Where Did All These Weeds Come From?

Where did all of these weeds come from? Who planted them? It hasn't even rained in months! You mean weeds grow even when there's no rain?

How many of us have out-of-control weeds in our gardens? And who is responsible for those weeds? There is only one reason weeds grow out of control in a garden — because no one took the proper time and care to uproot and remove them.

When the garden is choked by weeds, the gardener can’t complain, 'I just don’t know how this happened! How did this occur right under my nose?' It occurred because someone was being irresponsible with her garden. If she’d been exercising the proper amount of diligence, she would have known that weeds were about to get the best of her. Her lack of diligence is the reason her garden got into this mess!

Hebrews says 'Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.' (Hebrews 12:15)

The phrase 'looking diligently' is translated from a compound greek word episkopos which means taking supervisory oversight. This is an important piece of information because God holds us responsible for our emotions and our thinking.

It's like weeds. They start out so small they are almost unnoticeable. If not controlled, they will grow exponentially and before you can say 'lickity-split' they are six feet tall!

Emotions are like that. Anger is an emotion that comes and goes. I choose whether or not irritation turns into anger, anger into wrath, wrath into bitterness, bitterness into resentment, and resentment into unforgiveness. I choose whether these foul attitudes and emotions take up residency in my heart (mind, will, emotions) or are booted out the door!

There seems to be so much blaming in this world. Why do I make this point? Because we are often tempted to blame our bad attitudes, bitterness, resentments, or feelings of unforgiveness on other people. But the truth is, we are responsible for our own emotions and reactions!

If a person does something that has the potential to offend us, God holds us responsible for whether or not that offense takes root in our minds. We can choose to let it sink into our souls and take root, or we can opt to let it bypass us. We are not able to control what others do or say to us, but we are able to control what goes on inside of us.

I cannot allow weeds to spring up in my heart garden! Weeds grow too fast, and before I know it, they have taken over!

Hebrews 12:15 says, 'Looking diligently.…' It takes diligence to keep my heart in good shape. The only way I can stay free of the weeds my enemy wants to sow in my 'heart garden' is to be attentive, careful, thorough, and meticulous about the condition of my own heart. I can't expect others to take care of my heart for me, either. It’s my heart!

Lord, help me quit making excuses for the wrong attitudes I’ve permitted to grow in my life. I make the choice to repent, to turn from those destructive thoughts, and to replace them with thoughts and words of kindness for those who have caused me hurt or grief in the past.

(c) 2009 April Lorier

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes. ~ Chuck Swindoll

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'Daffodils' Nature Poem by Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

by William Wordsworth

2009 April Lorier

How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number - living things both large and small. Psalm 104:24-25

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The Critters Who Loved Us

Today I am remembering the menagerie of critters my kids grew up with: rabbits, turtles, cats, dogs, chickens, ducks, and lots of birds! And surprisingly enough, each critter knew about human affection and returned it!

'Crackers' was a prolific talker and loved to sit on my shoulder when I played the piano. She loved music! Even sang opera in several languages! As you can see, she was very tolerant of my daughter's affection. Never once were any of us bitten by any of our critters.

So I've been wondering about the minds of all these critters. Do they operate on instinct only? Do they know, instinctively, who is loving and who is not? It's just amazing to me that they were all so responsive to affection!

I miss 'Crackers'. She was one of the critters who loved us, and a quirky little joy in the household.

(c) 2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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'To Nature' - A Coleridge Poem

It may indeed be fantasy when I
essay to draw from all created things
deep, heartfelt, inward joy that closely clings;
And trace in leaves and flowers that round me lie
lessons of love and earnest piety.

So let it be; and if the wide world rings
in mock of this belief, it brings
nor fear, nor grief, nor vain perplexity.

So will I build my altar in the fields,
and the blue sky my fretted dome shall be,
and the sweet fragrance that the wild flower yields
shall be the incense I will yield to Thee,
Thee only God! And thou shalt not despise
even me, the priest of this poor sacrifice.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was one of the founders of the Romantic Movement in England and one of the Lake Poets.

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Obama, PETA, and The Value of Human Life

Recently, I wrote what I believe is a Christian's View of The Planet. Today Chuck Colson, a man I have the utmost respect for as a Christian, delivered his daily commentary on a related subject. This is the transcript of his podcast.

There was a lot going in the news last week—riots over the election in Iran, North Korea’s nuclear saber-rattling. But the biggest story of the week, it turns out, was—drum roll, please—the story of President Obama swatting a fly.

“I got the sucker!” Obama told CNBC correspondent John Harwood after killing a fly that had been buzzing around his head.

Harwood laughed and the camera crew applauded. But the sight of the fly’s corpse lying on the White House rug was too much for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—and insects, apparently. They sent a letter to the Fly Swatter in Chief, expressing their disapproval.

In the future, PETA said, they hoped Obama would treat flies in a more “humane” manner. To underscore their point, PETA sent the President a Humane Bug Catcher, which allows flies to be trapped and then released outside.

The story of the squashed fly afforded us a moment of comic relief. But there’s a serious point at stake here. We are seeing more and more examples of people treating animals—and even insects—as if they had as much value as humans.

The other day, I saw what I first thought was a school bus. It wasn’t. It was a doggie daycare bus, taking the neighborhood pooches to a dog-sitting facility. As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up.

Go online, and you’ll see many ads for expensive clothes for dogs and cats. And a few years ago, during the making of the film Men in Black, the American Humane Society was on hand to make sure none of the hundreds of cockroaches used in the film were injured. Cockroaches!

Groups like PETA illustrate a philosophy of reductionism, which treats all life as morally equivalent. Of course, if reductionists really want to be consistent, they would not even boil water, because every time they do, they kill millions of innocent microbes. If all life has equal value, then the logical conclusion is to treat all life the same, no matter how lowly—or how deadly, like mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus.

