Snow Is Vastly Over-rated

 The weather feels like MINUS 18.

Here I am, in the upper part of Minnesota, though not as harsh as people image. I chuckled in Phoenix when I saw students wearing their winter team jackets at the first notion of a cool daylight. Of course, the setting sun there could really cause shivers for that first zephyr. (I enjoy using that word and letting people explain a zephyr.)

I still find Creation Gardening a stumbling block for others. Those who swat at insects - especially bees - remain a terrible threat and lasting terror. When I showed how easily bees could be brushed aside by hand, the fears only increased. 

Watching and observing is always beneficial, even in the worst of seasons. The 2025 garden had a number of disasters, but they rose up from the soil with English roses and the variations of the Peace Rose (a big hit for many styles).

I do not regret the loss of roses and other plants, even when they are orphaned for a short time. There are Creation lessons all around, from place to place, and always new adventures.

Snow did the best for me when I made a cage of chicken wire around trees and filled the fence with dry leaves, in time for winter. The cost was almost nothing and all the roses grew perfectly. 

Notice the Tom Fisher lamb nibbling at the bottom.

War Birds and Greedy Squirrels

 

Charlie Sue and I came out from the endless rain to have a sunny day for once. I expected politeness and gratitude, but the birds and squirrels went crazy filling up for tomorrow, when we could have another long rain for the day.

The squirrels were more like drunken brawlers in a Hollywood scene, being tossed through large glass windows. Some walked along the ledge to discover a way inside.

The majestic blue jays were the best, coming to the food and taking it back to the nest across the street. I noticed how one did a fake flutter of her wings to get rid of a greedy starling.

Charlie Sue loves to watch the variety of birds. 

Rain Slowing Down - Resilient Birds and Squirrels

A time management consultant would definitely agree. The kitchen window was more likely to scatter the birds feeding than to feed them with caution. The parsonage came with an open porch, unlike the others on the cul-de-sac, so the mandated rose garden easily draws a variety of creatures.

A seldom used easy chair was perfect for Charlie Sue observing nature on the inside, the feeding birds and greedy squirrels. If we step out the front door for a walk to the PARK! - she gets ready for all the outside amenities. PARK! is a magical word for Charlie, making her spin around and look for targets on the short walk to her grassy paradise.

Our visitors, viewed from the inside, are are obvious to Charlie and me, so we get to watch their antics as they try out various options for food. Squirrels exercise their Fifth Amendment rights and take what they can.

Architectural Breakthrough - No New Cost - Birds and Roses

 

Fragrant Cloud - Fragrance that fills up a room with a single rose.

I have been working on a mansion built just for the delight of animals, roses, and special plants. I was way underbudget, more than a million dollars, when I looked at the coffee table in front of the picture window in the living room.

Dottie's crew did a lot of mowing and she also pulled the drapes aside to let the sunshine really come in. That made Jimmy startle when he came in with bright sunlight for the living room and kitchen, so he identified a place where the convertible couch/bed could go to give another family.

I wanted a quiet place where the birds and other animals would use a variety of plants and other features. Eureka, I found it! I slid the coffee table away and moved the convertible bed, hardly ever used.

I parked the recliner chair near the picture window. The birds were very happy with some bird food I had scattered outside. The birds were almost completely oblivious to my presence. I even watched a rabbit calmly leave the garden and come back later, self-assured, maybe courting.

I am 20/20 without my glasses, and that is genuine relief for my eyes. It is quiet at the window and serene. I set up some bird viewing from the kitchen window, but the clatter and water noise sets them off.

Roses And More Roses for Mother's Day

Knock Out roses are pink, red, and white.

On this Mother's Day Sunday, overdo your thanks to your mothers, grandmothers, and wives. 

 Ketchup and Mustard rose

+++

Last summer was so dry that I did not expect much this year. However, the lack of Creation boosters (rain, more bacteria, thriving earthworms) did not seem to predict 2025 results. We have plenty of rain now.

Four Knock Out bushes have a total of 120 blooms. Besides that, the David Austin roses, mostly new this season, are filled with large blooms and buds, fragrance, color, and strength. People gasp inhaling the wonderful new roses and seeing their size. A neighbor says, "They do not look real!"

One visitor, dropping off her dog at Doggy DayCare, said, "Look at those roses!"

 "Me? No, I could not have dug up a David Austin rose. Ask around."

Charlie Sue dug up a new potted David Austin Elizabeth rose, a day after it was planted. I scowled and pointed my finger at her vigorous digging results. I sat on the soil to adjust the damage and fill in the gaps. Some buds were withering but everything came back from buckets and buckets of rainwater. (I am kidded about rain-barrels until they are used with tremendous results.)

Sunday morning is when seven of the cul de sac families will get roses in party cups. I carried some already as a bonus. When Christina and I traveled to various doctors, we always brought along fresh-cut roses. In one case the patients wanted Creation Gardening and I had them in the car to give away.

