The Golden Gnomes

Before the funeral Les helped pick out some flowers for the church garden memorial bed. We now have a hot pink pelargonium and purple petunias next to the Jesus rock that says 'Well done good and faithful servant' to all that have passed on at st Giles. The triangle garden is also doing well, filling out with hollyhocks, statice, alyssum, lillies, daisies and more petunias. We also have a pop up library (it's the church's old fridge, painted with a new lease of life)  next to the bustop near the roadside beds which librarian Nova is filling with children's books and I'm keeping topped up with garden books, and hopefully more Bibles. People have been taking the Bibles so I always need to check so we can add more. I did a tidy of the church garden on Saturday morning, missing our elder Graeme as I was  deadheading the passion dianthus and guara he planted. Church flowers for Sunday were pink gladioli, pale pink scented geranium and hot pink pelargonium.  Pink daisies and lavender. Plus two vases of original purple and pink bicolour sweet peas. It was good to see Jennifer at church on Sunday and she appreciated all the flowers. Maybe God knew to take Graeme just before Labour Weekend so that we will always remember him at this time of year when all the flowers are in bloom. 

I am terrible at remembering to take photos of my floral arrangements but I guess I'm too busy gardening to consider adding photography to my repertoire. I prefer to use words though.  This coming weekend I'm attending a Permaculture Party, for the 10th anniversary of APW. I can't believe its just been a year since I got my PDC - Permaculture Design Certificate, and I still haven't done much about it. Perhaps next year I will move into a more creative permaculture position, if I'm not lumped with weeding for another year with my work. Because nobody else seems to have the time or patience to actually do it.  Oh the drama and tyranny of perfectionism in an industry where perfection is not always possible. This is what you get from people who don't know how to garden being in charge of gardeners. And control freaks, I can tell you some hair raising stories about these. 

There's this one gardener, who shall remain nameless to protect their guilt, who rushes everyone and  complains loudly nobody is helping them, but then doesn't ask politely if um, maybe someone could be so kind as to lend a hand? Then said grumpy gardener huffs "I can't keep doing this all by myself' yet continues to break their back getting it all done while putting everyone else down because they are in a such a hurry instead of taking their time.  What is the old adage, marry at haste, repent at leisure? This can apply to  certain gardeners too, who try to 'get a jump on spring' and expect their seedlings to grow when they just aren't ready? It's not warm enough yet, for Christ's sake, WAIT! You can't hurry love. Nothing is to be gained by planting seeds too early, nobody can effectively make things grow - there is a time and season for everything. Ecclesiastes tells us 'He has made everything beautiful in it's time'  and I do believe that when you do a rush job, it shows...so be thoughtful and care about everything you do, because nobody wins prizes for being first except Mr/Ms Bossy Boots stomping around in the mud throwing a hissy fit when things don't go their way.  Best Drama Queen/King in a gardening role. And the Golden Gnome goes to....