Today I was muttering about needing to water the roses again. The promised rains had not come. Sassy and I went on a morning walk, only to have two (2) raindrops fall. The dark clouds blew past - clouds without rain - like the false teachers.
Jude 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
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| Veterans Honor Rose is fragrant, long lasting in a base, and glowing with color. |
Suddenly a new set of clouds blew down from the north, unusual here, and began dumping rain, not quite the waterfall from a week ago, but plenty to make everyone happy again - with the sun coming out.
Mrs. Ichabod imitated me grumping about needing to water the roses again.
I asked, "Why don't you bring it up when I am right?"
She said, "This is more fun."
I delivered and planted the Veterans Honor rose yesterday, aware that my supply of stored rainwater was gone. I poured it on roses and favorite plants to make sure I had fresh water for the promised Saturday deluge.
Nothing is better after planting or moving a rose than to have plenty of rain. The gentle rain soaks the canes, builds up the plant's moisture while activating the soil creatures. Fixed nitrogen in rain greens up the plant while moving soil particles into place. The new situation means the root hairs need to grow and begin the transactions with soil fungi, giving up carbon needed by fungi for the nutrients and moisture needed by the rose. Fungi also protect plants against disease and make them more productive.
Now I have an abundance of stored, fresh rainwater to share with my neighbors, who are working on a system for their home. I contrasted the cost of an official rain-barrel with the cost of a large garbage can on sale at Walmart. One is $50 and the other is about $13.
The rain also soaked and weighed down the new cardboard, which is covering most of the two gardens close to the house, in the backyard. Our future expansion will include most of the Wild Garden not previously paved with cardboard and leaf mulch. My neighbors are so eager to get rid of their mown grass that I may use that to mulch as well, but leaves are more attractive and work well for a year.
Our newest rose grower admits that following the principles of Creation are best for growing plants, offering that "God knows how all this works together."
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| I poured extra rainwater on Falling in Love roses. The result was a stem with two roses and two buds on it, bested only by Easy Does It with five roses and two buds. The Word of God is also effective, each and every time. |
