Hurdle Help

Oskar’s number two flower stalk never did reach back toward the sunlight; the opening flowers were too heavy to pull up. So I gave it a little hurdle help; to keep the weight of the flowers from snapping the stalk, I “planted” a stake in the pot. Then I gently lifted the stalk and tied it to the stake with some smooth string that turned up during my Christmas decorating. To those of you who know me and my practice of saving odds and ends for their future usefulness—I do actually use them.

The purple “stake” is one such “end”; I recycle as much as I can but find that reusing is even better. (We once lived near a landfill; its rain of ashes, stench and mountainous toxicity made a lasting impression on me). Stakes can be made of most anything, a dowel, broken handle; decorators favor tree branches.

Many people, whether those needing help or those who could be of help, often think that needing help is a sign of weakness. Rather, it’s a sign of strength to know when one needs some help to get over a hurdle. Even Jesus needed help in carrying his cross (Luke 23:26).

A Change in the Air

Today is one of those “golden” days when the temperature is cooler and a light breeze stirs. The slant of the sun has changed ever so slightly and sunset paints its colors half an hour earlier. I could stay in the garden all day in this weather, especially if I had a computer that could operate outdoors!

And it’s a good thing since Monday always calls for extra attention to the garden after a weekend of only hurried watering. There are dead leaves to trim and spent flowers to deadhead, vines to reroute. Often, as today, I have weekend plant purchases to repot; the garden centers’ small flimsy plastic pots cause the plants to dry out too quickly in my setting.

Happily, I finally found one of my all-time favorites, peppermint. I’ve been searching all season but all were either gangly or too expensive or both. Now, I finally have a nicely branching plant at a good price but after its sojourn in the dimly-lit parking garage entrance to Trader Joe’s, it’s stretching for every bit of sun it can get. To keep it branching, I think I need to make some tea. I grew up in “ice-tea” country and often enjoyed a sprig of mint in a tall glass but a brief trip to North Africa intrigued me with hot mint tea. Either way, I enjoy it’s fragrance as I brush against it so I put it within easy reach My iced tea sprigs often do double duty; when the tea is gone I often put the mint in a flower arrangement where it then roots and can later be planted—the ultimate “reuse”.

This particular peppermint plant doesn’t have a variety name but last year’s Kentucky Colonel Mint of “mint julep” fame proved too strong a flavor for my tastes, so I passed that one by.

I’ve seen no sign of the “giant” grasshopper since I last sent him flying. The birds like the weather too!