Obviously, nobody can live in the real world on the basis of this philosophy.

A realistic and livable philosophy of life comes from Scripture, which teaches that God created us in His image and set us up as stewards over the rest of creation, from amoebas to apes to houseflies.

That doesn’t give us license to treat animals cruelly. But it’s one thing to treat animals kindly, and quite another to accord them equal status with humans.

Christians need to learn to press people to face the logical conclusion of their own beliefs. The idea that animals—even flies—ought to be treated with the same respect as humans may sound humane at first. But press the idea to its rational conclusion, and people will soon begin to see how irrational and illogical it really is.

The good news is that this many Americans did begin to think about these ideas last week. The result: Many people told PETA to buzz off. So I think we ought to congratulate the President for squashing that sucker, as he put it. It ignited a great national discussion about the absurdity of putting flies on the same moral plane as humans made in God’s image.

(c) Chuck Colson for BreakPoint

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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Growing Up in New Mexico Nature

Did you think New Mexico was strictly cactus and dirt? Take a gander at one of the dozens of lakes in New Mexico. This one is the Questa Lake which lies north of Taos, in the 'Heart of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.' It offers adventures year round for outdoor enthusiasts: fishing, hunting, picnicking, cycling, camping, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. So growing up in New Mexico gave me access to an extremely diverse geography.

The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico owns and manages seven preserves in New Mexico, including Bear Mountain Lodge near Silver City, my home town. Much of my time was spent hiking in the Gila Forest and eating raw potatoes when we forgot our matches!

The Gila National Forest boasts a rich history of the Mogollon and Apache Indians, Spaniards, Mexicans, ranchers, prospectors and miners. Apache Chiefs Mangas Coloradas, Geronimo, and Victorio, Aldo Leopold: conservationist, ecologist and author of the A Sand County Almanac, and renowned lion hunter Ben Lilly are but a few of the personalities from the past that have left their mark in the Gila. Place names like Raw Meat Canyon, Tepee Canyon and Grave Canyon tell the tales of the past.

The Rio Grande Nature Center is winter home to Canada geese, sandhill cranes, and various species of ducks and other waterfowl. A trail system along the river, classrooms, and an extensive library with viewing areas add to this valuable public resource.

The bosque, a cottonwood-covered river bottom, features two miles of nature trails, which wind through partially wooded areas to open sand flats alongside the Rio Grande.

During the fall and winter months, sandhill cranes, Canada geese, and several types of ducks take advantage of this peaceful pitstop. Occasionally, visitors also can spot secretive residents like coyotes, raccoons, or beaver.

It is owned by the City of Albuquerque, but managed by New Mexico State Parks as a city-state collaboration.

Because New Mexico has so many fresh-water lakes, my father spent every Monday going over his legal limit with fresh-water trout, so we were never in need of protein. More than anything, I remember the sunsets and the lakes of New Mexico. It was a terrific place to grow up in nature!

(c) 2009 April Lorier

He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate-bringing forth food from the earth. Psalm 104:10-14

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Metamorphosis of Butterflies and The Spirit

The butterfly is, to most Christians, God's symbol in nature of the transforming power of The Holy Spirit.
- The Greek meta means 'after, beyond, change or transformation'.
- The Greek morph means 'form or structure'.
- And the Greek osis means 'condition'.
That's exactly what happens to the butterfly and to the spirit of those who are spiritually 'born again' through Jesus Christ:

a transformation in form as a new condition.

Let's look at butterflies first:

Butterflies are split up into three groups:
- the "true" butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea),
- the "skippers" (superfamily Hesperioidea)
- the "moth" butterflies (superfamily Hedyloidea).

- The largest butterfly from Australia (pictured here) is a true butterfly.
- The skippers are so named because of their quick, darting flight habits. They also have the antennae clubs hooked backward like a crochet hook.
- The moth butterflies are, I believe, not pretty at all. They look like moths!

Unlike many insects, butterflies do not experience a nymph period, but instead go through a pupal stage which lies between the larva and the adult stage (the imago).

What does this mean?

It means that a nymph's overall form already resembles that of the adult. But it's not that way with butterflies! Butterflies are termed as holometabolous insects, and go through complete metamorphosis from
- egg
- to larva (caterpillar)
- to pupa (as much as two weeks in the cocoon)
- to new physical butterfly who flies (imago).

Let's look at coming to life of the spirit through Jesus Christ:

The life of a Christian human being:
- sperm/egg,
- to fetus (9 months in the uterus),
- to human being baby (crying),
- to new spiritual creation in Christ.

In fact, no other creation more closely pictures spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ than does the butterfly.

And what is the job of both the butterfly and spirit-born Christian? To pollinate!

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20 This is what is called The Great Commission of Jesus Christ.

So is there any wonder that I think of the most important words Christ gave to His Disciples every time I see a beautiful butterfly pollinating a flower?

Or any wonder I am awed by God's amazing picture of the process to a new spiritual creation in Christ?

(c) 2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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Water Shut Off - Paul Rodriguez - "Fish Don't Vote"

California has more than its share of problems, not the least of which is water being cut off to all the farmers in the San Joquin Valley. Comedian Paul Rodriguez is not cracking jokes about it. He's angry because his own family and all of the other farmers in the "bread basket of America" are being deprived water because of a 2-inch minnow that has been added to the "endangered species" list. Over 400 farmers are watching their crops die because the water supply has been shut off to protect this delta smelt minnow!





It makes one wonder when human beings will be added to the "endangered species" list. There needs to be some balance as we care for nature. But when it means we cannot eat, ourselves, it's time to draw the line.

As Paul Rodriguez says to Obama, "Fish Don't Vote."