People have stopped at our little cul de sac to ask about the roses taking over the front yard. That leads into Creation Gardening and Christina's order to remove the grass in the front and fill in with roses.

Here are some Creation Gardening guides for glorious flowers. (Read Sermon on the Mount):

1. Store rainwater (but not mosquitoes) and use it especially for stressed flowers but also for any sign wilting.
2. Use earthworm products to make the little critters spread the organic material bought or carried where needed. Most people will not buy earthworms for this, but I think it is worthwhile, beneficial, and fun.
3. Compost in place. I have spread an enormous amount of wood chips, cardboard, newspaper (now gone, sniff), and autumn leaves to improve the soil.
4. Prune the deadwood from the roses. John 15 is very clear about this, doubtless because Jesus is the Lord of Creation. I spent some time with a Mormon and gave him Creation Gardening. He wanted to read it.

Charlie Sue and the PARK! Command

Bug Spray or Creation Gardening?

 

Graphics from Norma Boeckler

Charlie Sue and I were coming back from the PARK! when a very tall guy came along and asked about where we lived (almost home, three houses away). He was dealing with pesticides so I talked about how I use insects to get rid of insect pests.

I explained a little about Creation Gardening and he became very curious. 

"Where is this from?"

I pointed at the sky - "God manages it."

He was very pleasant and glad to see a copy of Creation Gardening, which he took. "You have a PhD!" and soon - "You are a pastor!"

He tried for the "ask" a few times and told me he is a Mormon. He took the book along, and also noticed three photos in the garden - Christina, Bethany, and Erin Joy.

I expect a lot of people to stop and ask. We already have a trio of the best fragrant roses and other producers as well. It is a lot of fun to let people ask about Creation and to find out how easy it is, even with a little digging and mulching.

Bee balm attracts friendly bees.

The salesman is from Phoenix?!

Crepe myrtle once showed off the Lincoln Town Car.
Now roses glorify Creation.

Take It Easy - Promise Fulfilled

 

Take It Easy - And Bring a Bandage

Take It Easy is a very small rose bloom with a white center. Anyone near this rose is bound to ask for a bandage. The thorns are very long, prolific, and sharp, with no safe areas to use on the stem. I warned more than one visitor to stay away from it, the prediction soon fulfilled. Finally I promised to cut it down for 2025. Did I mention how sturdy and robust it is? That was another bonus that only worked to maintain a long life for itself.

Easy Does It Rose

Easy Does It is the cousin of Take It Easy, proud members of the Easy clan. Pictured above is the Easy Does It bush, which burst into bloom in time for a wedding, having about 40 long-stemmed blooms at once. Discerning readers will notice the shadow of the photographer snapping the shot.

I think there is another Easy rose out there. Many brands have their fan clubs, and gardeners like to try out something new. I began our rose garden with 8 bare root roses for $64, shipping included, from QVC. I dug the holes first, and Sassy Sue checked out each one. Christina said, "I want to smell the roses as I open the front door," and that was fulfilled.

There is no lack of flowers on our little street. One neighbor really loves hyacinths, so I promised to increase the selection for 2026. Others get samples as various flowers show off what God has created.

Charlie Sue Also Supervises Creation Gardening

 

I saved cardboard box halves because they could be a way of suppressing weeds and encouraging earthworms - for bare root roses. Charlie Sue watched me open one side of the tray for the base and weigh the cardboard down with wood mulch. 

That seemed ideal, until I came back and found Charlie abusing the gardening trick. I asked her, "Did you do that?" She began slinking around. Nobody fakes contrition better than she does.

The next day I found the first rosebush almost torn out of the ground. I just pointed my finger at the rose. Charlie seemed to be truly sorry, because wood mulch is so aromatic and fun to move around.

The coming week seems to be paradise for roses new and old. Enchanted Peace - from last year - is already six feet tall and budding. Rain is predicted most of the week, making up for truly dry clay soil. The rain-barrel cheering squad will ask me how the barrels and buckets are doing.

I emptied the containers, just in time to refill. The honeysuckle was very slow in climbing, so I used the official rain-barrel to get it growing. "You paid for a weed?" Yes, I never got it going in the back, so we put up cow squares to give them a better chance with sun, a rain-barrel, and doting care. They will spread like the wild strawberries, thanks to the birds eating and spreading their seed.

In the Midst of Storms - Hyacinths Treasured by Neighbor

 

The daffodils are in full bloom in the rose garden, the backyard, and anywhere they were planted. My neighbor was not looking for what she already had - daffodils in the front yard. Instead, she walked across the street to find the aroma of another plant. She said, "It was there. Perfume." What she wanted was not appearing, and I was not sure of the invisible plant she remembered.

I kept looking and saw them in a couple of days. Hyacinths! They bloom best the first year, but they maintain a powerful perfume the following years. I put all of them in a plastic cup and left them on my neighbor's porch. The perfume cannot be missed.

