Recently one of our newer members approached me in the courtyard after Sunday service. “I hear that you know all about the plants and the gardens on the church property.”
“Yes,” I said modestly. “I do. I am a member of the UUCS volunteer gardening crew.”
He pointed to a large tree in the memorial garden. “What is the name of the tree that has those lovely rose-colored flowers?”
“That is a Golden Rain Tree. In August and September, it has delicate yellow flowers that “droppeth as the gentle rain upon the place beneath”. I smiled, having slipped a little of a Shakespeare sonnet into my response - at least I thought it was Shakespeare.
Rather than being impressed, he looked confused. “But what about the rose-colored flowers I see now?”
“Oh, no,” I said, “those are not flowers, they are seed pods. I hate those things. They look nice but then they drop into the garden, germinate, and produce a bazillion little seedlings in the late winter. Having no other gardening skills, I am always assigned to get on my knees and pull them out.”
“Well, I like those rose-colored flowers,” said the new member.
“They are not flowers, they are ........ I stopped mid-sentence, looked him in the eye and said wearily, “yes they are lovely flowers aren’t they?”
“Yes,” I said modestly. “I do. I am a member of the UUCS volunteer gardening crew.”
He pointed to a large tree in the memorial garden. “What is the name of the tree that has those lovely rose-colored flowers?”
“That is a Golden Rain Tree. In August and September, it has delicate yellow flowers that “droppeth as the gentle rain upon the place beneath”. I smiled, having slipped a little of a Shakespeare sonnet into my response - at least I thought it was Shakespeare.
Rather than being impressed, he looked confused. “But what about the rose-colored flowers I see now?”
“Oh, no,” I said, “those are not flowers, they are seed pods. I hate those things. They look nice but then they drop into the garden, germinate, and produce a bazillion little seedlings in the late winter. Having no other gardening skills, I am always assigned to get on my knees and pull them out.”
“Well, I like those rose-colored flowers,” said the new member.
“They are not flowers, they are ........ I stopped mid-sentence, looked him in the eye and said wearily, “yes they are lovely flowers aren’t they?”