I’ve been given reason this week to reflect on my faith. My faith in many things.

My faith held me strong in the face of despair and I was heartened by a miracle.

My faith gave me comfort in the face of sadness – a peaceful knowing that all is right with the world in spite of sorrow.

And I am trying to have faith (if trying is something one can do to with faith) about a loved one’s critical illness.

All this reflection has been percolating around inside of me this week. Swirling around me as I water the plants inside the greenhouse and as I contemplate the winter damage in the garden.

Gardening is also about faith. Faith that the blazing heat of summer will end and winter will come…and the bitter cold of winter will end and summer will come — again and again.

It’s about knowing that the birds will return to build their nests and our precious plants will burst forth from the roots again after being devastated by the changing seasons. And if not, new plants will bring new pleasure, fresh ideas and creativity to the garden as well.

I had a little flash of faith today in the garden.


In the big pots on the back patio, among the dead and dormant plants, sits an Autumn Joy Sedum — its stalks tall and gray and crackling.

But behold below…little florets of sedum, green and fresh and succulent, as they should be, giving rise to the promise of a new day in the garden.