The Christmas rose is, I suppose A favourite in winter for many, Any who like white in its purity. For me this flower without other colour Is special, it sits in my memory Tinged poignantly both rather sadly, But also being so beautiful, happily The Christmas rose grows splendidly, Just like all of the hellebore family, But has something extra, a speciality. For me it is connected not only With Christmas, a time rightly celebratory Across the entire world proclaiming Christ’s nativity, This flower invokes my memory of liberty. The days so often full of fun, even crazy, When being a student busy studying. Apart from the learning and achieving, There was none of that work load of responsibility, Which would follow later, continuously. There were good friends and a supportive family, With a beloved fiancé planning a wedding with me. Yes, these years, two or three, were carefree. Travelling home for Christmas was exciting, Anticipating not only who would see, Plus the home comforts to enjoy temporarily, But the real reason for the season As I was new to faith and faith to me. I did not know much about the Trinity, Except that I was loved, oh so generously, And forgiven whenever I went astray, pardoned mercifully. The great day of the 25th December so celebratory, Came and went, far, far too quickly. Soon, too soon it would be time to leave home, To study once more, whilst learning, very gradually How it would be to live independently. Whilst making ends meet, working regularly. This time of return, felt sad really. But suddenly, out of the blue, I was struck by an idea, What if I took a memento of home and this Christmas holiday. – It would be better to call it ‘Holy day,’ Living focused on Christ Jesus not one day only, but many - What if went with me a happy memory? Just as prayer would link me to my heavenly Father, To His beloved Son Christ Jesus, born at Christmas, And the Spirit who encourages us to become holy, Exactly in the same way of a link which is happy I would benefit if I found the best opportunity To draw my thoughts homewards, In a similar way as praying takes me heavenwards. What would I choose, my bare room would need cheer It had been cold and for a month left empty. I knew the answer immediately. I had seen outside my bedroom window, A remarkable flower, tiny, white with purity and dainty. I picked a Christmas rose, or two or three To gently tie up in a posy I could carry This flower of such fragility, consistency and beauty, In the outside wintery world, bleak and shivery, Accomplished the same for me as drawing close To my Saviour and Brother, the Lord Jesus, The Saviour Christ, the meaning of Christmas. Both the flower and being with my Saviour, For He promises to be with us always, Made me feel the sadness drain away, I would live for today and feel happy. How long was it until the holiday at Easter? Certainly two or three months away, But it did not matter as long as for each day I would seek to find something beautiful in nature. The Christmas Rose did not disappoint me, not at all. Just as I hear our Father’s call to us in Christ Jesus, I sense His presence when the Spirit, ever holy Opens the eyes of my mind and heart To understand beauty more fully, pondering frequently, Thinking about the never ending wonder of nature, And the generosity of our Father, life’s Creator. He created this tiny fabulous flower with care. God created and re-created us out of nothing but love similarly. For me the Christmas Rose will ever be continuity Between home and holiday, studying alone and surrounded by warm company, Thinking the wintery world was drab and uninviting, Until I saw a plant of outstanding beauty To pick, pack and cherish tenderly. The Lord Jesus has hand picked us to be His family, He packs our life carefully in wisdom and this revealed by the Holy Spirit. Our Saviour Brother cherishes us so fully, He died to save us from sin separating us from God’s mercy. We are redeemed and restored by God’s grace and favour, And the Christmas Rose I will always fondly remember. Dearest Father, for all fond, happy memories I praise and thank You. I find the Christmas Rose invokes a very warm feeling of happiness and perhaps was the start of my interest in the beauty of gardens. Thank You again. Amen. 08.12.20 Sue O’Donnell

What is the star of November? Sculptured seedheads, so statuesque, They cannot fail to impress. When little else will address the garden, With particular interest in late autumn, Seedheads add spectacular drama, Not with colour, but stature and texture, Some sparkle like transparent ‘Honesty’, With flat, papery, glistening disks, Offering a silky sheen when catching a sunbeam. Architectural beauty is found in spiky seedheads, Like the prickly teasel or acanthus mollis. Eryngium giganteum produce a cone with a metallic ruff, Whilst some seedheads attract by wearing fluff! The yellow flowers of the latest clematis boast spidery, wintery, fluffy seedheads, Some whoosh of blooms assume a dome shape, Whilst allium and nigella become as round as a sputnik, And the opium poppy is a profligate autumn feature, Offering a neat pepper pot head with hundreds of tiny seeds Ready to shake out and profusely scatter about profligately. What spectacular drama to intrigue is the seedheads offer, Plus becoming a shelter for many an insect, as well as food for birds. Whether bold and sonny, willowy and wispy, Or prickly and spiky, seedheads are fabulous. By contrast they add to the grace of gentle grasses, To be the star of November brightly shining. Creator Father, for the beauty and delight of the many forms of seedheads, I praise and thank You, for they add so much to the structure of the late autumn garden, as well as providing food and shelter. We can see that You think of everything necessary to life’s wellbeing. I praise the skill of Your majestic ability to portray beauty, often in surprising ways. Amen. 12.11.20 Sue O’Donnell

