to the beds.  

Now the flowers are in full bloom and just about as tall as our daughter, Arden. I love going out to the garden and seeing them mixed in among the more “practical” plants. 

When I see the flowers growing I’m reminded of Romans 1:20

 

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God”

 

I can see God’s qualities displayed in each bloom.  I see the beauty of the flower. The vibrant colors, the variety in the petals and shapes.  When God made His creation He took the time to make it complex and beautiful. He could have just made it to function well, overlooking aesthetics.  But He’s a God of splendor and of excellence, so He made His creation beautiful.

It’s a reminder that beauty matters and it’s not a waste of time. I’m so glad I took the time to plant the flowers because Arden and I have had many sweet moments together in the garden. 

Arden’s favorite thing to do right now is cut flowers from the garden and arrange them in vases.  She has them scattered all around the house at any given time.

I showed her how to remove certain leaves so they fit in the vases better.  How to vary the height and types to add interest to the arrangement, and she has just taken off.

 It’s not uncommon for me to find her on the back porch with a dozen mason jars and a grocery bag full of flowers that she’s cut.  She’ll carefully trim the ends and gently pull away the leaves so that lay in the jar in the exact manner that she deems perfect. 

I initially thought that taking up our garden space with flowers  was simply a frivolous thing that only held an aesthetic purpose. But this little project of ours has proven to be so much more.  

Planting those flowers has turned out to be a time of bonding with my only daughter. “Girl time” as she would call it.  It has provided the opportunity to teach her some principles of design that she’ll one day use in her own home. It’s given her the chance the express herself in her arrangements  and get satisfaction when her brothers and dad tell her how pretty the flowers are.  

Planting the flowers has  provided Arden with the opportunity to find joy in giving.  She loves to sneak out to the garden and cut a few flowers. Then she comes inside with her flowers hidden behind her back.  She tells me to close my eyes, and then open them again revealing a handful of flowers that she planted and grew herself. Taking the time to plant flowers has allowed Arden to experience the joy in bringing delight to someone else.  

When Arden is all grown up, I hope she looks back on our flower garden and has wonderful memories of our time spent there.  One thing I hope that she learns is that things don’t always have to serve a practical purpose. 

We were created by a God that loves beauty.  It’s evident in His creation. When he created our world he wove beauty into every aspect.  It’s not frivolous or pointless. Beauty serves the purpose of pointing us back to our Creator.  

I was reminded of all of this through planti a simple flower garden with my little girl.