Act Of Faith

Posted on November 7, 2023 by shobha

Bulb planting got done last weekend. All of a 1000 give or take a few. The weather cooperated beautifully. Sunny, not too windy and comfortably cool conditions made the daunting task much easier to tackle. I say daunting because it is. There are so many holes to dig, drop a bulb and then fill back whilst maneuvering ones way around myriad established perennials. In my garden, it takes two days of steady planting by a team of two minimum. One drills holes the other fills.

In the past, I did the whole thing myself. But age catches up and help is necessary – family is roped in. I’m immensely grateful for their willingness to go along with my horticultural ambitions or, as they like to call it, my craziness. This year, I’ve been handicapped by wayward knees so it has been particularly meaningful to get the support of loved ones.

Like a child of a farming family taking time from school to help with planting/harvest, my daughter drove down from her graduate school in Ithaca to do her fair share in getting the bulb planting done. I’m thinking next year, I’ll try to get her cohorts from school to join in and give my husband a break!

Despite having a direct, realistic understanding of the weather patterns and climate shifts, the loss, reduction or changes in certain flora and/or fauna of value to the ecosystem, gardeners are an optimistic lot. The very business of gardening is about the future. What I plant now will only yield in time ahead. Through all the vagaries of the weather and general circumstances, on pure faith we sow, plant, water, feed, weed and nurture. It’s going to be just fine – we feel this viscerally. It would be impossible to garden without that conviction.

When it comes to bulb planting, it takes an extra dose of faith. The bulbs look innocuous – brown, rotund, little nuggets full of the promise of a beautiful tomorrow. With the goal of celebrating the end of winter and the arrival of spring, we envision the flowers put forth by the myriad bulbs and plant. We bury the bulbs in cavities of appropriate depths scattered through beds and meadow and come away with the conviction that they will deliver. Our full trust in Nature is commendable. In our interactions with other humans we do not display quite the same degree of faith. Human nature seems so much more fickle and treacherous than Nature herself.

Currently, at a time when we cannot ignore the acts and words of so many people within our midst as well as afar that demonstrate the worst of human traits, we must seek solace somewhere. That somewhere is a garden – ones own or elsewhere. Here, we find comfort and courage to face the future. In planting a bulb, a seed or a young plant, we firmly express our faith that there will be better tomorrow. Life would simply be unbearable otherwise.

Note: I encourage those without gardens to grow something(s) in a pot. A houseplant, an amaryllis, micro-greens, anything. I promise, you will feel so much better as you watch it grow. Have faith.

Images of bulb planting this past weekend – A mix of assorted tulips, alliums, camassia, fritillaria and ornithogalums were this year’s choice.

Unpacking the boxes of bulbs. What was I thinking when I ordered so many?!!!

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Holy Flowers!

Posted on July 22, 2021 by shobha

At present, I’m out of the garden. Instead, I’m in an apartment in Mumbai, visiting my 92 year old father after a very long, heart aching, stress filled 18 month long separation. Needless to say, the reunion is emotional. I feel really grateful. The fact that we’re still in the pandemic cannot be forgotten. It comes with continuing worries and concerns. It is at times such as these when we feel tested. It’s easy to understand why so many hold on to their faith. Belief in a higher power or energy to guide us through difficult times, provides much needed comfort, courage, hope and strength. As a species, we humans set much in store by the presence of something bigger than our collective selves. It’s hard to be positive about the future without that belief in something bigger than ourselves.

These are the thoughts that went through my mind as I sat in traffic yesterday – we were held up due to flooding caused by the powerful rains that have been pounding the region. The monsoon season this year has been particularly fierce. Waiting for passage, watching vehicles and pedestrians wading through the water trying to get to their destinations was of great human interest. How resilient we are in our determination to get on with it. At the same time, I watched vendors of flower garlands for ceremonial worship (and also to be hung up from the rear-view mirrors for good luck/the Almighty’s protection) taking advantage of the traffic jam. They approached the cars with the colorful, fragrant garlands of marigolds, calendula and jasmine and I observed several purchases exchange hands. Some were promptly hung up. Despite the frustrations and delays caused by the weather and Covid restrictions, there was always time and need to obtain floral offerings to appease the gods.

There was something very comforting about witnessing this scene. All over the world flowers are used in religious expression. We celebrate as well as mourn with flowers. Flowers give comfort and joy. We adorn ourselves, our homes and our places of worship with them.

My father likes to have freshly picked flowers to place on the little alter he has in his home. The platter of these blooms waiting each morning to be offered up has always been a sight that brings me a sense of calm. Knowings his prayers will certainly include my well-being is reassuring. The faith that all will be fine. Flower power with a higher calling.

Another day’s offering

Daily offering

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Hope Is Alive And Well

Posted on October 30, 2018 by pgbundil

The shipment of bulbs finally arrived last Friday. The bulb houses ship the orders in time for planting at their final destinations. Given how erratic our weather has been this year, the bulbs are unsurprisingly later than usual. With no certainty on my part, I’ve decided to take the bulb companies to heart – maybe they know something I don’t. Hence, I began the planting on Sunday. Getting 1000 bulbs planted will take a while.

What can be more optimistic than planting bulbs? These rotund packages large and small, hold within their brown, plain bodies the promise of a beautiful spring as reward for enduring the dark, cold days of winter. Given recent happenings in our country, the days already feel dark, forbidding and scary. So planting the bulbs serves as both a distraction and an act of faith. Tomorrow will be brighter and better. Without that inherent belief, gardeners would cease to exist.

In performing this ritual of investing in the future, I’m encouraged that beauty on earth will persist. When the flowers emerge next spring, they will bring joy to all who see them. At that time, I will particularly remember those we lost at the time of planting. They didn’t go in vain.

I believe that we cannot give up or give in to the threats that loom – good will always triumph over evil, light will eliminate the dark, love will conquer hate. Otherwise, there’d be no point to anything.

Note: ‘Points Of View” opens this week. Do stop for a look!