Garden Blessings Prose, Poems and Prayers Celebrating the Love of Gardening

by Cotner, June

• ISBN13: 9781936740819
• ISBN10: 1936740818
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2014-05-13
• Publisher: Viva Editions

Summary

Garden Blessings is an eloquent tribute to the wonders of the garden, a place where our souls are nourished and memories grown. June Cotner’s books comprise a balance of about 20 percent classic and famous writers and 80 percent lesser-known, award-winning writers, uncovering many selections not found anywhere else. Ranging from childhood memories of planting and harvesting to celebrations of the changing seasons to contemplation on the joyful art of gardening, Garden Blessings is a moving collection of poems, prayers, and reflections that reminds us of what really matters — making and sharing memories.

Our gardens grow us, and this collection of readings takes us down a path of pleasure. The overriding intention of Garden Blessings is to provide a heartwarming, spiritually focused collection of uplifting prayers, prose, and poems that share a common joy and appreciation for the love of gardening and the many blessings that gardens bring to our lives. June Cotner, a best-selling inspirational author, has gathered a bounty of garden blessings here, offering gems of wisdom that remind the reader and gardener in all of us just how much we learn from our gardens.

Author Biography

June Cotner is the author or editor of 28 books, including the best-selling Graces, Bedside Prayers, and Dog Blessings. June’s latest love and avocation is giving presentations on “Adopting Prisoner-Trained Shelter Dogs.” In 2011 she adopted Indy, a chocolate lab/Doberman mix (a LabraDobie!), from the Freedom Tails program at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, WA. June works with Indy daily to build on the wonderful obedience skills he mastered in the program. She and Indy have appeared on the television shows “AM Northwest” (Portland, OR) and “New Day Northwest” (Seattle).

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, June is the mother of two grown children and lives in Poulsbo, WA, with her husband. Her hobbies include yoga, hiking, and playing with her two grandchildren. For more information, please visit June’s Web site at junecotner.com.

Table of Contents

1. The Garden Mara Beamish 18
Garden Talk Zoraida Rivera 19
The Garden Is Rich with Diversity Chinook Psalter 20
The Kiss of the Sun for Pardon Dorothy Frances Gurney 21
Reflections on the Garden Alice Morse Earle 22
Barbara Damrosch 22
Lawrence Halprin 22 Wendy Johnson 22
Laura Martin 22
Henry Mitchell 23
Sadi 23
Barbara Damrosch 23
Walt Whitman 23
Impermanence The Dalai Lama 24
The Garden Hour Christine Swanberg 25
Eden Sherri Waas Shunfenthal 26
Garden Proverbs Author unknown 28
Rudyard Kipling 28
Spanish proverb 28
Author unknown 28
The New Garden Sharon Hudnell 29
Dawn Approaches Linda Lee Ruzicka 30
Oasis Irene Sedeora 31
Year-Round Blessing Joanne Keaton 32
Gardens Thelma J. Palmer 33
A Garden Prayer Barbara Nuzzo 35
Rhapsodies Within Jeani M. Picklesimer 36
Grandma and Grandpa's Backyard Sheryl L. Nelms 37
Affair in a Garden Arlene Gay Levine 39

2. The Gardener Proverb 40
Gardener's Prayer Karel Capek 41
Gardening Mother Paula E. Kirman 43
Reflections About Gardeners Marjorie Harris 44
Vita Sackville-West 44
H. G. Dwight 44
Love Poem for the Gardener Jean Tupper 45
Why? Sandra E. McBride 47
Natural Lois Greene Stone 48
Interlude Christina Keenan 49
The Gardener Reverend Edie Weinstein 51
The Old Gardener Nancy A. Lynch 52
Grandmother Katharyn Howard Machan 53
Into a Bountiful Season Carol L. MacKay 55
A Poet Returns to the Garden B.G. Thurston 56
Glory to the Gardener Heather Berry 57
A Gardener Knows Another Gardener Pamela Burke 58
Bless the Gardener Who Mary Kolada Scott 59
A Gardener's Prayer Arlene Gay Levine 60

3. Gardening Tina James 61
Reflections on Gardening Patricia R. Barrett 62
John Erskine 62
Jerry Baker 62
Edgar Allen Poe 62
Ruth Stout 62
Mirabel Osler 63
Elizabeth Murray 63
Lewis Gannett 63
Author unknown 63
C. Z. Guest 63
Our Personal Work of Art Julia Moir Messervy 64
Ground Maryanne Hannan 65
August Clearing Barbara Glynn 66
Gardening Credo Susan J. Erickson 68
What Remains Nancy Tupper Ling 69
Old Gardener's Confession Dianne M. Del Giorno 70
Gardener's Winter Lament Arlene L. Mandell 72
A Gardener's Springtime Prayer William Cleary 73
Spring Raking Lisa Timpf 74
Garden Gift DeMar Regier 76
Your Flowers Are Pretty Sheryl L. Nelms 77
Spiritual Gardening Norman Wirzba 79
Garden Confessional Jill Johnson 81

4. The Seasons Percy Bysshe Shelley 82
To Everything There Is a Season Ecclesiastes 83
Psalm of Praise Joan Stephen 84
Trees Marion Schoeberlein 85
Suddenly, Barbara Crooker 86
Spring Pledge Shirley S. Stevens 87
Snowflakes of Spring Bonnie Compton Hanson 88
And What Is So Rare As a Day in June? James Russell Lowell 89
This Summer Day Barbara Crooker 90
Diminuendo Barbara Crooker 92
Summer Passing Thomas L. Reid 93
Leaves Falling Mike Blottenberger 95
To Marigolds in Autumn Thomas L. Reid 96
All Because Autumn Came Denise A. Dewald 97
Lady Autumn Emily King 99
Contractions Hazel Smith Hutchinson 100
It's Early Winter Gary Young 101
Winter Blessing Paula E. Kirman 102
January Thaw Barbara Crooker 103
Late February, Barbara Crooker 105