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You. (Jeremiah 32:17)

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'Patience Taught By Nature'

'O DREARY life,' we cry, ' O dreary life ! '
And still the generations of the birds
Sing through our sighing, and the flocks and herds
Serenely live while we are keeping strife
With Heaven's true purpose in us, as a knife
Against which we may struggle! Ocean girds
Unslackened the dry land, savannah-swards
Unweary sweep, hills watch unworn, and rife
Meek leaves drop yearly from the forest-trees
To show, above, the unwasted stars that pass
In their old glory: O thou God of old,
Grant me some smaller grace than comes to these!--
But so much patience as a blade of grass
Grows by, contented through the heat and cold.

Patience Taught By Nature
~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
(March 6, 1806 – June 29, 1861)

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Lady Bird Johnson - Wildflower Hero!

There are no more beautiful highways than those bluebonnet-lined highways of my home state, Texas! And Texans can thank Lady Bird Johnson for them. Mrs. Johnson was born Claudia Alta Taylor in the East Texas town of Karnack on December 22, 1912, and died at her home in Austin on July 11, 2007. (One of her nannies said, "She's as cute as a little lady bird," and the phrase stuck.) But her legacy lives on with the bluebonnets and all of the other wildflowers, not only of Texas, but of the nation.

In 1969 Lady Bird Johnson started handing out the Texas Highway Beautification Awards and writing personal checks to the winners. Soon everybody was planting bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, and black-eyed-susans in the hopes of winning her approval.

Driving out to see the wildflowers bloom was something everybody still does in the spring. As for the trash? Lady Bird thought that people just wouldn't have the nerve to throw garbage on a field of bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas! She was right.

She once said, "Some may wonder why I chose wildflowers when there are hunger and unemployment and the big bomb in the world." Lady Bird Johnson saw her country not as an abstract principle, but as the very ground beneath her feet. She wanted every state to value and protect its wildflowers and trees because, as she said, "It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become."

In a letter she wrote for the wildflower organization, she said:

Welcome to our web site. My dear friend Helen Hayes and I founded the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in 1982 to educate people about the environmental necessity, economic value and natural beauty of native plants. Our Center works for more than the lovely blossoms in our open spaces. We are concerned for all of North America's native plants, from the smallest sprout to the tallest tree.

To learn that more than four thousand native plant species are in danger of extinction in this country gives us a wake-up call and brings close to home the Wildflower Center's mission. Will these plants be lost to all but memory, with succeeding generations losing even that fragile connection? Are there sources of food, fiber or medicine that might perish with them? How do we save these species in the face of an ever-expanding human population and its impact on the land?

To explore wildflowers and identify them, visit The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Thank you, Lady Bird, for the decorated highways I enjoy every time I drive through Texas in April!

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You. (Jeremiah 32:17)

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Loving a Shih Tzu and Spirituality

She is only a dog, but she knows my voices: happy voice, playful voice, sympathetic voice, stern voice, and most of all, bad girl voice. She reacts to each voice with totally different bodily movements. I have to force myself not to laugh when she's doing her slow, methodical, passive-aggressive walk from the yard to the steps. She even knows my grunts! And I know all of her different sounds. We're companions, sometimes adversaries, but mostly, we're together.


She has so many kinds of barks, and I am the only one who knows the difference between them. She's a quirky girl, that's for sure! Because she was trained several years ago to go outside after eating, she barks after eating only one or two Kibble Bits. It's her "habit bark". When she really has to pottie, her bark is relentless as she runs through the house, back and forth like a crazy dog.

She has a growl that says, "Time to play with me and I'm ready to play!" She also has a growl that says, "I'm not feeling well, so keep your distance." And if there's a noise with which she's not familiar, she has a foreboding growl.

Because I'm a musician, I have deliberately trained her to do her tricks with musical cues. She knows if she hears the scale backwards it's time to roll over for that treat! And she knows all the clinks associated with food time, too!

She knows when I'm asleep in my chair and she lies quietly until she hears me stir. Sometimes she sleeps in my chair with me. She knows, by the look on my face, if I'm happy with her or displeased. She gets jealous when she hears the click of my keyboard and she barks her bark of "How dare you ignore me?"

She knows what "Just a minute" means, she knows what "No way, Jose'!" means, and she knows what "Come Here" means. I'm the master and she knows it! And at night, on the foot of my bed, we are quiet together -- that is, we are together, but not communicating with sound.

And when she's scared, who does she run to? The one she trusts! And when I move to a different room, who follows me and has to rest close to my feet? When she's sick, hurt or frightened she knows who will pick her up and love her with special touches and empathetic words. She does not want to be away from me. We're inseparable! And on those occasions when she must be left behind who do you think does cartwheels and acts like it's Christmas all over again when I open the door? She keeps me laughing most of the time and I delight in her antics.

Loving a Shih Tzu is like having an intimate relationship with God. He's the Master and I'm happy only when I know Who's in charge! He knows all my sounds, all my body movements, and even my innermost thoughts. It's not necessary for me to explain how I'm feeling to Him. He already knows and He will comfort me according to His knowledge of me. Because I long for that intimacy, it's important that I spend time with Him, reading His Love Letter, getting to know His ways, and being still before Him to know that He is God. He's my joy, my provider, my safe place, and my life. As long as I stay close to Him, there's no doubt in my mind that I'm precious to Him. If I'm disobedient, I have doubt.

Someone who has never had a beloved pet would never understand even the concept of an intimate relationship with an animal. They would view that person as weird or just plain uneducated. It would do no good to try to make them understand what a special blessing an intimate relationship with a pet can be.

Likewise, someone who has never known God's Son would never have respect for the hierarchy between God and man, nor would they desire a relationship with Him, His Son, or His Spirit. No Christian could ever bring them to the realization that they need a Savior for any reason. They usually see us Christians as "poor, uneducated, unsophisticated, and easy to lead".

Only prayer has the power to change a person. Only The Holy Spirit can bring a person to their point of need and the realization that Jesus Christ is Who they are looking for!

