Gardening a la Tractor-Driver!

Rick and I often disagree on things. It seems to me that he does it just to bug me. One of the things we have been discussing lately is whether we want a deck or a patio in the front of our house. We have a flower bed, and a pond, and a small patio, but it's simply not big enough when the married children and grandchildren come for a visit. We spend a lot of time on the patio, or sitting around the little fire pit that we have out there. I envision a stone or cement patio, with a rock wall enclosure. I like privacy. I like stone. I want a Roman statue and plenty of room for patio chairs, barbecue, etc. My bricklayer son can build me a wall. I want to incorporate the flowerbed and pond into the enclosure. I'd even like a wrought-iron gate.

My husband, however, wants to build a deck. Out of wood. He LIKES wood. I point out that the deck will require far more maintenance than a patio, especially a cement patio, which can be washed with our pressure-washer.

Anyway, on we go, discussing the merits and detriments of each. I don't know what we'll end up with.

We sat outside today, thinking about all this, then I mentioned that I wanted to finish weeding the flowerbed around the pond. Rick suggested getting some good dirt from the well-rotted manure pile. I said, "Not yet...I have to dig out weeds first."

The next thing I knew, Rick came chugging along with the bucket of the tractor filled with dirt. I looked at him blankly...what was he going to do with that? NOT pour it on the flower-bed. I still wasn't done with the weeds.

Then he suggested digging out the flowerbed with the bucket of the tractor. "What about my tulips and the perennials?" I wailed.

"They'll be fine," he assured me.

So, the next thing I knew, Rick dug away with the bucket. What would have been hours of work took about an hour. He dug out buckets full of dirt, and we went through them, picking out clumps of weeds and rescuing anything that looked promising. In a short while, we had much better soil in the garden, weed-free for the most part. We planted the bulbs and any perennials that we rescued, and went in for supper, satisfied.

My point is this: Sometimes what seems like a hare-brained scheme is actually a good idea. I have learned to ponder what Rick suggests, and have found that he often comes up with a better and faster way to do a job than I would have done.

It will be interesting to see if any of the tulips and crocuses survive their rude transplant. But even if they don't, I can soon get some petunias and a few more perennials, and we'll enjoy the colour show.

The best part is that the garden is weed-free. I can't complain. In fact, I am rejoicing. God has given me exactly the person I need. We don't see eye-to eye very often on all the little details of life, but when it comes to what REALLY matters, we're a team.

What really mattered today wasn't our method of gardening, or the discussion about deck vs patio. What really mattered was that we worked together, loving each other, serving each other, setting a good example for our children, and glorifying God in the process.