Pruning His People

John 15:1-3

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 

Jesus is the source of life, all life. He is the branch from which a Christian derives life. We are the vines that are created to bear much fruit and bring glory to the Gardener (the Father). Our loving Gardener actively cares for us, even when we are bearing much fruit, in order to increase our fruitfulness (LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF CONTROL). He knows that this also deepens our faith, and increases our spiritual endurance.

• An extremely important part of this process is pruning. For me this is the most difficult act to preform in my garden, because, unlike God, I lose sight of the "joy before me." When early spring comes around, and I know it is time to prune back my roses, I cringe. I can see the new growth. I am so excited to watch the blooms come to life, (this is my emotional response). I also know (my logical side), that if I prune them well, they will produce many more blooms and for a longer period of time, so I cut. I cut dead wood, shape unruly (unnecessary activity) foliage that will keep the sun from the plant, and shape the plant for the place it sits in my garden (it's purpose).
• Just as we cannot grow unless we are connected to the branch we also will not produce fruit, or know the full extent of peace and joy without pruning. This is the job of our caring gardener. I picks up vines that have fallen to the muddy ground (bad habits, or sin). He ties them back up so they can soak up the sun. He removes unnecessary foliage so the rays can reach the rest of the heart of the plant for nutrition. He gives life and takes away what is causing stunted growth (activity for the sake of activity or pride). Those extra leaves look pretty and full, but they are getting in the way. Pruning is an act of love. 
  
• 
  My job is to actively abide, soak up the sun, and rest in His care. He will cause my life to produce abundant fruit. I submit to the process. 

• When and how to prune roses:
• The best time to hard-prune roses is late February to early March, just as the bud casings begin to form. You want to be sure that freeze is over. The goal is to open the center for light/air, removed dead areas, and avoid crossing canes. 
  
• This is your chance to shape you plant for it's place in your garden. Cut just above an outward facing at a 45% angel. 

https://youtu.be/aBWy0cLwUWY

A Long Winter and The Promise of Spring

            "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; 

I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you 

a heart of flesh.”

(Ezekiel 36:26)

    Every year I dread the months of January and February. I live in the wettest part of Oregon. I don't mind the rain in fall and spring, it is usually light, warm welcome. However, in January and February it is brutal. The rain comes in with a cold driving wind that cuts through any warm clothing. All the leaves are off the trees, and raked away, the flower beds have been winterized and the grey, dark dreariness of the winter wait sets in.

While I slosh through the pouring rain toward the Greenhouse to prepare for the next Spring planting. I choose seeds, pant them in seedling pots and wait. I wait for seeds to grow, wait for winter to pass, wait for the rain to stop and the sun to come out from behind the clouds; I wait.

Every day I check the seedling, adjust the heat, check water and watch for mold or pests. It is a slow process.

I wait.

Maybe I should find ways to enjoy winter, but my heart longs for the warmth of Spring. I know it eventually will come, just as it has every year, but why does it feel like winter is twice as long as Spring and Summer combined?

Then one morning I see it; The first bud, the first leaf, the evidence that Spring is on the way.

In my day to day life, I don't see a lot of change in my habits and behaviors. It feels like I live in an internal winter, waiting for changes in my heart and behaviors. I have my devotions and pray. I do what I can to walk with the Spirit and not carry out the desires that I know come from my flesh (Galatians 5:16), but these behavioral changes are usually skin deep. It's the Spiritual growth that brings the good fruit of Spring.  Every now and then I get a glimmer of good fruit, I see God use my in a way I did not expect, or I get to introduce someone to the Gospel, and they respond. It's in those times that I know God is doing the work He promised. It is the Spiritual fruit of Spring.

The seasons are a great reminder of the consistency and faithfulness of God. The sun, the seasons, the seeds all do exactly what God designed them to do. If God can perfectly design the universe, then He can also change my heart of stone. He will finish the work He started in me the day I chose to follow Him. 

Satan would like me to doubt God's promises, he would like nothing more than for me to live my life in the cold constant winter state of shame, doubt and fear, never believing that God will bring Spring. 

