Garden Judging

Garden Judging                       

Of course as a gardener, I was attracted to the gardens of Iona.  The Abbey had a garden.

The hotels had a garden

As did the local school.

And, yes, we were welcomed to the gardens.  They provided a space for a quiet stroll, reflection or contemplation; as well as vegetables and fruits for folks’ sustenance.

One of my favorite memories was recording a mockingbird while in one of the Iona gardens.

After Iona, while in Ireland, we toured Powerscourt, known as the third most beautiful garden in the world.  Being on rolling hills of an old estate with many magnificent trees and a pond help make it the third best garden in the world.  (More about trees in another blog.)  

But it also has a nice Japanese garden.

As well as a beautiful rose garden.

When I told my husband Larry that we get to visit the third-best garden in the world.  He said, “Why would you leave the best garden in the world to visit the third-best garden?”

Well, I did, and I left him home to water that best garden in the world—and I came home to a garden that had been watered and even some of the produce picked, but I did have weeding to do!

Of course the gardens of Iona had some weeds.

Even that third-best garden in the world had weeds.

But I didn’t mind those weeds.  They were not my responsibility.  I’m only responsible for my own weeds.  I know which weeds will interfere with my garden and which ones I can tolerate and for how long.

I believe that is the way it is with the “weeds” in our lives.  The weeds of others are not our business.  Our task is to identify which weeds keep us from a close relationship with our Creator and which ones don’t interfere.  We can’t judge that for others. Our task is to simply love the other.

This idea reminds me of another aspect of Celtic spirituality I admire: the love of enemy – in contrast to society and culture – the other is to be befriended and loved.

Let’s love other gardens, but mind our own weeds.