I LOVE gardens! They inspire me, but my own efforts seldom come close to grand displays that others have produced. Well, perhaps one of my flowers… God designed it; I simply provided the trellis.
My Nelly Moser clematis
In our travels, we have visited
- Queen Victoria Park at Niagara Falls
- Callaway Gardens in Georgia
- Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia
- Some glorious gardens in England and Scotland.
Every UK castle has a garden, and to my husband’s consternation, I felt impelled to look closely. I’m sure his patience has been noted in heaven. I loved Ballindalloch Castle in Scotland, with its charming rock garden, and was greeted by Her Ladyship as she came outdoors to view the day.
I can’t remember the name of one particular garden in England, but it’s firmly etched in my memory. This visit followed a string of other gardens, and being tired, the entrance put me off—sort of a fenced area that reminded me of a large potting shed. But when the door to the garden swung open, I was totally undone. I took pictures—pre-digital, of course—and now I CAN’T FIND THEM! But I remember that glorious scene, and that’s enough.
I can no longer manage gardening, except in a limited way, but I can feast on God’s splendid displays along roadsides and meadows. No weeding, no watering; God does it all!
Black-eyed Susans
Golden rod
Grasses
Another wrinkle—Stage-4 lung cancer; terminal by its very nature—has mucked up my “garden.” I’ve just started an alternative treatment (inquire, if you’re interested). Whether this approach works or not doesn’t really matter. I have placed myself totally in God’s hands. At some point, life may begin to resemble that large, ugly potting shed, but when the Great Gate opens, I will see, not only the most gorgeous landscape one could ever imagine, but will be drawn into that splendor by the Gardener Himself. “Come in! WELCOME TO MY WORLD!”
Robert Berran, with permission.
In my novel, An Unpresentable Glory, gardener Linda Jensen has the advantage of wealth and skilled labor. I’m not in her class, but the novel is worth a read, if only to see what sort of garden hard work and money can produce. A strong, gripping love story that appeals to men, as well as to women.
About the Writer/Gardener
Ellie Gustafson began thinking up stories at a young age but did not begin writing and publishing until 1978. A graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, she has been actively involved in church life as a minister’s wife, teacher, musician, writer, and encourager. Additional experiences include gardening, house construction, tree farming, mouse control, and parenting–all of which have helped bring color and humor to her fiction. One of her major writing goals has been to make scriptural principles understandable and relevant for today’s readers through the undeniable power of story.
Personal themes crop up in her novels:
* An Unpresentable Glory–her love of gardening and American Indians. She even made a 15′ tepee!
* Dynamo builds off her lifelong love of horses.
* The Stones, on King David, grew out of the inherent power of his story in the Bible.
You can find all of Ellie’s books on her Amazon Page: www.amazon.com/author/eleanorgustafson
An Unpresentable Glory
by Ellie Gustafson
“I trusted you, and some day, you may know just how much you hold in your hands.”
Linda Jensen leads a relatively quiet life in Westchester County, New York, as the owner of a highly-acclaimed garden. Inherited from her parents, the garden is her pride and joy. What is not so joyful is finding a strange man sprawled near her delphiniums! The mysterious man is sick, unable to do anything more than drink water—and beg for secrecy. Ignoring all alarm bells, Linda sees to his needs, but her caring act takes on unexpected significance, an unpresentable glory.
Seeds of trust, and perhaps love, are planted in Linda’s garden haven. But as secrets are revealed and scandal hits the headlines, the act of caring for this man threatens to tarnish both of their reputations.
Like weeds in Linda’s garden, circumstances threaten to choke out their fledgling relationship, and small moments prove to be the biggest influencers—on a national scale.
An Unpresentable Glory is available at https://tinyurl.com/y9lpft6a
God planted a gardening seed in my soul–perhaps genetically. An aunt routinely won blue ribbons at the local flower show. When I showed interest in flowers, I was granted a small patch, perhaps two by three feet, to plant johnny jump ups and small marigolds. My tiny arrangements got only token ribbons, but I was hooked.
During the ceremony, one of the bridesmaids noted a spider exploring Rachel’s veil—making her spider-wed!
“I trusted you, and some day, you may know just how much you hold in your hands.”
Catherine Castle 