I've had to ask myself lately how much time I'm allocating for serious prayer. I remember a time when prayer was my first response.

I realize it would sound silly to some, but I had a canary named "Dennis Day" that was dying with bird pox. It was on New Year's Day and the family was going to Pasadena to see the floats. I covered Dennis' cage with an electric lap warmer, prayed God would heal him, and left for Pasadena. I had already had canaries die with the disease, so I knew if Dennis lived, it would be a miracle straight from my precious Father. It never entered my mind that it was silly to pray for a little yellow canary! I had such intimacy with my Father that I automatically ran to Him for help. It was a "mother awareness" that only a child has.

Years ago Andre Crouch wrote a song, "Take Me Back". In that song he asks the Lord to take him back to the time when he first believed. I remember those days when I was a spiritual baby in Christ. I remember the exuberance, the freedom, the joy of those days! Through the years, I have slipped back into independence and self-sufficiency. So today I purpose in my heart that God will get the first portion of my day, my heart, and my possessions.

For me, it took some observations about my relationship with my Shih Tzu to lead me to thinking about my relationship with my loving Father. I began missing that intimacy with Him, just like she misses me when we are separated. I realized I'm not recognizing His "sounds" as readily as I used to, and that makes me sad. Fortunately, I know how to change that sadness back into joy.

Lord, I'm so grateful for the lessons You teach me through the simple things in every day life. The lessons are real even though today it's a Shih Tzu spirituality thing.

(c) 1998-2009 April Lorier

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” I have an obligation to God. I am twice His. First, I am His because of creation, and secondly, I am His because of redemption through Jesus Christ. He made me and He bought me.

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Grow Bamboo in Water - Beautiful and Foolproof!

Think you have a black thumb? All of your houseplants die? How about trying hydroponic plants? These are plants grown in water with no soil. Let your imagination go wild with Bamboo!

The 'Lucky Bamboo' is marketed and grown basically as a hydroponic plant, in a decorative container with rock, marbles, polished stones (or sea shells) to keep the plant upright, and water in the bottom. No soil. (I buy mine from a Chinese grower.)

I have seen some very creative ways Bamboo is sold, even in grocery stores! My favorite is a pirate ship made from Bamboo Canes. It is large and breathtaking!

This Bamboo is a member of the Dracaena Family - sort of a cousin to the Dracaena Massangeana ("corn plant"). The canes are harvested and cut into much smaller lengths just as many Dracaenas. The tops are waxed off to help stop the entry of fungus or rot. The canes are then grouped together creating some unique looks.

So what can you do specifically or what should you be aware of in caring for your Bamboo?

Most Dracaenas can have fluoride problems that cause the edges to turn brown, and where do most of the fluoride problems come from? Our water! Use good clean pure water, not tap water. If you are going to use tap water, let it sit out over night to allow the chlorine to evaporate. It won’t remove the fluoride but the chlorine can also damage the plants. Change the water weekly.

High salts can burn the leaves of Dracaenas. Most of our salt buildups come from adding fertilizer to the water. You’ll also find salts in your city water. Stay away from fertilizing these plants altogether!

From all my growing experience and observations, the Bamboo does best in good lighting but not direct sun. (I have mine in the dining room and bathroom. The one in this photo is on my dining room table.)

How about when the plant grows too much and you want to take a cutting or cut the cane? Place the new cutting in a small pot with some rock and keep it in water until roots appear.

These plants are gorgeous, and if you use brightly colored rocks in the water (match your room's decor), they look very sophisticated!

Try one Bamboo and keep the water is clean. Then, when it doesn't die, buy another one! I have several in my home, and I love them all. Set them on some beautiful china, plant them in gorgeous heirloom pots, just let your imagination go with Bamboo Plants!

(c) 2009 April Lorier

April's 25 years in the horticulture business qualify her to give you advice on houseplants.

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Bette Midler - NATURE HERO!

If I say "Bette Midler" what do you think of? "Beaches" or "Did you ever know that you're my hero?" Ah, the Divine Ms. M. is more than a sing-and-dance girl! She's a Nature Hero!

When she made the move to New York in 1995, she couldn't believe the trash in the streets and the lack of nature she had enjoyed in Los Angeles. So, if she had to pick up the trash herself, she was going to do something about it! And she did. She founded the New York Restoration Project.

New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to reclaiming and restoring parks, community gardens and open spaces neighborhoods throughout New York City's five boroughs, and in partnership with the City of New York is leading MillionTreesNYC.

Since its founding in 1995 by Bette Midler, NYRP has achieved dramatic results by investing in the greening and beautification of under-served communities throughout New York City. NYRP staff and a corps of volunteers have

- planted hundreds of thousands of trees, shrubs and flowers to support the restoration of the City's parks and community gardens;

- removed more than 1,875 tons of garbage and debris from project sites;

- saved 55 community gardens from commercial development;

- transformed an illegal dumping ground into the five-acre Swindler Cove Park and brought the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse to the Harlem River waterfront; and

- launched the largest, urban reforestation campaign in America, while continuing to serve thousands of families and at-risk youth through environmental education programs and events.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit education organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.

Dimensions Educational Research Foundation was formed in 1998 to study how science, math and literacy learning can be enhanced by the addition of more visual-spatial activities into classrooms and homes. For a number of years, the Foundation has conducted and collected research on how children best develop visual-spatial skills and how teachers and families can optimally support this development.

Dimensions Educational Research Foundation's goal is to create and deliver unique educational programming to:

1) Help people better understand and appreciate the natural world by developing visual-spatial skills; and

2) Improve science, math and literacy learning through visual-spatial skills.

About The Home Depot Foundation: The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to improving the health of local communities by supporting the development of affordable, healthy homes for working families and by the strategic planting and preservation of trees in parks, in schoolyards and along city streets.

