Pink Tulips

My front yard is now full of blooming pink tulips and I'm so happy about how they turned out. I thought I'd share a few pictures from the front garden.

I'm so glad spring is here!  :)

Over The Land Is April

                       

                              OVER the land is April,
                              Over my heart a rose;
                              Over the high, brown mountain
                              The sound of singing goes.
                              Say, love, do you hear me,
                              Hear my sonnets ring?
                              Over the high, brown mountain,
                              Love, do you hear me sing?

                              By highway, love, and byway
                              The snows succeed the rose.
                              Over the high, brown mountain
                              The wind of winter blows.
                              Say, love, do you hear me,
                              Hear my sonnets ring?
                              Over the high, brown mountain
                              I sound the song of spring,
                              I throw the flowers of spring.
                              Do you hear the song of spring?
                              Hear you the songs of spring?

                                               Robert Louis Stevenson                            

The Lilies All Do...

Yes, leave it with Him,
The lilies all do,
And they grow --
They grow in the rain,
And they grow in the dew --
Yes, they grow:
They grow in the darkness, all hid in the night --
They grow in the sunshine, revealed by the light --
Still they grow.
Yes, leave it with Him,
It's more dear to His heart,
You will know,
Than the lilies that bloom,
Or the flowers that start
'Neath the snow:
Whatever you need, if you seek it in prayer,
You can leave it with Him -- for you are His care.
You, you know.                          Anonymous

                     
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of
the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was
dressed like one of these."                 Matthew 6:27-29

Benefits of Gardening

There's something about working in the garden that's refreshing and invigorating. I love getting my hands dirty, digging in the earth, planting new plants and creating something beautiful. I was recently flipping through an old 'Canadian Gardening' magazine and came across this *article on the benefits of gardening. So I thought I'd share the 5 points here:

1. A SERIOUS WORKOUT. Besides keeping your hands strong and nimble, digging holes, pulling weeds and carrying soil helps burn more than 250 calories an hour.

2. DIRT CAN MAKE US HEALTHIER. Research show that people, especially children, who are exposed to microbes found in dirt develop a better immune system, are less likely to develop environmental allergies, asthma and even some autoimmune diseases.


3. ROLLING IN DIRT COULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER. According to a paper released in April 2007 from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, certain bacteria (Mycobacterium vaccae) in soil may have the same effect as antidepressants, stimulating the release of the mood-enhancing chemical serotonin.



4. DOWN TO EARTH. Children who get close to nature-mixing soil or planting, for example-tend to have a more positive attitude towards the environment. Research shows they make better nutritional choices, have more self-esteem and achieve higher grades in science.


5. WHACKING WEEDS HELPS RELEASE AGGRESSION. It's better to get things off your chest in the garden rather than vent to colleagues or your loved ones.

*Article by Fina Scroppo in 2010 Canadian Gardening Magazine