Tending the Winter Garden

Lenten Roses remind us of Resurrection.

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Genesis 2:15

This is what we were made for, right?  To glorify God by tending the garden He places us in.  For us this means an actual physical garden, with real dirt and worms and weeds!  You might be taking dominion for Him in other areas, but we all live on His earth and do our part to beautify it, if we are His. Here at Waterbrook we are right in the middle of our busiest season- Winter!  We are experiencing an unseasonably warm winter here in South Carolina.  This is our busiest time because we are preparing so hard and fast for the Spring that will soon be upon us.  Planning, pruning, fertilizing, weeding, planting, harvesting, and clearing out the old to make way for the new- these are our daily activities.  There is something so timelessly beautiful about the winter garden.  I think it is the visual reminder of death and resurrection that we witness each time a daffodil peeks from beneath the earth, or an asparagus shoots like a star out of the darkness, reaching towards the sun.  Another wonderful thing about the winter garden is the relaxing pace- No tomatoes to can (quickly, before they go bad!) or corn to put up (before it's too late!).  Anytime you want you can meander out to the garden to pick some lettuce, or cut a kohlrabi, and there's no hurry.  If you don't get all the collards picked before May, they will just go to seed, and that's not such a bad thing! 

Purple of Sicily Broccoli/Cauliflower- A bouquet fit for a bride!

A delightful first time picking Brussels Sprouts for this 5 year old.

This little iris came in a surprise package
 from McClure & Zimmerman bulb company.

This particular soil test kit we ordered from Lee Valley.
January is a great time to test your soil and add your supplements.

Replanting beet seed.

The MOST wonderful time of the year-- Time to plant the roses.

   

After drooling over the David Austin catalog for weeks,
we finally settled on this year's purchase.

After planting new roses, pruning the old is our second favorite chore.
"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;
and every branch that bears fruit He prunes,
that it may bear more fruit."  John 15:2

We gathered with some dear friends at beautiful Moore Bottom Farm for a seed party.  It was an edifying and educational time of gathering information and building friendships as we garden together for Christ's glory.  Another plus is that we got to see the cute Moore Bottom piglets!    

The heated seed bed in the greenhouse.
We just love to see these apparently small and insignificant seeds come to life! 

Pepper seedlings

One of our favorite seed companies is South Carolina's own Heavenly Seed.  It's a great source for heirloom and open-pollinated seeds at a good price, plus the owners are Christians.

Tomatoes- you can never have too many!

Early squash

We can't stop marveling at God's creation.  Originally from South America, but more recently from a sweet and talented gardening friend, this tropical plant's blooms were reminiscent of "Bird of Paradise".

A form of tropical Billbergia

A close up of one of the little flowers inside the bigger flowers.
Can you believe the intricacy?

Flowering quince, a family heirloom our grandma brought from her
childhood home in Oklahoma.

Daphne, a sweet treat in the mid-winter garden.

A basket full of kale and purple cauliflower.  Yum!

Unless the weather drastically changes (which is entirely possible),
these are the only snowflakes we will see around here!