In 2007, The Home Depot Foundation committed to significantly increase its financial support in these two areas by awarding $100 million in grants over the next 10 years, which will result in the development of 100,000 affordable, healthy homes for working families and the planting and preservation of more than 3 million community trees. The Home Depot Foundation is a lead sponsor of MillionTreesNYC, a PlaNYC initiative and a partnership of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and New York Restoration Project.


Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project (NYRP), a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and revitalizing parks, community gardens and public space in New York City, recently celebrated the opening of The Home Depot® Foundation Community Garden, the first community garden and outdoor classroom in New York City to earn the national designation of a certified Nature Explore Classroom from the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.

Midler was joined by The Home Depot Foundation President, Kelly Caffarelli, NYRP Executive Director Drew Becher and 20 students from East Harlem's PS 155 at the celebration where they participated in the first environmental education lesson to take place at the new garden.

"I am thrilled to be working with visionaries like The Home Depot Foundation, the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation," said NYRP founder, Bette Midler. "I am grateful that these wonderful people understand that the future of the country – indeed, the world – lies in the hands of our children. We owe them the very best of everything, and how fabulous it is to be able to give the students of PS 155 a first-class introduction to nature."

The garden, the first to be designed completely by New York Restoration Project staff, meets the unique criteria for a certified Nature Explore Classroom. New York Restoration Project staff worked closely with the members of the community during the design process to ensure that the garden also meets the needs and desires of the residents who will use it.

It features several unique areas dedicated to different types of unstructured play including: a reading garden, nature art area, fantasy playhouse, building area and a special messy materials area. New York Restoration Project will use the new space to host numerous classes from the organization's comprehensive, award-winning "Nature in My Neighborhood" curriculum, leveraging these unique activity areas to educate and inspire students to have a positive connection and fall in love with nature.

"The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to creating sustainable communities, and we know that providing healthy green spaces for children and families to play and learn is critical to this effort," said Kelly Caffarelli, president, The Home Depot Foundation. "We are delighted that we had the opportunity to partner with NYRP and the Arbor Day Foundation to create this outdoor classroom in a garden setting where students can really get their hands dirty, have fun and learn about our environment."

Nature Explore Classrooms are part of the Nature Explore Program, a collaborative project of the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation. Developed in response to the growing disconnect between children and nature, certified Nature Explore Classrooms are designed to help fill the void by educating young children using research-based principles for integrating nature into their daily learning.

These Classrooms offer interactive elements that give children important and inspiring nature experiences. While connecting children with nature, such unstructured play and activities are shown to enhance concentration, develop creativity and problem-solving, relieve stress and improve skills in many areas.

"The Home Depot Foundation Community Garden will have a positive impact in the East Harlem neighborhood by helping to connect young children with nature on a daily basis," said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation.

"The Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation appreciate the leadership role The Home Depot Foundation has made to the Nature Explore program. The community garden will serve a vital role as it introduces nature in the lives of children in New York City."

With their sponsorship of this new community garden, The Home Depot Foundation has extended an already large partnership with New York Restoration Project. A lead sponsor of MillionTreesNYC, a PlaNYC initiative and a partnership of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and New York Restoration Project, The Home Depot Foundation is well known for its commitment to improving the quality of life, health and environment in local communities especially in low-income neighborhoods. Over the course of their three-year lead sponsorship of the MillionTreesNYC initiative, the organization is providing $1.5 million to the initiative which includes the creation of a community grant program that promotes tree planting, stewardship and education.

"The generosity of partners like The Home Depot Foundation has made it possible for us to bring new and exciting programs to the children in our community," said Drew Becher, executive director of the New York Restoration project. "Their support will help us connect and inspire many of The City's children to learn through nature."

I say, you go, Bette! Did you ever know that you're my hero?

(c) 2009 April Lorier

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Snake Plant - What's In a Name?

Novice plant growers love this plant because it is almost impossible to kill! This plant has many aliases worldwide, one of which is Snake Plant. But what's in a name? Its botanical name is Sanseveria trifasciata 'Laruentii'. Boy, that's a mouthful! You could also know it as Mother-in-Law's Tongue, or any of its other dozen names, depending upon the part of the world you're in. But the botanical name is the same.

It can be grown outdoors in the shade, or indoors. I keep a few around my bathtub because they are efficient little air cleaners - and they look great, too! Also, it is a poisonous plant to eat, so my dog doesn't get to them around the bathtub.

If yours has yellow margins around each 'sword' then it was grown from dividing the rhizome (root). If it's all green, then it was grown from cuttings.

There are many varieties of Sanseveria and they all look a little different. Just like your last name might be "Jones" and your first name is "Jane." But all of your paternal cousins' names are "Jones" too! So how are they distinguishable? They all have different first names. And, they look different, too!

It's the same with plants: Sanseveria is like the last (maiden) name, even though it is said first. Confused? Well, I have a cousin who looks more like me than my own sister does. My cousin had the same last (maiden) name as I did before we both got married. But people can sure tell us apart!

I know so many young housewives who want to decorate their homes with beautiful, but easy-to-grow plants, and they want to learn the botanical names because there are so many common names that it's confusing. For example, depending on which part of the United States you live in, one plant is called "Spider Plant" (in the West) and "Airplane Plant" in the East.

Shakespeare asked, in Romeo and Juliet: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Sanseverias don't have a fragrance, but they sure are dependable house plants for beginners. Pick up a couple of small ones (4" pots) and watch with glee as the new babies form around the parent plants. Be ready to transplant them to 6" pots when it's obvious they're living crowded in that small pot, and in about a year you can choose to either split the plant or buy a bigger pot. It's fun to watch the plant multiply!

Hope this helps you understand what's in a name for plants, and how to pick the easy-to-grow ones from the shelves. The botanical name helps you know, for sure, what you are buying.

