Sun & shade, rocks and stones..

Thanks to all of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers this past week! I'm feeling much better and will be back to myself in no time, I'm sure. Look out world! :-)

A friend came by yesterday evening and took down a neighbours tree. Our property is mostly shaded so we are grateful for the extra light that we'll get now at the back of our property. That tree had shaded a spot were nothing really could grow. The vine along the fence, the hostas, and the periwinkle will all be happier now and hopefully cover more of the bare spots.

In our little bit of garden we have mostly shade plants. It's amazing how some plants thrive in full sun and others do best in shade. Shade plants would wither in the sun while most sun plants would fade in the shade. I guess people aren't all that different. Not all of us grow the same way in the same environments. Some thrive in situtaions that would make others want to shrivel up. We're all unique and each of our lives has a purpose.

This photo is of a one of my little ferns last year. It had a rough start - it kept getting stepped on because it was so small. I surrounded it by these stones and although it didn't recover much last year, this year it looks like it's going to be a nice, healthy plant.

We all go through times in our lives when circumstances and situations become overwhelming and we lose the desire to keep growing. I've found that during those times the Master Gardener places protective stones around me to help see me through. Caring friends who pray for me. People who let me lean on them. Family that encourages me. I pray that each of you will also find yourself surrounded by stones like these the next time you find yourselves between "a rock and a hard place"!

"Rich is the person who has a praying friend."

-- Janice Hughes