Last year one of the Monastic Associates, Richard Crawford and I took over a rather neglected garden in the back yard area of the monastery. (Actually, the building that the garden is along is the oldest building on campus dating from the 1860′s! – the novitiate wing on the third floor was added after part of the building was destroyed by a tornado in ’92…1892!) So last year when we cleared the brush and gave the perennials a chance to “breathe” the plot looked so much better. THIS year, with rainfall every month at least an inch or two over the average the garden looks just great! Richard – who this year will be with two other men beginning their novitiate on September 11th – brought a Moon Flower plant with him from his apartment last year. The plant is not supposed to be a perennial however it did come back this spring and is huge! Most mornings there are at least two or three blooms but this morning there were over 10! Unfortunately they only last until the sun hits them around noon. Which brings to mind the line from Ps. 90:
“In the morning we spring up like grass, by evening we wither and fade”!
Peace and joy, bpv
