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| I have enjoyed Crown Imperials for years. The bulbs have a distinctive odor. The yellow or orange flowers hang from an impressive stalk. |
One reader wrote, "Do you still have a lake in your backyard?" We had one low spot in the backyard, one that seldom fills will rain. But we had another long, slow rain yesterday, the second day of fog and misting. The entire backyard is a puddle now, but the sun will come out again for a few days, God willing.
I love rainy days, because so much is accomplished while I watch from inside. The birds come to the feeders and splash in the baths. The bulbs wake up to spring. Garlic, daffodils, and crown imperials are showing up already.
Fall bulbs are rewarding in spring, because they start growing out of the soil as soon as the temperatures allow. Garlic stalks are lined up where we planted them. Daffodils are mostly out of the ground. Crown Imperials are only showing their tops.
The grass is green and ground cover weeds (wildflowers to me) are blooming in the lawn.
Every gardener worth his wheel-barrel is itching to get into the yard and do some work, but I am letting God's creatures do it for me.
- The birds are establishing their habitats, getting used to their watering places, their favorite foods, and building their nests for bug-hungry babies.
- The compost is damp and rotting from the rain, invaded from below by soil creatures far more active in the warmer weather.
- The straw bales, normally conditioned by hose water, are being watered by rain, which also drops down nitrogen compounds. The soil creatures, interested only in damp food, will come up from below feed on them and form the food web that nurtures plant roots.
- The mulch is keeping rain from washing away soil while creating a moist blanket of shredded wood to feed earthworms, fungi, protozoa, bacteria, and other creatures.
Healthy soil will drain better because the billions of creatures underneath absorb some of the water and build tunnels to let rain penetrate the lower levels. Compacted soil does not soak up rain water as fast, yet people curse the moles who dig two levels of tunnels (for feeding and for living) under the yard. Healthy soil feeds moles, and moles mix the soil.
If the soil population if doubled, its capacity to absorb and use the rain is also increased. Even more important, that larger population fixes and swaps the nutrition used by plant roots, the fungi serving as conduits for the chemicals demanded by the roots, the chemicals given up in exchange for the carbon fungi must have. And you think Al Gore invented carbon credits?
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| The details of the Maypop or Passion Flower make us think about Who decided to make it so fancy. |
Psalm 104 King James Version
104 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.
35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.