Evoke the colour of the season with which flower? What could be better than the chrysanthemum? Nothing in the run up to colder winter weather When the garden takes its well earned rest, No other flower now passes the test, If it is colour in all its vividness you desire. The chrysanthemum is a star of November. Many of the variety have bloomed since September, But it is in November in boldly bright contrast The chrysanthemum stands out most vividly, In its rainbow richness of blooms in varied shapes and sizes. Which is to its glory, especially in its colour. The richness of amber, gold, orange, yellow, All warm, as is pink and magenta, Yes, this flower is vividly the star of November! Lord, chrysanthemums first appealed to me as a child, and they have never lost their charm, especially in November when they stand out so vividly. Thank You for the ongoing delight. Amen. 30.11.20 Sue O’Donnell

Frosty nights, shivery days, Stand back, amaze, amaze! A most peaceful silence descends As nature sends herself to rest, Always knowing what to do for the best. The Creator of life desires no strife. He plans a natural break in time For a garden’s rest, a time sublime. No overload, no winter target to meet, No hurry nor scurry, a deadline to greet. Simply stillness, an anointed quietness, A blessed, best time of repose. I suppose the Lord God knows His creation, The result of an astonishing eye to detail, such dedication Results in each season’s individual fashion. Spring, the surge, urge of growth’s vitality. Summer, the ability to burst forth life in exuberance. Autumn, the time for slowing down rather gradually certainly colourfully. Then winter at both the end and start of the year. Something here must appear to be of importance. What is the significance of our world Covered in frost, a white shimmering coating Able to make life motionless? It is the gain of peace and quietness, Excellent for body, soul and spirit to replenish. For to be stopped, halted in our busyness By outstanding beauty when it is frosty, Is to gain a sense of awe, of wonder, Breath stolen away by winter’s display in splendour. We want to praise and offer thanks. How sad this would be, how empty we would feel If there was no Creator to appeal to! But fortunately when faced with supreme beauty, Any rational mind or imagination would have to say ‘Thanks for today, it is glorious’. And that of course, at its simplest, is to pray! Our Creator Father steals the day in every season, But now, in frosty winter, every tiny twig on each tree, Outlined in silver tracery against the tiny dove clouds scudding, Whilst at ground level every detail sparkles, Especially in bright sunshine highlighting the frost’s crystals. It will be cold outside undoubtedly, But sit awhile to admire the style of winter. Whilst you pray to give thanks for this day, You will be rewarded by an input of energy, As vital to us as for nature all about us. Energy plus beauty, how incredibly blessed we are! You may describe this time as ‘Lucky’. But if you like to pray, assured of a Creator, Then your delight will be greater. Is it not said it is always better to give than receive? Believe me, to stop, study the frost closely, To amaze and praise happily before the frosty garden, No more will your mind harden, weighed over by worry or anxiety. Winter is the slow season with the Lord God’s very best reason. Replenishment sent, is meant for a godly reason. Make the most of the frosty silence Gifted as a time for our Father’s blessing. He has more than one way of addressing us. You will make this life enhancing discovery if you pray! Lord, outside on a frosty day, the world becomes an entirely different place, outstanding in beauty. Thank You for the peaceful silence. May this quiet time invite us to pray. Amen. 07.12.20 Sue O’Donnell

Autumn colour has faded mostly But seedheads remain striking, Their stance, at a glance, demanding notice, Always taking a pose statuesquely. Really seedheads are a delight. A notable highlight seasonally. If your wish is for an all season garden Plant not only for colour, but style and texture, And include whatever will offer, Sculptural seedheads winter’s glory in particular. When frosty in December, they become spectacular. Some are smooth and silky, others hard and bristly, But the one thing in common to any garden, Is the ‘Wow’ factor when turned frosty. A winter garden requires a showstopper, Seedheads are definitely the answer. Creator Father, sculptural seedheads are striking in themselves. But when frosted over they are a truly spectacular show of beauty. Thank You so much. Amen. 01.12.20 Sue O’Donnell

