Little Viney Things

Many of you know that I'm new to gardening.  I've grown lots of gardens in the past, but never very successfully.  And none that I truly cared about.  So I never really thought of myself as a gardener. This year is different.

This year I really care about my plants.  I've been babying them since February and I really want them to grow.  I actually go out into the garden at least once every day and check on everything.  And I'm learning so much.  About plants and also about life.  I'm learning how to be more patient.  And nurturing.  And I'm learning about these little viney things.


It's so amazing!  They start out all curled up like a little spring.  Then they start to reach out for something to hold on to.  It happens overnight, literally.

They're sortof sticky and hairy.  Kindof like velcro.  If they feel something, they'll grab on.  They're not picky.  They'll grab onto the trellis, but they're just as likely to wrap around another vine or even another one of those little viney things from another plant.

So my job as the gardener is to guide those little viney things to a good, sturdy place on the trellis.  Someplace that will help support the plant later on.  All I have to do is gently weave it around and it will do the rest.  The next day it will be snugly wrapped.


If I'm too rough or stretch it too far, it will break off.


If I wait too long in between garden visits, it will grab on to the wrong thing and it will be too late.


If it can't find something to grab hold of, it will keep reaching out until it does.


And once it grabs on, you can't change it's mind.


See how amazing this is?!


It really sheds new light on the verse:

"Train up a child in the way he should go... and when he is old he will not depart from it."

Our job is to make sure the proper support is in place and daily, gently guide those little viney things in the way they should go.