(c) 2009 April Lorier

April's love for plants, and her 25 years in the horticultural business qualify her to give you advice on house plants.

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Lilacs and Walt Whitman

The first three verses of this long poem by Walt Whitman express how I feel about the beautiful lilacs. I photographed my own lilacs in Big Bear, California and was overcome with their fragrance as I clicked.

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed
by Walt Whitman

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed,
And the great star early drooped in the western sky in the night,
I mourned, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.

Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring,
Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,
And thought of him I love.

~

O powerful western fallen star!
O shades of night -O moody, tearful night!
O great star disappeared -O the black murk that hides the star!
O cruel hands that hold me powerless -O helpless soul of me!
O harsh surrounding cloud that will not free my soul.

~

In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-washed palings,
Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love,
With every leaf a miracle -and from this bush in the dooryard,
With delicate-coloured blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
A sprig with its flower I break.

Thank you, Walt Whitman

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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A Christian's View of the Planet

Jesus never told us to have a heart for the planet. Jesus had a heart for the poor. Throughout the New Testament, we are told repeatedly to take care of the poor and needy.

Again, Jesus never told us to have a heart for the planet. Not that I don't believe we should care about our planet; it just was never taught by Jesus. So why all the emphasis on so-called global warming (or climate control) and animals instead of the poor and needy human beings?

Are we living in an age of "worshiping the Creation instead of the Creator"?

To drill or not to drill may be the hottest issue in this Congress and with this administration. Drilling supporters argue it will lower gas prices. Opponents claim it poses too many environmental risks—and besides, they say, paying $4 per gallon for gas is good for us because it will force us to develop alternative energy sources.

So what's the answer?

Christians need to weigh the arguments—and find a balanced approach. Of course, we care for the creation; we are stewards, as the Bible commands. But our highest priority should be looking out, not for the planet, but for people, and especially the poor.

Nobody feels the pain of high gas prices more than working-class and poor Americans. High gas prices are also driving higher food prices, which really pinch poor families. America's environmentally correct elites may be able to afford $4 a gallon for gas and $4.50 per gallon for milk—the poor and working folks cannot.

Sure, we must conserve, and develop alternatives to oil. But in the meantime, the costly "lessons" the elites want to teach us are being borne on the backs of the poor, and are shaking the world's economy. All the while we have ample oil reserves offshore and in Alaska which would enable us not to be held hostage by Middle East tyrants.

Why do radical environmentalists seem so indifferent to the poor?

It is a matter of worldview. If you deify nature instead of God, if you believe humans are just another species of animal with no greater moral status than a kangaroo rat—well, you don't have to worry much about the poor or marginalized. But if you believe God created humans in His image, and gave each one of us a unique and privileged place within His creation, then your concern for the poor far outweighs concerns for nature—especially speculative concerns like global warming.

If you are a Christian, you also see humans as producers and stewards, not as consumers and polluters. And while secular environmentalists fear that too much economic freedom will damage the Earth, the reality is the opposite: Countries with the greatest economic freedom eliminate pollution much more quickly than less free countries. That's because economic freedom lifts people out of poverty, and once out of poverty, they begin taking better care of their surroundings.

Whether we drill need not be an either/or choice between people and the planet: In an excellent book titled Environmental Stewardship in the Judeo-Christian Tradition, published by the Acton Institute, 25 Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic thinkers argue that sound environmental stewardship "must attend both to the demands of human well-being and to a divine call for human beings to exercise caring dominion over the earth."

But we are to be good stewards of the environment first and foremost because it is good for human flourishing—not as an end in itself. [It is all about motivation.] Human well-being and the integrity of creation, they write, "are not only compatible but also dynamically interdependent realities."

Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly condemned His people, not for despoiling the pristine wilderness, but for forsaking the poor and needy. Is this not His same message to us today?

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Take your inheritance...For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25:34a-36

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Beautiful, But Easy House Plant: "Spath"

Because of my years in the horticulture business, I am often asked to recommend a plant that's beautiful, but easy to care for. I usually recommend the Spathiphyllum, known by a variety of common names: "peace lily" or "mauna loa" or "Madonna Lily." and many others. Its dark green leaves, accentuated by snow white flowers that resemble lilies make it an attractive plant for any room in the house. The best thing about "spaths" is that the dark green leaves will flourish quite nicely in the rooms with less light. Of course, if you want your "spath" to keep flowering, light is what makes it bloom.

There are a large variety of Spathiphyllums, and not all of them bloom. Twenty years ago Peace lily was grown primarily as a foliage plant, and was started from seeds. The main variety was Spathiphyllum Mauna Loa and flowers were an added benefit.

Today, most of the Spathiphyllum grown are produced from tissue culture or cloning. Breeders look for specific traits during the selection process, such as flowering habits, leaf texture, toughness, cold tolerant or handles low light well.

Once they have found or developed a plant that meets specific traits or market needs, it is then produced in the lab by the thousands. This process “guarantees” the plants being “all the same” and will all grow the same… same height, same fullness, same flowering, same care, etc. This also helps growers to get a consistent supply of plant material.

There are many varieties of Spathiphyllum on the market today. Some of the varieties grown in 4-6 inch pots have been selected for their flowering traits or ability to force lots of flowers on a small plant. These plants are treated with chemicals to induce this quantity of flowers. They carry names like petite or starlite.

Some of the larger varieties 10″ and up such as Supreme and Lynise have been selected for their interior qualities. Another variety used indoors is Sensation and you may never see a flower on it. But, the plant is, as the name says Sensation-al, it can reach heights of 5-6 feet.

Spathiphyllum is mildly toxic to humans and animals when ingested, so if your cat seems overly interested in your new plant, get rid of the plant and buy a silk one. Or, get rid of the cat!