Cleverly the robin fluffs up, puffs up To insulate against the bitter winter cold, For robins are not just for Christmas, And the iconic scene on a Christmas card! An icon of the British winter however, This neat, chirpy, cheekily inquisitive tiny bird Can make its plumage almost spherical! Not because it is well fed, possibly far from it But due to the efficiency of heat retention in this clever way. Originally a woodland bird, robins seem almost domesticated. Nowadays they love gardens and will venture to sit on your hand. As they take command of their territory with a watchful eye, Ready to spy and challenge any likely intruder. Perhaps this maybe because our gardens in the United Kingdom, Cover more ground than all the nature reserves combined. Is that why robins have the sense to find a garden home? Or they could be looking around at the ground Seeking to survey the possibility of tasty invertebrates. Whichever, this tiny visible, vocal bird is a National favourite, Almost a part of God’s gift to us at Christmas! This tiny tyrant, noisily defending personal territory, Not just making ready to breed in spring, finding a nesting place, But with a sensible eye to winter’s need of food for harvest, And a place undisturbed whilst foraging and digging, The species has developed a clever scanning technique, A part of the wonder of winter nature. Stationed on an elevated perch carefully scrutinising, Robins watch for invertebrates to scuttle into view. They do not want another feeding animal, such as an invader robin, Or even one who has ground cover like a mouse, To disturb their potential prey, so jealously, zealously they watch, And with noisy vigour will chase off an intruder. No trespasser is more unwelcome than another robin, Who will be sent away vigorously amidst noisy demands. What a marvellous sense of self defence for such a tiny creature. Bobbing at an enemy, flouting and flouncing the red breast. And for many the best feature of a robin is melody. It is one of nature’s most prevalent and tuneful sounds, Heard all day long into night, often muted, But with a short sequence of notes punctuated by pauses. What the robin lacks in stature, it makes up for vocally! Yes, a garden life spectacle that truly delights us, Robin red breast is significant part of Christmas. For all that is good which our Father gifts to us, Especially that within the narrative of Christmas tells us, Let us offer our thanks with plenty of praise. Lord God, for all the wonders and marvels of winter nature, robin red breast is a national favourite. Thank You for this treasure so often depicted on Christmas cards. May the scene remind us of You as our Creator, the Father of all life and the One who gifts us a new life in the arrival of Christ Jesus, born amongst us. Thank You for all that You do to make our life interesting and colourful, all being sustained by the joy of meeting with Your Son. Amen. 10.01.21 Sue O’Donnell

In summer and well into autumn A variety of grasses grace a garden. Ever clever, most careful, thoughtful design, His plan to attract the attention of man, Just when all else is now fading, The grasses named ‘Pennisetum’ come into their own. This is a most attractive fountain grass, Originating from warmer parts of the world, A perennial with a bristly head, With peak season of interest from late summer And luckily, lingering well into autumn. Slender foliage emerges from slowly spreading crowns, Which are tough, being tightly folded, erupting in masses. The stems can be upright or arching, But whichever, are topped by bursting bottlebrush spikes. Their flowers can be creamy, tan or biscuity, Some bearing a pink or red flush, A colour rush lasting through autumn into winter And remarkably, even into the following spring. The foliage is quietly pretty until autumn, When the leaves can be golden and buttery, Some with overtones of copper, even warmer looking. A subtle presence planted informally In drifts through prairie style gardens, Or as a softener in bolder late season features, The Pennisetum enhance any garden, And being hardy are easy to grow. Fluffy, flouncy and furry, they are a delight. Is not our Maker so clever to get everything just right! Lord, Creator Father, we praise Your ability to design the countless features of nature which are beautiful. The pennisetum grasses add structure and movement to interest us in the garden. Thank You so much. And Your timing too, is ever perfect. It is wonderful how these grasses thrive when other species are fading. You do indeed think of everything! Again, You are worthy of all praise. Amen. 14.11.20 Sue O’Donnell

