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Looping, drifting
aimlessly, bits of cottonwood seed floated across the lawn. Their resting
place was disturbed by the powerful new lawn mower of their very good
neighbors. Tiny pieces of the fluff lodged here and there on and in the
row of cedar trees. It had been a good day and the beautiful weather of a
June day topped it off.
Dee's daughter had prepared
a small turkey for her Father. The meal was peaceful and so pleasant.
Afterwards they cleaned up and both small families went their own way.
The blooming of the Yucca
plants called to Dee. She enjoyed picking the soft, delicate, white
blooms. They were washed and frozen and when the opportune time arrived
she would let the children dissect them while learning of petals, stamen,
and stems.
This had been a good year
for their place. Suddenly the years of mulching, shovelling trenches to
catch rain, fertilizing, planting of nitrogen rich legume bearing trees
were paying off. It was like the land awoke from a long sleep. While
stretching its arms and yawning it was as if it burst forth in song, happy
to be alive again. Every part of it became productive. Where once plants
simply rested at their place neither dying nor growing, there was now
instant growth. The production and blooming of great bunches of flowers
were striking.
The vegetable garden was
the ultimate with cabbages literally thirty-six inches across at the
bottom. Tomato plants were already heavy with small fruit. The winter
onions were so heavy with little seed pods at the top many more were
promised for that winter.
The Apricot trees had
produced last year for the first time and tiny trees were growing all
underneath. They sprouted from the fallen apricots of the year before.
These Dee transplanted and they were taking hold. Something about the
soil agreed with the Apricot trees. The leaves were always such a verdant
dark rich green, adding beauty where once there had been just a barren
hillside.
She and Sam set in
twenty-five sticks which were already showing growth of green leaves.
These Poplars Dee had read about on the computer as to how they clean the
run off rain water so that it goes into the streams and rivers cleaner.
In this way it gives a good environment for better, healthier fish. Some
complained the trees were short-lived but Dee was quick to let them know
this was what they wanted. There were all sorts of ways to use wood from a
dead tree. Having them mulched was one way. Using them for the fireplace
was another. All the while, she was remembering how a very old Poplar
tree at her grandmother's house where they lived early in their marriage
after Grandmother was gone fed their fireplace for a total winter.
Dee was given a message in
humility when they visited a local greenhouse. There were houses and
houses of bright beautiful blooming plants. One of the rooms supported a
very large, expensive, water fountain she would have loved to have. For
the moment their small pile of rocks with a pump and trickling water had
to do. The clerk with an attitude was even forgiven when they,
themselves had to step into the room filled with strong smelling soil
treatments. After micro miniature purchases, they left the ultimate
gardening experience. There were too many beautiful expensive plants in
huge containers to compare with their very common landscape of wild
flowers, Echinacea, Mullein, Mint, Wild Grape Vine, and Wild Cedars Its
only saving grace was the fact they, over the years, had not added
chemical fertilizer, sprays or anything planted to require pampering.
Even with this, the poor soil seemed to have taken an eternity to rest
and be resurrected.
Like Jack and the Beanstalk
the trumpet vine and wild grape vine was an inspiration as to how nature
will keep trying to reclaim to undo what has been done to its Mother, the
earth. In contrast to the careless ways of some former owners the people
on Dee's street were of another calibre. Each one of them in their own
way and with dignity were working to do just as she was doing and that was
to bring back beauty to what was once an old burned out wheat field.
The view she enjoyed as she
looked out her front window spoke to her. There is a Mimosa tree in her
neighbor's yard. It is heavy and rich with flowering pink blooms. The size
is outstanding considering it was once a twig by comparison.
On both sides neighbors
work diligently to own acres of lawns mown and lush. All this obtained with little more than ingenuity, work, and the
will to keep trying regardless of examples others may set as to quitting. |
