2007-10

P ...
One of the best things about
gardening is that there is always
something to do. It would be really
boring if things went in the ground in the
first week in May and then were all
finished a month later. What ever would
we do for the next 11 months.
Of course nature has taken care of
that because each plant has a different
germination, growth and maturity rate. If
we did put them in all at the same time
they would mature at different times.
This is so that different plants get the
right conditions and mature and die
before a different crop needs the space
or light. For instance radishes germinate
and grow to an edible state in about two
weeks; on the other hand purple
sprouting broccoli takes almost a year to
mature and become edible – if the
pigeons don’t get to it first!
Some plants can cope with any type
of soil, others need a high lime content
whilst others need a low lime content.
Some need full sun, some need shade.
This year fruit has had a bumper year.
Apples, raspberries and loganberries
have all been fruiting at a record rate.
On the other hand the sweetcorn and
courgettes have been sitting and sulking
for ages and by the end of August were
only just looking like doing something.
The parsnips were sown at the right time
but have never put in an appearance. I
used to think that farmers were odd
because they always complained that
the weather was never right. This year I
know what they mean - the first half of
the year was too dry and we could not
keep up with the watering, then it rained
for weeks and weeks just when we
needed some.
People are the same - girls mature
before boys (If I am typical then maybe
boys never mature at all). Some families
have a genetic disposition towards
longevity, others don’t One of the
fascinating things in the last few years
has been watching my grandchildren
growing up - Thomas is five, Jamie is
nearly three and Jack is just two years of
age. It is amazing to watch them learn to
sit up, crawl, stand up, and eventually
walk. Speech development is fascinating
as well (in my time I have been gangad,
grandgrad, gandous and gandouse, not
to mention other versions of Grandad).
So, just like plants people grow and
mature at different rates but eventually
with the right conditions we each grow,
mature and become fruitful. We each
have a mixture of sunshine and rain in
our lives and each experience makes us
better, stronger and hopefully more
mature. I could continue the analogy a
bit further but that would mean talking
about weeds and also manure heaps,
so, I’d better leave it there before I start
talking myself into trouble!
Steve Winks
St Chads Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
email: office@stchads.org
Church Offices: 15 Camping Lane, Sheffield S8 0GB Page 8 web site: stchads.org
Tel: (0114) 274 5086