(c) 2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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A Grape Is A Grape, A Miracle Is a Miracle

Grapes are a very big business in California, the state that produces 98% of the grapes grown in America. California grows so may species, and a grape is just one of them. But as you drive through California, you will encounter many vineyards. In addition, many homeowners grow grapes in their own yards.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization 75,866 square kilometers of the world are dedicated to grapes.

A grape is the non-climacteric (they ripen without ethylene and respiration bursts) fruit, botanically a true berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, and grape seed oil. Grapes are also used in some kinds of candy.

Italy grows 13% of the world's grapes, and is the largest grape producing country in the world. America produces 8% and is the world's fourth largest-producing nation.

For a list of the hundreds of types of grapes grown world-wide, this is the place to go.

Following fruit set, the grape berries are green and hard to the touch. They have very little sugar and are high in organic acids. They begin to grow to about half their final size when they enter the stage of veraison. (Veraison is the transition from berry growth to berry ripening, and many changes in berry development occur at veraison.)

This stage signals the beginning of the ripening process and normally takes places around 40-50 days after fruit set. In the Northern Hemisphere this will be around the end of July and into August and between the end of January into February for the Southern Hemisphere.

During this stage the colors of the grape take form-red/black or yellow/green depending on the grape varieties. This color changing is due to the chlorophyll in the berry skin being replaced by anthocyanins (red wine grapes) and carotenoids (white wine grapes). In a process known as engustment, the berries start to soften as they build up sugars.

Within six days of the start of veraison, the berries begin to grow dramatically as they accumulate glucose and fructose and acids begin to fall.

I marvel at this process. What - or Who - programmed it? My neighbor has a grape vine and one day it evoked a profound revelation. I was thinking about how miracle-obsessed some Christians are, and how I have been there a time or two. I looked at the grapes hanging from their vines, and it hit me like a lightening bolt!

Jesus created the grape that hangs on that vine, and programmed the process. That's a miracle of creation! Jesus later turned the water into wine. That was an instantaneous miracle, but no more a miracle than the slower growing of the grape He had created and programmed. A miracle is a miracle, fast or slow.

I began to ponder that revelation as I watched my neighbor prune and feed his grapevine. What was God trying to teach me through these ordinary grapes?

I concluded that His goal is to teach me to partner with Him, child to Father, and sometimes those slower miracles are exactly what it takes. As long as I stay mindful of this revelation, I keep His indescribable peace. It's only when I allow myself to be distracted by this impatient nature that the child in me starts demanding instant miracles and I lose my peace.

Thank You, Father, for all those "ordinary" grapes. Thank You for the dormant season as well as the fruit-bearing season, for it's in the dormant season that I come back to Your revelation: A grape is a grape. A miracle is a miracle. Time has nothing to do with it.

(c) 2007-2009 April Lorier

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

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Janet Huckabee's River Valley Nature Center

The Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center sits on 170 acres of land in Fort Smith that were previously part of Fort Chaffee. The building overlooks Wells Lake, a popular local fishing and picnicking destination.

Built in the fertile Arkansas River Valley, the center focuses on the wide variety of animals and birds that call the area home. In addition to resident Canada geese and small mammals and turtles calling the center home, many colorful songbirds stop by on their journeys to and from wintering grounds farther south.
While many visitors come to the center for the interesting exhibits inside, just as many find the trails, native plants on the grounds and canoeing or fishing in the lake just as enjoyable.

A few of their regularly scheduled programs are the daily "Critter Crunch" (Animal Feeding), Boating Education, Story Time, Family Fun Night with Nature, the Star Party, Guided Hikes, Canoe/Kayak Program, Laser Shot, and On-Target Archery.

They also feature a Youth Watercolor Workshop, Shooting Sports Day Camp, and the Basic Outdoor Skills Day Retreat. These are for specific ages of the children.
The Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center is the third of four planned Arkansas Game and Fish Commission nature centers funded by the 1/8th-Cent Conservation Sales Tax passed in 1996.

The center is built on 170 acres of land that was part of Fort Chaffee. In addition to the spacious building surrounded by hickory and oak trees, the grounds are home to a series of trails and Wells Lake, a popular fishing destination. The rear deck overlooking Wells Lake is an excellent place to take in the view and enjoy a quiet moment outdoors. The trails around the lake feature exhibit signs highlighting the lake, grounds and animals using the area. Visitors also can watch for wildlife attracted to feeders and a circulating stream near the corner of the building.

Exhibits play a large part in the nature center. Visitors will discover representations of the Ouachita and Ozark mountains, a life-sized oak tree exhibit crawling with game and non-game animal displays and a 1,200-gallon aquarium with native Arkansas fish. In addition to the interactive displays and exhibits, the center houses a classroom for educational programs such as the Hunter’s Safety and Boating Safety courses and a multipurpose room for community events.

Like Arkansas' outdoors, the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center depends on the support of people with a passion for the natural world.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our conservation efforts. They work with everything from computers and photography to trail building and canoe instruction. Everyone has something to contribute to the outdoors, and they encourage people from all walks of life to participate. View the descriptions of the volunteer positions.

Thank you, Janet Huckabee, for making nature available to the children and adults of Arkansas! I hope they get to see lots of the Arkansas State Bird, the Mockingbird!

2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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An Ear for Nature's Music

Nature has impacted every area of my life for all of my life. In my "What's the Point of Nature?" post, I shared how nature helped me during a troubled childhood, through recovery as an adult, and how it is a vehicle through which God speaks to me about Him, His Truths, and His Ways. I always had an ear for nature's music, so I share much in common with David, The Psalmist who marveled at God's creativity. I spend a lot of time in the Psalms! But there are other ways nature has impacted my life.

When it came time to determine one of my careers, it was my love for nature that led me into the horticulture business. There is something so gratifying about taking a seed (or a seedling), planting it, nurturing it, and watching it grow into a healthy adult plant. It's analogous to parenting in so many ways. My horticulture corporation was extremely lucrative, the work was extremely satisfying and gave pleasure to thousands of people, including yours truly. It co-existed with my music teaching for years, and then I retired from the business, but not from the pursuit of beautiful nature.

