Thumbs up to this House Beautiful garden that I recently visited.
The resident owner/gardener must surely have a green thumb to keep the summer magic flowing and growing. For non-stop color, self-cleaning hybrid petunias had been planted in full sun containers, several of which had stunning Alberta Spruces in the center as a tall focal point.
What impressed me were the perfectly full mounds of color….no leggy plants or bare places in these pots! Deck trellis’s sported lovely Alice Dupont Mandevillas with captivating pink flowers that could be seen from a distance as one drove towards the residence. In a shadier deck location was a beautiful repeat blooming hydrangea that didn’t look like it had ever stopped blooming and not a brown spot to be found on any leaf. For a functional finishing touch, there was a pot of assorted herbs just off the kitchen that was as lovely as it was edible. In-ground beds were planted with blooming shrubs such as pink knock-out roses, oleanders and trumpet vines. The list of beauty goes on and on. But this lush color and foliage doesn’t just happen by itself. For those of us who dream of a low or no maintenance approach to gardening with the same results, we better dream on. It takes meticulous care, planned routine fertilization and carefully monitored watering techniques to produce this kind of plant growth. This approach to green thumb gardening is a model we should all aspire to.
Some photos:
click to enlarge
thedailylily.com 
How delicious to visit a garden where such planning, care and love has produced the beauty of heaven. Surely God has been seen more often than not in a garden of renown such as the one you speak of Debi. Healing can take place when one takes the time to enjoy the beauty and exactness it takes to grow and maintain a garden of this quality.
I enjoyed visited this garden. I found when I left I had a yearning in my soul to return and feast on the nature of God more and more from this garden pavilion. When I glanced away from the garden beauty, behold, I beheld the ocean waters and felt the salt air touch my aching heart and soothe my mind to create and yearn for the Creator.
As my husband and I are working on our goal to pray more effectively both individually and together I would love to take this opportunity to pray a prayer for this gardener and all that visit within and those that walk, bicycle or drive by.
May each one behold the beauty and exactness of this garden with an eye toward the maker of Heaven and Earth. With a heart open toward the creator that knocks on each garden gate. May each ones’ hands be ready to serve, give while the feet are dressed with peace from within. May the gardener owner and the helpers receive both earthly and heavenly reward for the works of their hands, hearts and generous spirit that made it possible for the 100’s to share in heaven’s beauty and delight.
Dear God, may my prayers be heard and honored from the Master of gardeners as you look down upon all with grace, mercy, love and peace to touch us all that love your gardens. In Your Holy Name, I pray, Sara
Debi, love your writings, pics and creative flow to describe a garden that creates peace in the heart and mind while reading. Great writing.
I,too, was privileged to visit this lovely display of elegance. That day was bittersweet in that I was in some bodily pain and endeavoring to overcome in that area and still enjoy the beauty that I glimpsed as we rounded the bend to this stately realm. But as others were scurrying about inspecting the glories there, I sat on a garden bench at the edge of a luscious, expansive, velvet, emerald green carpet which others may call by the mundane label, “grass’. I couldn’t believe its even depth of rich, deep color. I wasn’t even sure it WAS grass. So I had to take off my shoes and walk gently into the emerald sea. It was like on air. “No sand spurs either”, the the seasoned gardener later explained. I had never seen “grass” this gorgeous, before.
I have read about people who have visited Heaven and they say that the flowers are so brightly colored and other wonderful things. But the thing that impressed me most, as I stood in that grass was one description that said that the ‘each blade of grass in Heaven is as if it were alive!”. I think that’s it!! This was like “living lush grass.”
i believe my healing a great boost to my healing began there as I gazed and stood in that glory. I thank and may God bless the gardener and bless his work from hands of love, labor and giving.
MG, you sound as though you have recently been healed. What were you healed from? Would be nice to hear your healing testimony. Maybe you could write a blog or give your full story here so others may know how you were healed and what you were healed from?
Gary, my husband, heard this gardener say after a hot day and a little wielded tomato plant; “no one should treat a plant like this.” The gardener watered right away, removed a juicy ripe tomato and in the morning the plant was bright as the day.
Gary and I paused to reflect how many of us plant and leave it to dry out and drop its fruitful head and not return to give its seasonal fruit. A good gardener would not do that of course because they have learned from the Master Gardener, Himself. His name is Jesus the Christ. He always works diligently around the clock to feed, water, care and love each of us so we can produce and yield our fruit.
How happy we should be to know and understand that we are in a garden with this type of care.
What a caring gardener. The gardener’s attitude shows such a respect and appreciation and gratitude that surely must flow over and into other affairs and people in life’s pathway. Such a good example of how a person’s actions speak about the person.
I believe that I wrote above that it was a BOOST to the healing that I am seeking. I cherish every prayer and every experience that does and will contribute to this healing. No, I am not altogether healed yet, not manifested yet, anyway. I am praying and there are friends praying that this Sjogrens/Reynauds syndrome that I am experiencing will be healed.
Yes, we continue to pray for you daily, MG. I know you are looking forward to the time you will be fully and totally healed and without pain.
I took a tour of some landscape designs in the Reston area this past week and found much of the same materials spoken of here used in gardens around homes, malls and restaurants. It was a thrill to walk, view and enjoy in the daylight and then in the dim of the night the garden spots with spot lights shining so adequately focused to illuminate the plantings and my mind. It sends creative juices out to spark my creative flow.
Also, Rena left me a big bowl of beautiful ripe tomatoes to feast upon. I am guessing they were from her garden. And, I am guessing they were from Debi’s plants from her spring sale. Regardless, the tomatoes were lovely. Thanks, Rena!
Beautiful flowers, in the above picture!
Yes the tomatoes were from the beautiful plants Debi sold at her Spring sale. Each plant was so heavily laden with tomatoes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many tomatoes on one plant and I’ve seen a lot of tomato plants. When I took a trip hardly any were ready, but when I returned lots were ready to eat. Also my petunias lining my walkway grew so much they have amost covered the slate walkway. Yesterday I saw real tiny hummingbirds sipping of the sweet nectar. Just precious to view!
Beautiful gardens with lovely flowers and fruits bring to my mind the faithfulness of our Lord. Think on this: “…His favor lasts a lifetime…” (Psalm 30:5, NIV) Regardless of what we feel there is always a seedling waiting to bud and a bud waiting to bloom and a bloom waiting to blossom.
We understand how seedlings are just waiting to burst thru the soil and reach light as fast as they can. Birds drop seedlings in places we may not know of and up they come to greet the light. When we hold fast to our faith knowing His favor is for our lifetime and seedlings are all around us just waiting to see the light. Divine connections are being made, new positions, promotions and whatever need or desire we may have is just in sight.” Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning…the darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.”
Thank you for the scripture to think on…that’s a lot of favor…and for such encouraging words and quote to strengthen our faith.
Yes, Debi, God’s favor forever and the same verse says, His angry only for a moment. “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations…” 2 Samuel 22:50
We have a life time to give Him praise! All nature is there to remind us to whom we praise!
What a wonderful connection to make…praise to God as we enjoy to look at (which I certainly do) and participate in the nature He created. It is much to give thanks about as you quoted above form 2 Samuel…and believe you meant to write 22:50. That also is an inspiring chapter to read.
Thanks Debi, I corrected.