Ah ha! There you are . . .

I've just spent the most gorgeous time in the garden picking the beautiful raspberries that are coming on now. The branches are loaded down this year, and we are so blessed with an abundant crop. And besides they are beautiful, taste good and are actually good for you. You can kind of just graze while you're picking and don't have to feel guilty about it.

I don't know if you can tell from the photo but I had to put my little ingenious arm protectors on to protect my arms from all the scratchy thorns since they are also present in abundance. Really they are just long socks with the toes cut off, you slip them on and you can dig around in the raspberry bushes hunting for raspberries all you want.

My bucket was getting filled with raspberries and still I dropped a gorgeous raspberry right down into the middle of the bushes. I searched and searched for it. Didn't want a single one of these precious bites to be lost. Finally I found it on the ground, right down in the middle with all the rocks and weeds. I had to practically crawl along the ground under the prickly sharp bushes, that were tangling in my hair (ew! I'm sure there's yucky bugs now crawling on me somewhere . . .) and snatched it up from the ground and into the bucket.

As I was crawling down amidst the thorns and stickers I asked myself whatever motivated me to make this much effort to retrieve one little raspberry. After all, I had a bucket full. Surely, one more wouldn't make that much difference.

I think it was more the effort we have put into the garden to produce the crop. All the weeding, and nurturing with fertilizer, tender waterings, daily monitoring for problems and such. It would be a shame to lose one perfectly good raspberry.

And then it came to me. This must be very much how our Heavenly Father feels as he seeks so diligently after his lost sheep. Each one so precious, so loved, and nurtured that he can't bear the thought that one should be lost and not return or make it into the bucket with the rest. That he would spare no expense to find that lost one and bring them back.

I'm grateful for such a Heavenly Father. One who is aware of and knows each little raspberry:)

Have a wonderful day!

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This Week in my Garden . . .

Well, actually I kind of hate to admit how far behind I am in the gardening sector of my life at the moment. Every spring my goal is to have the garden all planted in it's completeness by the end of May at the very latest. And here it is now into June already and I'm running a bit behind.

I don't know why really, it could be the wedding plans that seem to consume a good part of my day and my thoughts. It could be my house which is a disaster scene and I somehow think I should vacuum up the dog hair before someone mistakes one of us for the black lab. It also could be the pile of church assignments on top of my desk that I really wanted to have completed and handed out to people last week. Ok, they're done and going out first thing tomorrow - for sure!

Who know's . . .

Probably it has something to do with the height and abundance of the weeds I've let get out of control. I really have to hand it to my kind and ever so sweet hubby who got out there for me and tilled them all under. What would I do without him! Now I can get all those seeds in the ground where they will sprout and grow and become a beautiful part of my life and yard this summer.

It's so easy to let the weeds take over our lives. Just coast along on auto pilot for about a week and watch what happens . . . do you have weeds in your life? Those things that interfere and compete with the good things in life for nutrients and our time.

In my life it's the first week of summer now that the school year is behind us. Our schedule for scripture reading and family prayer has been unusual and scattered at best. I've been on a sugar diet for the last three days, I always have a hard time putting the sugar away after that happens. My usually consistent 4 mile daily walk has been postponed several times this week due to other distractions. Those weeds are getting pretty tall . . .

Wish my good hubby could come along and squash these weeds for me as well, but it's all up to me and tomorrow's another day!

Time to put the sugar away, realign priorities, pull the weeds and get the garden planted.

This is my little visitor who keeps cheering me on. I think everyone needs one of these.

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Our Parable of the Peach Trees

Every year at this time of year the dilemma of how to prune the fruit trees comes upon my husband and I. It's always been my husbands job, not exactly officially, but he's always been the one to haul the ladder out, climb up to the top of the trees with the loppers and prune away. I always have an opinion, but do I climb up to the top of the trees with the loppers? No way! So I just have to be the supportive one and say, "looks lovely dear", "once again, you've done a wonderful job"!