Hyacinths are tiny and expensive for bulbs, but they have that one trait. I remain perplexed that so few people spend time, money, and effort with flowers. I have heard this various years: 

1. You have enough roses. 
2. You have enough daffodils. 
3. You have enough Joe Pye Weed.

Long ago, Christina said, "Get rid of the front lawn. Grass is boring. Plant roses." Sassy Sue inspected the first eight holes readied for eight roses. They came from QVC, almost free. Since then people have driven over to spot the wonders, not at all organized but filled with many different plants and weeds.

Daffodils Are Blooming - March 3, 2025

 

Ah, yes. You almost wanted to plant daffodils last fall. The ground was either dry and hard to manage or soggy and discouraging. Oh - and the bulb packages were so expensive. 

Some bargain bags might arrive very late, the chilling winds less than welcoming. As one helper said, "You have enough daffodils." That has become a garden joke mantra, along with "You have enough roses." I am third generation in growing flowers, so I will face the wind and pollens steadfastly.

Impulsively, I planted enough Joe Pye Weed to welcome every butterfly and bee in Northwest Arkansas. I coddled Clethra until I began to realize their aggressiveness once planted, coddled, earthwormed, and manured. 

An anti-gardener said, "You paid money for a weed? Honeysuckle? I had to tear it out!" I set aside a sunny patch next to the garage. I obtained cow squares to support the vines. I was given a rain barrel to water the honeysuckle and the roses. The fragile looking vine now looks like it is going to cover the county in time.

Clethra aroma? Cinnabon!

Heavy Snow for Us - Thoughts on the Sower and the Seed

 

Clethra or Sweet Spice or Summer Sweet - is a bush for bees, butterflies, and hummers. I call it Cinnabon. Neighbors catch the breeze and light up.

I wonder why the vast majority of clergy, professors, and denomination drones overlook the most obvious in the speeches of Jesus. The words are simple yet profound and give us remarkable examples from God Himself, Father Son and Holy Spirit.

The snow is coming down hard now but more like down. A visitor wondered about the daffodils popping up with their greens. They should be extra good, especially with a blanket of thick but light snow.

Warmth And Gifts from My Hispanic Grandmother

 

 The gardener cut around 40 roses for the wedding years ago.

Charlie Sue and I try to take a romp daily around the former cow pasture at the end of the cul-de-sac. The grass is low and the soil  saturated with rain, giving it a waterbed feel. I do not romp but love the broad circles of attack that come toward and away from me.

We trudge our way home down the street - no traffic - and check out various stops from our local cats, dogs, and squirrels. 

I was almost at our mailbox when I saw our Hispanic Grandmother coming toward me. But why? She caught up with me and pulled out a beautiful new hood jacket from her bag. She said "Merry Christmas" and talked about roses a bit. Then I got a hug as well.

The previous Mother's Day meant almost everyone got roses very early in the morning. I came toward her front door, and her daughter grew alarmed, sitting at the breakfast table, looking out at me. I set down the roses and headed back. Grandma came out and called to me. She brought something and thanked me. We laughed. Not every block was attacked with roses.

The first time I shared them, she stopped the car later that day and said, "I look at you. YOU had the roses."  

Next month starts the serious rose plans. One person said, "You don't NEED another rose bush." On our Jackson family trip to Florida, around 1957, Grampa Jackson showed us his hybrid roses. My mother was the best flower preserver of flowers, hiding her secret from her fellow teachers. She did the same with rose growers in St. Louis. 

There are never too many roses. Our Laotian neighbor across the street is always delighted to have fresh roses. My new neighbor, next door, has three daughters. When the oldest got her first bouquet, she held back the tears...almost.

Gardening, Blossoms, and Fragrant Surprises

 

Ruby spice

I was gathering roses for yesterday's service when I was stopped by a powerful, intense, and unexpected fragrance. I was used to various delights during the summer, but this was...could it be? Yes, my biggest Clethra, now a giant shrub, was sending out the sweetest, most cinnamon aroma. The tiny flowers were gone, but the butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees had enjoyed their stay. No wonder they are called 

• Summersweet, 
• Sweet pepperbush,
• Coastal sweet pepperbush, and
• Sweet spice.

Three Enchanted Peace roses had a terrible time with Japanese beetles and then drought, but they began blooming in earnest in the last week. They are prolific, already at 7 feet, fragrant, and always displaying a variety of colors.

Veterans Honor continues to be the star of all red roses.
Two more opened up today.

My neighbor says, "They are so delicate and beautiful, they don't look real." The David Austin English roses had a tough summer and I was expecting very few more. I glanced out the back door and saw 10 roses, two different colors, and fragrant beyond belief. I cut them for the vase and passed them to the neighbor. Their three daughters love the roses. The oldest had to hold back her tears when she got her first vase of roses a few months ago.