Multitudes of books have been written on the subject of”Gardening with Children.” The authors all make it sound so touching- how delightful to watch the wonder and excitement as those tiny minds discover God’s awesome design for life! Sounds good, but I’m sorry, my “perfectionist, type-A” personality really struggles with projects such as this! All I see through the water beads that just got sprayed in my face are dollar signs as the precious Miracle Gro potting soil gets dumped on the ground. I inevitably end up screaming,  “Wait! You can’t put all those expensive seeds in one hole!”

Our first year living on our farm with only two children, my husband plowed me a dream flower bed in the front yard. It is kidney bean-shaped with the rusty, vintage, John Deere tractor that was on the property, prominently displayed in the center for Morning Glories to trail on.  After my fourth child, I realized I’d plowed up way more than I could weed. Even with landscaping fabric to block the weeds, they happily began growing on top of the fabric! And what’s worse, the mint that I was warned NOT to introduce into my garden, did indeed take over as I was warned that it would!

Now this garden is a “holding area” until we move and develop smaller, more manageable, flower beds in which to transplant the dozens of keepsake perennials that I’ve accumulated over the years. I’d not take anything for the Yellow Buttercups, Almond Bush, or Cameo Rose that came from my “Maw-Maw’s” house where I enjoyed watching them grow as a child. The Japanese and Bearded Irises from Grandma Bettie and Grandma Victoria could never be replaced!

I’ve reduced my flower gardening to hanging flower baskets along my porch railing and a few large pots in which I plant seeds each year. I feel that I should sow the joys of gardening in my children’s hearts also no matter what a struggle it is to my “keep it clean and neat” efficient personality. The older kids run when they see this annual seed-planting ritual about to take place. They’ve learned from experience that it’s NOT fun to help Mom with this project no matter how calm she seems at the start. The two littlest guys haven’t learned yet and were ever so anxious to help this year. Considering the mess that they created, I think I handled it quite well. Looking back at the pictures, they seemed to enjoy themselves. That’s the whole purpose!

As I looked out my windows this summer and was greeted with bright billows of orange and yellow flowers, I was reminded of the flowers yet to come as I plant seeds daily in the lives of my children. I often get frustrated and grow impatient of this growing process, but oh, the beautiful flowers God has yet to spring forth in their lives, if I’ll just remain patient and faithful to His calling. “Lord help me to do so with a good attitude too!”