Today, we welcome Colleen Jackson for a guest post here at One Ringing Bell. Colleen is a long time writer-friend and one of the most Godly women I have ever known. Colleen has many talents and gifts, but today she puts on her gardener's hat and shares her insights with us.
Text and Photo by Colleen Capes Jackson
Last year, I designed a three-year plan for my fenced-in backyard
perennial garden. First things first: It required research and study of
planting guides to know which plants need shade or sun; when to water and
fertilize; how to care for acid-loving plants; and which flowers attract birds and
butterflies. I’m not a master gardener, but I am always researching how to be a
good steward.
An arthritic at age 62, I wanted to garden-smart. I purchased
containers of various heights to represent one for each year of my life. In
December, I will have 63 containers ranging from yard sale finds, barrels,
antique wash pots, chairs, popcorn poppers, and horse troughs. Thriller,
filler, and spiller plants cascade over this galvanized metal container and is
ideal to attach butterfly magnets or mementos of family trips.
I devoted one trough to attract butterflies and planted Miss
Huff Lantana, Bronze Fennel and Salvia. The Swallowtail Butterfly lays eggs on the
Bronze Fennel, and the amazing metamorphosis begins. The caterpillars hatch on
the host plant, eat, and spin into a chrysalis. A couple of weeks later, the
most beautiful butterfly emerges. In June, I brought some of the chrysalises in
the house and placed them in my aquarium.
When the cycle was complete, and their wings gained strength, I took the
butterflies out into the garden. Holding them gently, I said a prayer of
thankfulness and protection and released them into the air.
My garden is a haven filled with trickling fountains,
aromatic mints and flowers, a palette of vibrant colors, red birdhouses and
hoppers, perches, hummingbird feeders, stained glass, shimmering chandeliers,
shepherd hooks, rocks, marbles, and wind chimes.
I repurposed antique dispensers such as a fire hydrant and a
gas station oil dispenser to lend interest.
Recycled blocks in a crisscross pattern provide height for cascading
containers.
Breezes bend the tree tops and weave in and out the chimes
to deliver pleasant-sounding melodies. In
the distance, the songbirds identify themselves as they sweep into the garden
for their morning and evening meals.
My garden offers a welcomed retreat where I spend time alone
with God. It has become a place of discovery for me. One morning with my camera
in hand, I asked, “What do you have for me today, Father?” The tie-dye, pink
and red triple-braided hibiscus caught my eye.
The camera snapped
away and zoomed in on the heart of every bloom.
God reminded me of the scripture found in 1st Samuel 16:7 (NLT) . . . The
Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Humbled and overcome with joy as I admired the heart of the
hibiscus, I offered this prayer of thankfulness: “Father, in the midst of my
imperfections and insecurity, thank you for seeing something good and beautiful
in me. Please help me to be a good steward of your confidence so that the labor
of my hands will glorify your precious name.”
Colleen Capes Jackson is an award-winning freelance writer,
motivational speaker, songwriter and photographer. Her desire is to share the
recipe for true joy found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT): “Always be joyful.
Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will
for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Jackson is the Founding Director of the East Metro Atlanta
Christian Writers. She has 182 published credits in local newspapers and
magazines. Awards include “Writer of the Year” at the 2008 Atlanta American
Christian Writers Conference” and First Place in Religion in the 2009 Georgia
Press Awards. She released an inspirational children’s CD, “I’m A Champion” in
2008 and a praise and worship CD, “Joy for the Storm Worn” in 2009. Her next
CD, “Journey to Joy” will be published in 2015.
Dedicated to her craft and genuinely interested in the
people she writes about, Jackson is passionate about inspiring others through
her work as well as the subjects she chooses to highlight in her articles.
A resident of Georgia, Jackson enjoys bird watching,
gardening and spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren.
Many thanks to Colleen.