5. Planting & Harvesting Douglas Jerrold 106
The Promise Joan No?ldechen 107
Liturgy Mary Ellen Hansburg 108
Turning the Garden Under, Barbara Crooker 109
The Gardener Mary Lenore Quigley 110
Harmony Marcus Aurelius 111
Child's Garden Blessing Jill Johnson 112
Four O'Clocks Brenda Knight 113
Discovery Barb Mayer 114
Your Gift of Tomatoes Elisavietta Ritchie 116
Making Soup for Selah Michael S. Glaser 118
Harvest Time Susan Landon 120
Fall Bounty Mary Maude Daniels 121

6. Flowers Ralph Waldo Emerson 122
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud William Wordsworth 123
Early Daffodils Steven Ratiner 124
Flowering Trees Barbara Crooker 125
Never Lose an Opportunity Ralph Waldo Emerson 126
An Island Garden Celia Thaxter 127
Flowers Rochelle L. Holt 128
The Wilding C. David Hay 129
Morning Glories Stephanie Palladino 130
Morning Glories Norbert Krapf 131
A Poet's Prayer Sandra E. McBride 133
Lilies Meg Campbell 134
I Know a Bank Whereon the Wild
Thyme Grows William Shakespeare 135
These Roses Under My Window Ralph Waldo Emerson 136
The Rose Fanny Levin 137
My Neighbor's Roses A.L. Gruber 138
My Neighbor's Reply Author unknown 139
Joint Garden Maureen Tolman Flannery 140
And They Say There Are No More Nita Penfold 141
Lovely Camellia Janine Canan 142

7. Fruits & Vegetables Frances Moore Lapp? 144
Squash Blossom Cassie Premo Steele 145
Garden Laurence Snydal 146
Kindness Sally Clark 147
Choking Gayle Brandeis 148
Holy Tomatoes Ginny Lowe Connors 150
Tomato William Orem 151
Shelling Peas Penny Harter 153
Avocado Gayle Brandeis 155
Raspberries Barbara Crooker 157
Orchard Blessing Marjorie Rommel 159
Pear Tree at Sunset Lisa Zimmerman 161

8. All Creatures Anne Raver 162
Leap Frog Sheryl L. Nelms 163
Warts Helen Ruggieri 165
Bumble Bees in Bloom Jill Morgan Hawkins 166
Cycle: for the Deer Sharon Hudnell 167
Blessings Barbara Van Noord 168
The Butterfly Ballet Marion Schoeberlein 169
In the Garden with My Grandson Donna Wahlert 170
A Hummingbird Moment Gwyneth M. Bledsoe 171
The Visit Ann Reisford Boutt? 172
My Garden's Protected Robin Svedi 174
Katydid Maureen Tolman Flannery 175
Cricket's Coda Rebecca K. Wyss 177
Buried Treasure Nancy A. Lynch 178
The Garden Warbler Ramnath Subramanian 179
A Gardener's Lament Susanne Wiggins Bunch 181
Making the Rounds Gary E. McCormick 183
Birds at the Feeder Donna Wahlert 185
Honored Bees Janine Canan 186

9. Reflections Author unknown 187
Reflections Willa Cather 188
Hal Borland 188
Frances Moore Lapp? 188
Thomas Jefferson 188
Author unknown 189
Emma Goldman 189
Author unknown 189
To Be of the Earth John Soos 190
The Garden Tereasa Bellew 191
Curator Reverend Jack Skiles 192
My Beloved Janine Canan 193
Weed Wrestling Susan R. Norton 194
Watching from the Window Martha K. Baker 196
Sweet Banquets Hilda Sanderson 197
The Shady Corner Norbert Krapf 198
In the Garden Peter Markus 200
Why Do Plants Have Such a Positive
Impact on Us? Author unknown 201
Working in the Garden Ellen Bass 202
Do Tell Martha K. Baker 204
At the End of a Season Marilyn Johnston 205

10. Inspiration Veronica Hunsucker 206
Short Inspirations John Jeavons 207
Jean-Jacques Rousseau 207
Russell Page 207
Joni Mitchell 207
Be a Gardener Julian of Norwich 208
Blessing for a Gardener Maryanne Hannan 209
Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun Walt Whitman 210
Pilgrim's Progress Ida Fasel 211
When I Dance, I Dance Michel de Montaigne 212
Garden Meditation Reverend Max Alden Coots 213
A Little Prayer Theresa Mary Grass 215
The Simplest Miracle Mary Maude Daniels 216
Garden Credo Thelma J. Palmer 218
Garden Blessing Shirley Vogler Meister 219
Illumination Sarah J. Diehl 220
A Gardener's Prayer Nancy Priff 221
Heirloom Seeds Cindy Chuksudoon 222
A Community Garden Blessing Carol L. MacKay 223
The Gardener's Toast Thelma J. Palmer 224
Plowing a New Furrow Margaret Anne Huffman 226
Keeper of the Gates Father John B. Giuliani 227
Beautitudes for the Gardener Gail Kavanagh 228
Miracle Theresa Mary Grass 230
A Garden Prayer Marian Olson 231
God's Evergreenness Martha K. Baker 232
Garden Prayer Sharon Hudnell 234
Bless the Gardener Kay Reall 235
Garden Light Michael S. Glaser 236

AUTHOR INDEX 237
PERMISSIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS <<4 pages still to come>> 240
ABOUT THE AUTHOR