Heirloombulbgirl

Tag: garden blog

  • The Moment Defined

    There are moments in life that define us, for the better or for the worse.
    Moments that change everything in us and all around us. The moments I have seen in the devastating fires of California have flooded my thoughts. I can’t seem to look away. I understand all too well the complete and utter loss of “losing everything” in a single moment. There are no words.

    I see them.

    I hear them.

    I know them.

    I remember standing in line at the Red Cross on the morning after, with all the other “flood victims” (as we were politely referred to). An older woman standing in front of me had been visibly shaken. I found myself trying to comfort her. She sobbed and talked, and I simply listened. She told me about the boat rescue, the 7 inches of water that flooded her house and her fear of the water that came up so fast. She finally took a breath, looked up at me and asked “So what happened to you? How much water did you have in your house?”

    “Seven feet of water in less than 10 minutes.”

    She said nothing but just stared at me, as if to apologize for her own “lesser-than” trauma. I smiled, hugged her and said
    “There is no measurement of loss. It’s all the same.”

    Right then and there, I learned a very important life lesson….Loss is loss. Trauma is trauma. There is not a measurement of trauma as if “Mine is worse than yours”. Trauma holds no competition and takes no winners. We are all in the same boat together. Each one of us has our own story, but what we do *after* that defining moment is what truly matters. Will we let bitterness set in? Will we become callus or envious? Will we become trauma “victims” or trauma “survivors”? I do admit, standing in the pouring rain with only the clothes on our backs was a very humbling experience. Where was I going to get clean and dry panties? (A real-life concern) How could I comfort my family when I, myself was going through so much? Where would we even live? How can one simply start over and rebuild from scratch? All overwhelming thoughts, so all I could do is live moment to moment, salvaging anything I could. I poured into salvaging my gardens, digging bulbs at the “flooded house” every single day. The gardens saved my sanity.

    One day, as I walked along what-used-to-be my beloved “Garden of Eden”, I looked down and saw my Grandmother’s broken china with her Bible memory verse “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.” It was that moment, out of all my moments, defined me…

    Everything I had lost, He would provide.
    Everything I needed, He would provide.
    Everything I wanted, He would provide.

    I had been over and over those gardens for months, salvaging bulbs, but somehow I missed that little treasure. Maybe I hadn’t been ready to fully rely on the Lord’s provision the way sheep rely on their shepherd. Maybe I was looking for comfort in the wrong place or maybe I was just too caught up in my own minutia of trying to rebuild. Whatever the reason, I found my moment.

    ”The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake.

    Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. For You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

    You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

    If anyone has specific loss that you’d like prayer for, feel free to email me… heirloombulbgirl@gmail.com I don’t have all the answers, but I’ve walked through this walk and there is hope on the other side.

    If you know friends or family members who lost everything…give gift cards or Venmo for a great starting place. Be listeners not fixers. Be present through their grief and allow them time to process the loss. Their lives will never be the same, but may we all be defined in the moments after…relying fully and completely on The Good Shepherd.

    Ps….Oxblood Lilies will be shipped out to anyone who is starting over, at no cost, When you are ready, your “Redemption Lily” will be ready for you.
    Happy Gardening, my friends.

  • What to do with Oxblood Lily Foliage


    There are few flowers that have such an emotional attachment to them as the Oxblood Lily. These flowers bloom after the long, drought-stricken summer. Oxbloods are a beautiful symbol for the promise of cooler weather. Total redemption in the garden happens in a few short weeks after the first rainfall in early Fall. The gardens turn from a crisp brown to a luxurious crimson red. It’s incredible! But, after the flowers fade, the gardener is left with long, scrappy green foliage that seems to sprawl over everything trying to grow. Lily foliage can commonly look unkept and weed-like. My Father-in-Law says it best….. “When are you gonna pull those weeds?!”

    I’ve realized that the common eye cannot appreciate the beautiful growth of the dark green foliage. The foliage is the energy for the next years’s flower. Never ever cut it back, no matter how times your Father-in-Law says so. I have begun to arrange my lilies purposefully throughout the garden. There can be little mistake that the lilies are part of the whole garden plan.

    Yesterday, I stole a few moments of quiet in the gardens before traveling to my In-Laws’ farm for Thanksgiving. I spent my time weeding and moving Oxbloods. Last year, I had decided to line all the garden paths with Oxblood Lilies. The intentional placement of the lilies really showcases the foliage.
    I’ve been told that I move flower bulbs like other people move furniture. Boredom sets in, and I grab a shovel. There are a lot of bulbs to line a lot of pathway, so I’m never bored for long.

    I think that lilies look best in clumps. Lilies are like people, they need each other to thrive. I keep my lilies in groups of about 5-10 bulbs. I give the bulbs in each clump room to grow. Oxblood Lilies grow in all kinds of conditions, but they really enjoy water during their growing season (aka…the green, strappy foliage). Let the foliage grow wild and carefree, but contained in the overall landscape plan. Remember, the foliage is the energy for next year’s flower. Foliage actually is the most important part of the bulb cycle. The flower is simply a gift to the gardener…a bulb’s way of saying “thank-you” for all the nutrients and love provided the past year.

    There is a very high probability that I will be digging today at the farm. The family Thanksgiving dinner will happen around 3 pm, so I have plenty of time to get my hands in the dirt.

    Happy Gardening, my friends!
    Love, Keenan at Heirloombulbgirl