(wild untrimmed tree on left - vs - pruned tree on right)

But frequently I'm really asking myself, "I don't think that's exactly how the trees are SUPPOSED to look". So this year, I took an active role . . . I volunteered the husband to go to a tree pruning workshop in our community at Thanksgiving Point. A wonderfully marvelous garden nearby our home that teaches fantastic gardening classes each Spring. What could be better? Let's just find out how you really ARE supposed to prune those fruit trees!

And to be a supportive wife, I signed myself up to attend the class with him. Mostly, just to have a chance to go do something together, and maybe two heads would actually be better than one.

Oh no! Come the day of the class the husband had a conflict with another important meeting . . . I would have to go to the class by myself or lose the tuition. Bummer! (I don't really WANT to learn how to prune fruit trees - awwwh!) But I went. And it was actually a really good class.

My favorite tidbit of knowledge gleaned was, " you really can't ruin the fruit tree with bad pruning". Oh thank goodness! I was really worried after last year! It wasn't our best year for fruit tree pruning. And I came home with some really helpful information about the suggested way to prune a tree.

So the next week, there I am, out on the ladder, loppers in hand trying to prune the ______ fruit trees! It was harder than I thought! Our trees didn't look anything like the ones in the videos or the handouts. Pretty soon I'm taking out branches here and branches there, trying to follow the guidelines I'd been given. But ouch! It was kind of painful! These were hard decisions. I was tempted to just forget the whole thing . . . I mean what happens if you don't prune at all? I remembered the master gardener saying that it actually protects the tree, and gives the tree the opportunity to produce greater fruit and really reach it's full potential. If you leave ALL the branches on the tree, the tree can become overwhelmed with poor fruit, break apart in places, and maybe in reality lose the WHOLE tree!

(this is my first tree that I pruned - so proud)

While I'm standing on the top of this ladder, my head amidst the branches, I'm starting to see a parallel here . . . this must be how Heavenly Father feels when he sees us overloading our lives down here on earth. Over scheduling each minute of the day. Trying to be involved in so many . . . TOO many good things. He must be whispering, "wait, that's not an important branch there", that one isn't going to do you any good REALLY!", "wait, that branch is going to interfere with the most important branch over there that really provides the strength of your tree!"

Have we received counsel to "prune our branches"? And just like pruning the fruit trees, it CAN be painful! Cutting branches here and cutting branches there, how to decide? Which one do you leave and which one do you take out? And just like the counsel of the master gardener we have received some guidance about which ones to leave and which ones to take.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks "Good, Better, Best" talk comes to mind as one of the best!

"We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."

If you haven't reviewed that talk recently, maybe now would be a good time. I know that's what I'm going to do right now.

After all - I need all the help with pruning I can get. . .

I must admit, my husband did come along after I did three of our seven fruit trees and rescue me. That's why you see a photo of him up in the trees with the loppers. After all, I am the picture taker . . .

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My View from the Garden

After one week of scattered sunshine and above average temperatures for this time of year in my community; my garden is free from snow! I can see the dirt, lying there, with almost an anxious look about it, awaiting the tiller and fertilizer which are always first on the list to get the spring gardening underway.

Does your family like to garden? There's never been a better time to enlist your family in a family gardening project, or revive a previous tradition if you came from ol' gardening stock. With the bad economic news surrounding us from all sides every day, there are more families cutting back, becoming more frugal, and just plain trying to "save" some money wherever they can.


I don't know about your opinion of the "Economic Stimulus Package", but just about the best economic stimulus package for most of us would be to develop a thorough gardening education. Each of us have the potential to grow a little (or a lot) of our own food, whether it be in containers on a sunny balcony or a full spread garden in the backyard. Once you try those flavorful home grown herbs and fresh tomatoes, warmed by the sun - you'll never want to go back to the store bought stuff.

Nearly three decades ago, President Spencer W. Kimball admonished the saints to gather their families around and plant a garden. His advice is still applicable and perhaps even more important today. He said:

“We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments … can generally grow a little food in pots and planters. Study the best methods of providing your own foods. Make your garden … neat and attractive as well as productive. If there are children in your home, involve them in the process with assigned responsibilities”
(in Conference Report, Apr. 1976, 170–71; or Ensign, May 1976, 124).

