
A beautiful song we sang at church on Sunday, which plays in my mind, heart, and voice today …
Deep Within by David Haas
Deep within, I will plant my law, not on stone, but in your heart.
Follow me; I will bring you back. You will be my own, and I will be your God.
I will give you a new heart, a new spirit within you, for I will be your strength.
Deep within, I will plant my law, not on stone, but in your heart.
Follow me; I will bring you back. You will be my own, and I will be your God.
See my face, and see your God, for I will be your hope.
Deep within, I will plant my law, not on stone, but in your heart.
Follow me; I will bring you back. You will be my own, and I will be your God.
Return to me, with all your heart, and I will bring you back.
Deep within, I will plant my law, not on stone, but in your heart.
Follow me; I will bring you back. You will be my own, and I will be your God.
Category Archives: growth
Sprouts Forthcoming
Fresh sprouts forthcoming ~
gardener learns life lessons
patience, faith, hope, love.
I was inspired yesterday morning to jot down these words, another word garden. Haiku poems flow for me as I experience nature, life, and love. A few days ago I planted more seeds, gourd seeds. Seems late once again, but I am a part-time farmer with a full-time heart. Once these seedlings grow their second set of leaves we will plant into the ground along side the teepee poles Dean and I bent from repurposed steel poles. This summer and autumn we hope some children come visit our greenhouse at Boone Hollow Farm, and play under the gourd vine teepees. With patience, faith, hope, and love some crafty garden art will be created from the long-neck, birdhouse, and bowl gourds, the fruit of these vines. Next week more seeds to sprout for microgreens to create yummy crunchy summer veggie wraps in the not too far future, another type of garden art.

Prune, Prepare, and Produce
Our fiddle leaf fig trees have been a matter of many global WordPress searches ever since I wrote about them last summer. I have an update. We repotted them in artsy ceramic pots before moving them to indoor winter shelter. Such a chore with the 14-foot one! Our 14-foot and 7-foot trees were moved to Dean’s parents’ weekend condo just about 1 mile from our home. We have cared for and watered them regularly, though they are going through a winter shedding of older brown leaves. New leaf growth started to bud out around the lower section earlier this winter, and more buds appearing in the middle section of the 14-foot trunk this past couple of weeks. Due to the lanky appearance and thinning foliage at the top, we decided to prune both of the trees. We took 2 feet off the 7-foot tree, and the 14-foot tree has been prune to be about 8-1/2 foot tall now. We hope this will aid the lower and middle buds to produce many shiny green leaves. Pruning is an act of kindness really, preparing the plant, forcing all its energy to the fresh green growth. At first it felt like we were killing the plants, but not the case at all. Holy scriptures tell us “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful… (John 15:1 & 2 New International Bible) We used organic fertilizer and watered the trees after the pruning. We expect big things from our fiddle leaf fig trees. Maybe a profitable sale of these showy trees this summer?! We are licensed to sell only in the state of Missouri. If interested, please contact me through this blog.
Sharing Life
Sharing life with those who surround me has helped me grow. Like the 12-foot fig tree we pulled from the greenhouse in May. It needed to be pulled out of the ground, taproot and all in order to move to our yard while the greenhouse is being rebuilt. Apparently, it loves the companionship of our biggest,oldest maple tree as it has shot more fresh leaves in these 4 months than it had in past 4 years. This maple tree has been struck by lightening and storm winds over the years. It is bare in some places, missing branches and foliage. Kind of “bald”, and showing its age. But it provided shelter to another plant this record high-temp summer. Sharing life. So back to me. I suppose there are days I ask “why do I care?” when a reward is not in sight such as a pay raise or guaranteed friendship. Yet, I share my lfe, talents, and hard work for the betterment of my fellow man and woman. As incomplete as I am, through Jesus I am complete. The grace of God. I want to see others grow, flourish, and bloom. I want to encourage my employees to take care of themselves, and I find joy providing the tools to do so. I want my children to love unconditionally; each other, their significant others, children, and those they are surrounded with. I want my husband to know without a doubt he is loved just the way he is. I want my grandfather, parents, and siblings to know I love them, and still need them in my life no matter how old I am. Sharing life, no matter what your circumstances, condition, or age you are in, is worth it. Watch how others grow … and yourself.
Our Tropical Jungle
I wanted to share some photos my daughter took of our tropical jungle. Our front and back yards have been lovely, especially since the extreme heat has subsided. The plants are lush green flourishing in the humidty. We had a rainy Labor Day weekend bringing much needed rain to our area. God’s provisions in the midst of the longest drought in years … 
Above: Simply cuttings from our moses-in-the-cradle, swedish ivy, and sweet alyssum planted in a moss basket this spring … this planter loves our humid summer! Below: Patio plants are rearranged and changed up weekly, creating varied vignettes …
Above: A cart full of gernaniums sheltered under the shade of a huge maple tree. They need more sunlight to continue blooming. Philodrenrons, ferns, and peace lilies are scattered about the front yard landscaping. Below: A bird of paradise blooms in full color. Deanna Greens And Garden Art sold this beautiful plant at the Lake Saint Louis Farmers’ and Artist Market last Saturday during our Tropical Plant Sale. 
Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
This summer our fiddle leaf fig trees have shown much growth being outdoors under our shade trees with this Missouri humidity. Their leaves are bright green and shiny when they first leaf out. Our biggest one will not fit inside the greenhouse structure any longer. Its tap-root was pulled from the grounds of the greenhouse’s original site in May, and has grown another 3 feet since. It is the companion to one of our maple trees in the backyard. We will repot the “jolly green giant” and look for a buyer with a cathedral ceiling as it will not survive Missouri’s winter. I have grown to love our overabundance green foliage in the front and backyards. Wishing I lived at Hilton Head Island, SC or Savannah, GA where our plants would have a chance outdoors year round. But then again, I love Missouri’s autumn colors and spring’s growth and renewal from the frozen earth. Missouri has the four seasons, some shorter than others. This year, it has been a long summer. The day will come any time soon when I can say “I felt the air change today” in anticipation of autumn. More on that in another post … 


