"Pray as if it all depends upon God, for it does.
But work as though it all depends upon us, for it does.
~St. Ingactious of Loyala
Is the wisdom of the Spanish Knight and Patron Saint of Warriors ever truer than in the garden?
Monarch butterflies are almost omni-present in my hillside garden. But yesterday was like every day in the garden. Different in detail.
Yesterday, the first Swallowtail butterfly appeared dancing from flowerette to flowerette of blue- blooming agapanthus. Through the floppy trusses of the beguiling clusters of pink and white 'ballerina' rose, the agapanthus balls are a fairlyland floral display shooting into the sky, tethered to earth by just long green stems.
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| 'Julia Child' buds break open the color of egg yolks beaten with sugar and butter. 'Cinco de Mayo' lipstick summer shade. |
The perfection of my garden is not in perfect order, it is in perfect love.
There are moments when I know all is as it should be. When I know why I spend time on bended knee, simultaneously in contemplation and work. This garden is the ultimate collaboration. Between the Gardener and God.
Swallowtail image courtesy of Gene Sasse
Very pretty! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJeanni
Jeannie- You are most welcome.
ReplyDeleteLydia,
ReplyDeleteyour garden is lovely, we don't see butterflys much here anymore, kind of sad. I see you live in DB CA, I'm from Yorba Linda, my family still lives there. Sometimes it seems like a small world! Thanks for visiting!
BEAUTIFUL---Beyond Words! The pictures of our garden are always "healing", Lydia....!
ReplyDeleteDear Town and Country- LOVE Yorba Linda. We didn't used to have so many butterflies. We planted as though they were already here,allow bit of shallow water and use a minimum of chemicals. Then the main muscle exercised was patience.
ReplyDeleteDear Naomi- Your visits are encouraging beyond words):-
'The perfection of my garden is not in perfect order, it is in perfect love' - How true! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteTatyana- Thank you for the thumbs us on the thought.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said, Lydia! I love working in my garden and admiring the miracles that God has so graciously permitted me to be a part of.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting the cottage. I would love to have you join my link party each week. You can even link a post about your lovely garden. ;)
Blessings,
Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/
Dear Liz- Thank you for dropping by. I am new to this linky-party thing- will check yours out. LOVE your site- L
ReplyDeleteYour garden is gorgeous! What a picture perfect view! I was not born with the green thumb, but I'm working at it. Thanks for visiting today.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Patti
Hey. Patty! Thank you for stopping by. Don't worry about not having a green thumb. Many plants died and went to compost-heaven to build the soil to where the newer entrants had decent soil in which to set their roots.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous garden! The summer blooms are so beautiful. :) I home you have a wonderful week! :)
ReplyDelete~Liz
LOVELY! Nice to see Ballerina so PM-free! Do share which roses have been disease-free for you. Your garden is an oasis for butterflies and people.
ReplyDeleteHi new Liz! It was so nice to see foses do so well in Arizona. I have done some work for Western Art and Architecture- GORGEOUS homes- however, I missed the roses in the particular settings.
ReplyDeleteDear Nikki- Great suggestion.
Lydia, I was struck by the beauty of your butterfly photo, then moved on to enjoy the others. What a lovely garden you have at your home.
ReplyDelete"it is in perfect love" I like that.
ReplyDelete