“Just keep digging.”
I have collected Southern Bulbs for 25 years, and the small phrase “Just keep digging” has continuously echoed through my mind. Over the years, I have questioned my time and efforts spent digging. It seems like I am always doing SOMETHING in the garden with bulbs……salvaging, rescuing, moving, relocating and dividing. I’ve been lovingly asked about the “weeds” that I grow, and questioned about the wild state of my bulb gardens. There are daily garden chores, and usually, the word “bulb” is found within each chore…..
“Take the hay from the chicken coop and mulch the (bulb) beds.”
“Move that massive Rose Bush. It is crowding my beautiful Crinum (bulb).”
“Weed and cultivate that new garden bed. It will be a home for (let’s all say it together) more BULBS!”
I have bulbs coming out of my ears. Every single nook and cranny in my life, my house, my car and my studio have miscellaneous bulbs laying around. For the past three months, I’ve even had a Spider Lily by my kitchen sink…..just sitting there. Waiting to be planted.
“Just keep digging.”
Then, a few years ago, the phrase in my mind changed. The Lord spoke gently and said “It is time to harvest.”. The Garden Project was born. Gardens need love and attention, and so do people….
The Lord has taken the land that I have and the flowers that I love, and has given purpose and meaning. Through the sell of flower bulbs, money is raised to hire teenagers, mentally challenged people and at-risk youth to work thd gardens. It is a daily walk of faith. Sometimes, I don’t know where the money will come from, and my levels of exhaustion are overwhelming..
Just keep digging.
This summer has been especially hard. Most of the young plants and bulbs that had been relocated to the studio were struggling. The summer heat was overwhelming, and it was all I had just to keep the plant babies alive. My garden soul was withering..
Then I received an email. And another. And another. And another…..11 emails in 3 days. I was over-joyed!!!!
My dear garden friend Debbie Fetner, who had ordered bulbs from me last year, shared my mission to a garden group in Waco, Texas. She had no idea that The Garden Project was running low on funds or that the summertime blues were engulfing my soul. God definately used her email to realign my thoughts and keep me focused on “digging”. Each order that came through was extremely encouraging and filled my spirits. I wonder how many of us are the hands and feet of God and don’t even realize it? Just quietly working, digging and encouraging behind the scenes. A simple word of encouragement goes beyond our wildest understanding, and keeps us “digging”, as we do God’s work through whatever He calls us to do.
I am SO thankful for each of you. I actually thank God for you. Whether there is one person reading, or one hundred and one, I am thankful. You are the reason the Garden Helpers receive joy as they work. You are the reason they can earn extra money and feel proud of their job. You are the reason I “just keep digging.”
It’s a good garden day. I have heirloom bulbs to plant, and Garden Helpers to nurture.
Happy Gardening, my friends! Remember, no task that is done is love is meaningless. Nothing that you do goes without notice. Your small encouragement to others matters in a BIG way….so just keep digging.