Planting Seeds!
by Debbie
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May always seems to take me by surprise! Here at the farm, we are surrounded by the most glorious green! We suddenly discover the polytunnels are full, and there are plants growing in every available inch of space. We are nearly ready for Plant Sales Day, although it has been quite difficult to judge the watering requirements this year. At one point we had to water everything more than 3 times a day (this being while Clare and Jake were away on honeymoon) and then the weather became cold and wet and I worried about plants damping off. Some are just beginning to flower while others are being a little tardy! It would be lovely if they were all perfect on 'The Day.'
The raised beds are already full of lettuces and salad greens, which supply the Granary and Refectory (and the guinea pigs if they start to bolt or get too big). There is a fantastic assortment of over 12 different types of leaves, which look very pretty arranged on a salad plate. We have had a great deal of help from John, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteer. A larger variety of tomato plants than ever before, are lined up ready for the move to the right hand tunnel, after all the bedding plants are sold. This year we will also have an excellent supply of herbs for sale.
As all of you who are gardeners will realise, the only way to produce really good and healthy plants that will reach their full potential, is to ensure that plants are cared for properly, and not neglected.
When a plant loses condition, or is stressed because of lack of water, it immediately becomes vulnerable to attack from pests such as white fly. The plant will then never do really well unless it has a huge amount of 'TLC' to enable it to recover.
It occurred to me, that caring for those who come under the ministry of Caring For Life is so very like caring for these plants. So many of them have been neglected and uncared for in childhood, and indeed some have been neglected and abused right up to coming to us. Some of these people have been vulnerable to all sorts of attacks, some have just never progressed as they may have done, and now our call, just like a good gardener, is to nurture them and cover them with oceans of TLC in a sheltered environment.
Our great joy is this, when we do provide such care and love, it seems to be that these vulnerable people come to life and blossom in ways beyond our hopes. Such is the wonder of the One who created and tends all things.
