Springtime is a busy time in our Mary Garden. Birds fly in to the fountain to drink, a stray cat wanders through occasionally ready to pounce on one of them. Insects, a solitary butterfly, flit through the spring flowers. But seeds are our main visitors these days, seeds in abundance, mostly from the Norway Maples, oaks and conifers, but there are others. Small seedlings we didn’t plant and don’t recognize are showing up all over our garden floor.
“We live in a world of seeds. From our morning coffee or bagel to the cotton clothes we wear and the cup of cocoa we might drink before bed, seeds surround us all the day long.” Thor Hanson writes in his delightful book, “Seeds” (New York, 2016)
Seeds are the way plants reproduce, and this is that time. Hanson describes a seed as “a baby in a box with its lunch.” They come in all shapes and sizes. Seeds from our Norway Maples have wings; the conifers send our their seeds in armored cars. They come in abundance. Some of these babies will be grow to be maples and conifers.
Here we are in spring, seed time, an abundant time. The seeds tell us that. Do we also learn from them about God, a Springtime God, a Seedtime God?
Seeds nourish, unite, endure, defend, travel, Hanson says in his book. They’re traveling now. Grasses, like wheat and rye and others, travel most. They’re built to travel far, every where.
Early Christian commentaries often speak of the Bread of the Eucharist made up of so many grains of wheat. They’re seeds gathered into Jesus Christ, and then scattered again to bring life wherever they go, everywhere. Our gardens and the earth at springtime are a book to learn from.
These days were rogation days in our previous church calendar. Today we shouldn’t forget to ask for God’s blessing by blessing our fields, our gardens, our backyards. There’s a beautiful blessing prayer in the church’s Book of Blessings, which begins by recalling scripture readings, like the parables of Jesus- the sower, the mustard seed, etc…
From despair in time of drought… Deliver us, O Lord.
From wastefulness in times of plenty…Deliver us, O Lord.
From neglect of those in need…Deliver us, O Lord.
From blindness to your presence in our world…Deliver us, O Lord.
From hunger and thirst…Deliver us, O Lord.
Lord of the harvest, you placed the gift of creation in our hands and called us to till the earth and make it fruitful, We ask your blessings as we place these seeds and plants in the earth, May the care we show them remind us of the tender care you give your people. Amen.
The Victor's Place 
Great post and pretty garden
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VictorSoooo happy I (we- Mary Ann and I) were there yesterday for a “private” tutorial.. Love you and thank you … Will soon add my “rock” from the Mexican/ US borderKaren
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Beautiful reflection. Happy Memorial Day Fr Victor.
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Pretty garden setting! Some seeds are unwanted; they are called weeds. Many a gardener’s backaches have come from pulling weeds. That will be a job for the “younger” monks! I am using a book of meditations called, “Opening to God” by Carolyn Stahl which has a photo of dandelions on the cover. The dandelion might help us look into how and where we plant seeds. This familiar plant pops up in many places, free to explore widely, taking no notice of the judgements of others. Some call it “weed” others use it as herbal remedy. The puffs with seeds can travel as far as 60 miles. Does the dandelion challenge me to let my seeds blow far and wide?
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Stars on Our Kitchen Table
I picked them all last night,
little white Stars of Bethlehem,
Mary flowers for Mary Gardens,
as a garden book described them.
They’re tenacious, persistent,
survivors, wildflowers or weeds,
depending on what type of
gardener a person is.
Two weeks ago I pulled their leaves
and some bulbs out of the ground,
but they came up again
and blossomed anyway.
I put them in a small glass bud vase.
They closed their petals for the night,
but now those white stars
are shining brightly
on our sunny morning kitchen table.
Gloria Ziemienski
May 14, 2008
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Lion’s Teeth
Ubiquitous
Tenacious
Undaunted
Persevering
Gardener’s anguish
Children’s delight
Summer’s herald
Tasty brew
Salad greens
Love me or hate me,
you can’t overcome me
I am “dent de lion”- lion’s teeth,
the bright yellow Dandelion
Gloria Ziemienski
January 16, 2008
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Beautiful reflection, Fr. Victor!
Howie and I remember the gift of your presence at St. Mary’s with our dear Pastor, Fr. Bausch.
What wonderful memories…so special to see, hear and read your reflections on Victor’s Place.
Be blessed, Fr. Victor!
Peg
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Good to hear from our cousins in PA.
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Always notice the unnoticed. Thanks, Gloria
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Those seed travel 60 miles. I just took a picture of rows of them ready to go.
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Andrea O. Florendo
June 10, 2020
You never look at the world until you come to a garden.
Oh the tales they tell!
A seed, a flower, a twig or a tree——each has a fascinating story to tell.
Each carries a hidden possibility of a word coming from God.
Sometimes, insignificant objects that you see everyday
suddenly have a magic of their own!
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Inspiring and timely for spring to end the lockdown. God bless.
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On our side yard we have English Ivy ground cover reaching out and even up tree trunks. Amidst the ivy we have Queen Anne’s Lace growing tall. Will they flourish together? Time will tell! May the seed of God’s promises grow in our hearts, bringing us hope and making us smile!
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