Can the garden survive without the gardener?

Sorry no family history today.  It's spring, and it's warm, the sun is warm, and I wonder what is happening in my garden.  We left before the Chrysanthemum bloomed.  Usually by now I would have gone out and cut them back. Are they all standing dead in the front flower box?  Oh how I wish I could go cut them.  Have the crocus bloomed yet.  This is a photo of what they look like in the morning before the sun wakens them.

Here they are open.  When the sun leaves for the day they will close again.  I miss that.  Taking my kids out to the bus stop and then sitting on the edge of the garden and watching them open.  My camera ready to take photo's of the transformation.  I miss the feel of sun warmed soil, of looking for the baby plants.  I learned to know what each plant looked like in every stage.  I learned when to cut them back, and when to leave them alone.  I learned what bugs were good and what bugs were bad.  I learned so much in my garden.

I miss Mr. Frog and his rock pond.  There actually is reason why he is placed here.  I can't remember if I took Mr. Frog or if I left him. If I took him, he is lost amid the boxes and bubble wrap in our storage unit.

Here is a baby plant.  Do you know what it is?  It's a baby sunflower.  It actually grew because of the bird feeder.  A delightful surprise.  I can see the leaves of the Black Eyed Susan right in the front of it.

Here is the back garden.  Can it survive without my daily care?  Many of the plants come back each year on their own, but others I would buy and plant each year.  The little stone paths from our yard to my neighbors yard.  All the mornings of working and talking to a good friend are missed dearly. This garden was special as it wasn't just for me, it was for my neighbor too.  We pulled all the hedges out and I planted the garden.  Trying to put flowers in that I knew my neighbor would love.  Oh how it hurt us both that I was moving. I sit here weeping as I write and remember.

So will my garden survive?  My husband he misses the house.  He put so much time and effort into fixing the house.  I was never allowed to help in it.  I, I miss the garden. (click on garden to see video and song by Brad Paisley).  If there is any part of me left at the house it is in the garden.  That is where I went when life was hard, that is where I went when I needed peace.  I went to the garden.  I weeded, and debugged, and scared the rabbit away.  I planed, and planted new flowers each year.  Winter was always to long, because there was nothing to do.  But when spring came, there was the garden. Will the new owner enjoy the flowers or rip them out?  I can only give myself moments to think of it, and then I need to leave it.  But it does make me think, and ponder.  Like a garden that needs to be tended, so does our faith.  I always learned that each spring, my faith grew stronger as seeds I planted grew.  I knew just like the seeds, my faith too needed tending to.

There needs to be care, weeding, pruning, and replanting in your walk of belief.  Just as in the garden.  If the gardener stops the care, the garden will not stay beautiful.  If you don't work with God your faith will stop growing.  For some reason God wants me here in Utah.  He has transplanted me and I work hard to keep growing.  I've been reading a book about temples.

"The Holy Temple" By Boyd K. Packer.

Yesterday as I read I came upon a passage about being called to move far away by the Lord.  People in our Church sometimes get called to serve missions in far away countries.  They have to have faith that the Lord will provide for them. That all will be taken care of.  They have to leave family,friends, houses and gardens.  Although the Prophet did not call me to move, the spirit told me I was going to move.  And I can tell you it's been hard.  Living without the help of my husband for months was hard. Fixing the last of the house on my own was hard. Packing a house pretty much by myself was hard.  Saying goodbye to friends and family was hard. Moving across the country was hard, starting over has been hard.  Paying mortgage, rent, and all my health care has been hard.  And then selling this house and fixing little things left and right with almost no savings left has been hard.  So I spend a lot of time praying and going to the temple.  Because if anything I will be more faithful than less. Because God will help me.  God will make all things work out for the best. 

Oh so the house is in the last stages of being sold.  And what is the issue?  Non-existent termites.  And one exterminate who is playing on the fact that we are 2000 miles away and wants to take a large amount of money from us.  Isn't that just sad.  I'm to the point that I want him to go with one of our trusted friends and pull me out a termite!  I know what issues that house has,and termites are not one of them.  Please let this house be sold by March 30th.  I really can't say I ever want to buy a house again.  But perhaps after some rest I'll change my mind.  It certainly won't be a fixer upper.

Are my tulips blooming?

Hope you are all doing well.  Pray our house sells for us.

G.G.