God reminds me to get into the Greenhouse and prepare, because winter will end and Spring is one the way. When I feel that God is not using me, or old habits and failures try to send me into a shame spiral, I need to get to the word and plant seeds, or spend time praying scripture preparing the soil of my heart for new growth. 

Spring is just around the corner.


How to prepare perennial and annual flower beds for the winter months:

1. Dead head any dying flowers or cut down dead foliage.

2.Remove debris or dead leaves before frost time comes. Leave the base of the plant.

3. Keep the ground moist until it freezes over to keep plants alive until hibernation sets in.

4. Apply mulch in late to mid November (old leaves that you have gathered ahead of time works well)

This will protect the plants in the winter months.

5. For annual flower beds remove the dying plant and decide whether to compost or dispose of them.  Add compost to the ground and wait for Spring. 

Hope Wirta

Flowers with Hope and

Hope's Palette

 

.

The Master Gardener: Psalm 19:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”

(Psalm, 19:1)

I love to walk into my greenhouse and inhale that warm, earthy aroma that emanates from the warmth of the soil. I get such a kick out to finding new seedlings that have popped through the soil. It moves my joy meter from 2 to 10 just being there. I take my time going from plant to plant to see if there have been any changes, and check the moisture, or problems that need to be addressed.

For a few moments I feel a sense of pride at MY beautiful plants. Then I look over and a rosebush we have named Frankenstein.

I feel a sense of pride at MY beautiful plants

Frankenstein was a discarded cutting from a rosebush. He had been thrown onto the mulch pile with other discarded debris; No-one checked his soil depth or prepared his stem for propagation, no-one watered him or kept his temperature even. He was covered by snow, drenched with cold wind and rain and haphazardly left to rot. 
          On a warm day in spring I began digging into the mulch pile  to spread in my raised beds, and there lay Frank (Frankenstein). Frank had little offshoots, a good root system and looked as if he had been waiting to be transplanted to a spot where he bloom. He seemed to have no idea that he was suppose to be dead. Frank wanted to grow!

What a great reminder! 

God does not require my help to bring to life and grow beautiful flowers. 

He created the seed. 

He makes them grow, wherever and whenever he chooses.

 He is gracious and allows me to care for His creation and enjoy the beauty that comes from that care.  

He is the flower creator. 

He is the flower grower. 

Frank in his new home

It is good for me to remember that in everything I do, it is God that brings about the end result. Doing my best for Him should always be the outpouring of a grateful heart, not a pushing of a personal agenda. If my pride is tied to the outcome of my work, then my motives should be called into check. Humility and gratefulness should move me to be content with His outcome, whatever that is. My job is to do my best with whatever job he puts in from of me, for His glory.

Frank sits on the porch of my greenhouse as a reminder that God is the creator and the master Gardener of plants and souls. I am a grateful under-gardener enjoying His creation. 

How to propagate roses:

(derived from an article by Stephen Scanniello)

Before you can do any planting, you'll need to learn how to get the right cutting. The best time to do this is right after the flowers begin to fade, (probably early Fall). Once you've planned the timing right, follow these steps for taking cuttings and rooting roses:

1. Start by cutting a 6-inch long stem that has three or four leaf clusters (you want this stem to be about the thickness of a pencil). Every spot that holds a leaf is a growing point where branches or roots can form. Once you've made the cut, shave or whittle the end of the stem into a point. Remove all the leaves except one set at the top.

1. Next, dip the point into a rooting hormone and shake off the excess.

1. Stick the stem into a clean 4-inch pot that's been rinsed with a mild bleach solution and filled with perlite or damp builder's sand. Push it in as far as you can, then put the entire pot into a zip-top plastic bag to make a mini greenhouse. Place your plant in a shaded area—not full sun where it'll be too hot.

1. Be patient as the roots form. “You will see leaf growth quickly, but that’s the plant faking you out,” says Scanniello. “It’s not rooting yet so be patient and leave it alone.”

An alternate method of rooting a new rose is to put your cutting in builder’s sand inside a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag. “That makes it easier to see the roots, "says Scanniello. Just make sure to set it down upright so that the plant isn’t getting squashed inside the bag.

 Hope Wirta