When President Kimball asked each of us to grow a garden, he reminded us of the words of the Lord:

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
(Luke 6:46).

Gardening has many benefits. It expands our appreciation of nature and the world around us. Even the creative period of the earth in general as we get down in the soil and physically touch it with our hands. It provides an opportunity for families to work together. Something that is frequently lacking in our world of conveniences today. When we have a garden that is producing fruit and vegetables in season; we are not entirely dependent on others for food. Growing our own food gives us the satisfaction of providing for ourselves, as well as providing a more nutritious diet. We have a greater opportunity to save money, help others and trade with fellow neighbors and gardeners.

There are a few things you need to keep in mind as you plan or design your family garden -

The first is location - growing vegetables requires approximately six hours of full sun each day. More would even be better. A loamy soil is preferable, but almost any soil can be made to produce with the addition of the modern garden soil enhancements available today. Those who want a larger garden can dig up portions of lawn or flower beds. Kits for raised gardens are available at local nurseries and online at many of the popular seed catalog companies. Some of my favorites are - Burpee and Park Seed Co. Those who live in apartments can garden in pots and containers.

A nearby water source is another essential. For small gardens, containers and pots, hand watering may be the method of choice. For larger areas drip irrigation works well.

What to plant? If space is limited choose vegetables that grow upwards, climbing berries, pole peas and beans, tomatoes on stakes. Choose crops that produce a lot for the space they take up, such as squash or tomatoes, rather than those that produce a small amount for the space they take up - pumpkins, corn. etc. Making a map of your garden space helps put your available resources to their best use. Research what crops grow best in your unique climate.



If you haven't had much experience in gardening, you can find oodles of information online at state extension services, gardening blogs, and the seed companies. Look for information that is specific for your climate and location. Most communities have local gardening classes available at libraries, colleges, and gardening clubs.

What you waiting for? Get some seeds, some fertilizer and get to work! We can show the Heavenly Father that we love him and trust him by being obedient and doing as his prophets have asked us to do. Each of us will receive blessings if we plan and prepare for our gardens, and do our best to maintain them in an orderly manner.

Involve the whole family in the project and plan to have a successful gardening season.

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the Garden & Gratitude

Earlier this week while working in my little 15' x 15' garden I was blessed to harvest about 20 lbs of produce. Beautiful red ripe tomatoes, fresh green beans, sweet plump raspberries, grapes and abundant green zucchini and crookneck squash. Not an unusual day in the garden actually . . . but I never fail to be taught one of life's greatest lessons while 'getting my hands dirty' so to speak. I'm sure that's what the prophet had in mind when he encouraged each of us to plant a garden (someday I'll get around to writing a book about all the lessons I've learned from MY garden).

As my day began earlier that morning I thought for sure I was learning a lesson in patience and frustration as I found myself more and more behind on many deadlines and projects. Then as always seems to happen to us at the most inopportune times--my computer and printer began to malfunction. Frustrated, I stomped out to the garden just hoping for a handful of raspberries to go on top of my cereal, but instead found that in the last few days it had become overflowing with beautiful fruits ready for harvest. As I worked for the next couple hours searching amongst the vines for the hidden green beans, and picking through the prickly raspberries for all the treasures, I had much cause to reflect with gratitude for our Heavenly Father's greatest and abundant blessings.

My garden was free of bugs this year, and unusual occurrence, it continues to produce much food that will delight my family far into the Fall and Winter, and two hours of reaching and stretching has got to be good for you--right?! As I reflected on my blessings I was humbled, my frustration alleviated and replaced with a grateful heart, another blessing from a loving Heavenly Father. What a blessed people we are, even in times such as these, we can pause to reflect and have an attitude of gratitude. President Monson reminds us "This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunitiese are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such a s teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice and friends who help. We can lift ourselves and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thoughts and cultivate within our hearts and attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

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