Oh the sullen sea of November, Do you remember when it was summer sunny, And the tranquil sea was balmy? Well, now it is attractive quite differently In the surge, urge of pounding waves, A swell of tempest brewing With an ensuing picture of power. The soft greeny blue colour has passed, Winter at last about to set in. The waves are more grey almost everyday, Even appearing black if the sky does lack any sun. The crash of the waves highly dramatic, Towering to a height, before circling aloft, falling back down. What then is the current attraction? The action, pounding, pumping, bashing, crashing, Assailing the rocky or sandy beach, As if it were attacking an enemy. It is the insistent energy which wows us, A focus on motion wildly beating, no gentle greeting now. How tremendous to see but a hint of God’s power, To actually enthral us, stop us at least momentarily, To be met by the sight in darkening night, Grateful not to be on a boat out at sea! God’s power, to our sometimes amazement Can only be seen by its influence, The outcome or result of some action. This should help us to know prayer fits into this category. We know we are answered by what happens, But this calls for our discernment. It is happy to be reminded of God’s power, The decision His alone, ours to abide by. What matters is our reaction, our acceptance. Particularly if the answer to our request is ‘No’, Perhaps said firmly, or may be ‘Not yet, wait!’ When we watch the wintery sea With all its natural force, of course, We could well feel anxious, alarmed or even frightened. But let this be a significant remainder Regarding living prayerfully day by day We must be dependent on God’s power entirely, Even to the working of today’s miracles. Never hurry away dissatisfied and complainingly. In the face of negativity seeming to be God’s response. Remain assured in all His almighty power, Our Father Creator has something even better in mind, Than any plan we find we think of. Prayer will bring about good and godly results, As long as we do not tire of asking, pleading supplicating, Nor give up in the face of long awaited answers. Never ever doubt God’s omnipotent power, Our hope is for the very best answer. Waiting may well be a test we have to pass, But just as he who laughs last, laughs best. When we pray, then leave the rest to our all loving Father, The results will eventually be more pleasing Than anything we thought of or even asked for! It all comes down to God’s power and our trust. You see the wild November sea turbulent and troublesome, raging and roaring. It takes trust to know for sure come next summer, You will be back on the beach, a tranquil sea, Within easy reach to paddle or swim in. Where did the fury go, we do not know! But our Father Creator, the Lord of nature does! He has the best reason behind each season. It is up to us to trust in the unfolding, Offering mankind many a blessing in countless ways. But as the seasons change, our task will remain, Ever, ever the same, to pray for today Whatever will come our way for better or worse, For by faith we are always blest. And if the day brings out the worst Well then, prayer will make it better! Start to pray further and never lose heart, The Lord God our Father Creator, holds all within His power. He longs to shower benefits and blessings upon us. Prayer must remain our daily focus. Lord, teach us to pray in the everyday, so as to always be in touch with Your will, Your wishes and Your plans. We are told to “Keep travelling steadily along His pathway and in due season He will honour You with every blessing.” (Psalm 3 v 34 TLB) Please make us wise about this. If we want to gain holy wisdom, there is only one point of access and that is prayer! Please may the Holy Spirit, the faith Builder, always steer our prayer. The Spirit’s main task being to unite us to the Lord Jesus, may we learn to ask claiming His name as our gain of every benefit and blessing, because it is. Thank You for granting us this privilege, whereby our prayer is answered. For then we become a people of hope. “True faith is being sure of the hope we have and being certain that we shall see what has been promised, even though we do not see these things at present.” (Hebrews 11 v 1 The Truth) Please keep us faithful to You, in the closest friendship with the Lord Jesus, open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and happy to pray. I ask for this in Jesus’ name for He is the One who saves us from mistakes. Amen. 10.11.20 Sue O’Donnell

Somewhat surprisingly, November splendour is its colour, Lingering well into early December, thankfully. Hungry birds have not yet ravaged every berry, So throughout shrubs and tubs are bright pops of colour. Pink lingers in cyclamen, cosmos, colchium and michaelmas daisies, In addition to a few bright pink berries. And the pretty delicacy of pink nerines An elegant, lily like flower which likes a sunny spot or pot, is glorious. Nerine bowdenii growing tall, like to be against a southern sun catching wall. Chrysanthemums flower in every warm colour. And for an eye catching splendour, set a pink flower Against the hot orange blaze of Chinese lanterns, Or the carpet covering of orange, terracotta, tan, ginger leaves a-plenty, And it is impossible to notice the cold shiver in the weather! It would seem that this late autumn garden, As it moves gradually – reluctantly perhaps - into winter, Is certainly in no hurry to let go of colour! The razzle dazzle of its bright impact bound to attract, Is a collage of colour sufficient to create a riot! And when the job is well done, the Master Creator Designer Wasting nothing, lets hungry birds feed on their diet of berries As round, plump and rich to them as we delight in cherries! Never mind the well known rhyme: ‘Remember, remember the 5th of November, Gun powder, treason and plot!’ We have got a lot more to remember in the month of November by which All thanks be due to the ongoing splendour of the Creator in December. Lord, I used to think November gardens were dull. But then, fortunately, You opened my mind and heart to Your work and I could see splendour! Thank You. Amen. 04.12.20 Sue O’Donnell