Because I had been a professional musician and a music teacher, I began a new business. Knowing how important music is to the development of children's brains, and having such an ear for the music of nature, I began yet another business. This time I contracted with public school PTAs as a visiting music teacher for children aged 5-10 years. It was my favorite job of all!

Fortunately, my personality is well-suited for young children, and they loved "Miss April." Here's a sample of what they wrote on another website:

"Miss April" is a funny lady! She teaches us to snap our fingers while we dance to our heartbeats! Her hair goes all around as she dances faster and faster to her heartbeat. We all laugh at her, but we know we are all born with rhythm inside our bodies. She says we all have "music" inside our bodies, and we had it there even before we were born! God gave it to us!

We play a pretend game with her. We pretend there are no people, no animals, birds, fish, or insects on the earth. Then we try to guess where the music is! We do good at guessing, because Miss April makes noises to give us hints! We learn about the wind, the wind on the ocean, the wind blowing through the trees, the lightening and thunder, and we do the "nature dances".

Then "Miss April" has a coloring contest and she gives real prizes, too! We have to draw a picture of "Nature's Music" and show where the sound is coming from! This one won first prize for the first grade.


We learn to count rhythms, to march, to clap something she calls "poly-rhythms", and sing songs about nature. We learned only boy canaries can sing, so the boys in our class thought they were smarter than the girls. But then we learned about the bees in their hives, and how the "Queen Bee" rules! Then the girls got to laugh at the boys and call them "worker bees"!

There has never been a job with more personal gratification for me. To be able to introduce young minds to God's Creation and start the listening process in their minds and spirits was awesome. Perhaps some of those children will grow up to be teachers, or scientists, or writers in love with nature. And the seeds I planted will sprout into lovely vessels filled with a love for nature and an ear for nature's music. Awesome!

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Mozart has the classic purity of light and the blue ocean; Beethoven the romantic grandeur which belongs to the storms of air and sea, and while the soul of Mozart seems to dwell on the ethereal peaks of Olympus, that of Beethoven climbs shuddering the storm-beaten sides of a Sinai. Blessed be they both! Each represents a moment of the ideal life, each does us good. Our love is due to both. ~ Henri Frederic Amiel

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"What's The Point of Nature?"

I have actually been asked what the point of nature is. Honest! I know the benefits of nature because I have experienced them firsthand. I know the deficits of places with no exposure to nature because I have experienced them, too. So I am speaking out of my own experiences.

As a child I had a vivid imagination. I got bored easily, so I was often in trouble. (Think Anne of Green Gables.) Two things helped me survive childhood: books and nature.

Throughout my posts, I have described my wonder and awe as a child contemplating clouds, leaves (from the underside) of tall trees, worms, tadpoles, lizards, toads, mountains and many other components of nature. Imagination was stoked and had no bounds as I enjoyed unstructured time in God's creation.

As an adult, I had left-over issues from childhood abuse, and nature was, once again, my respite. Exposure to different forms of life reduced my stress, relaxed me, improved my mental clarity, and increased my sense of well-being. In effect, the child within me reached out to embrace the beauty of "my friend" - nature.

Numerous studies have been done, and the findings were consistent with my own experiences. For someone recovering from surgery in a hospital room, even a more natural view from a window promotes health. Why do you think people take plants to those in hospital rooms? Because bringing plants and pets into hospital rooms and residential care facilities such as nursing homes improves physical and mental health!

Frances Kuo has conducted a number of studies, confirmed by other researchers, showing that contact with even very small green spaces in cities leads to improvement in children's abilities to pay attention, delay gratification, and manage impulses.

Most people in today's world do not look to nature as a remedy for emotional problems. We rarely, if ever, see an advertisement for nature therapy, although we see many an ad for anti-depressants or behavior medication. Plenty of parenting books dole out advice on how to handle challenging behaviors. Rare however, is the advice manual that recommends time being spent in the natural world.

Try totally disconnecting either an adult or a child from nature and watch as deep depression takes over his/her personality. On the other hand, take a senior citizen outside where hummingbirds are humming, birds are singing, and leaves are swishing in the wind, and watch that senior citizen's eyes light up with glee!

God designed all of His creatures, including humans, to experience His other creations. Once we started replacing agriculture with shopping malls, parking lots, and highways, I began to see more and more ads for anti-depressants on television. I do not find that unusual.

I have friends who walk together every night after dinner. It helps digest their food, gives them exposure to familiar neighborhood nature, gives them a chance to hold hands and be verbally intimate, and prepares them for a restful night's sleep. That is the point of nature!

If you don't believe me, just ask your dog!

So, as the photo shows, I surround myself with as much nature as humanly possible. :-D And when I go to sleep at night, I have a sound machine playing. Nothing like the sound of the ocean and a few crickets to put this girl to sleep!

(Please note: This is a nature blog, not a science blog. The name of this blog is Christian Nature. Notice "Christian" is the first word and "Nature" is the second.)

I am not a pantheist. In pantheism the Universe (Nature) and God are equivalent. I am a Bible-believing Christian who believes God is the Creator of nature. When He created humans He placed them into nature. It was called "The Garden of Eden."

(c) 2009 April Lorier

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

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Don't Eat The Oleander!

I love oleanders! In my yards, I have had every kind of oleander that grows in Southern California. But I have learned: whatever you do, don't eat the oleander leaves or flowers!

The oleander is a tough durable shrub that is inexpensive and easy to grow in most situations. Abundant, beautiful flowers are produced in many colors and some varieties are delightfully fragrant. New homeowners appreciate oleander's satisfyingly fast growth rate and ability to quickly green up a bare lot. But, again, the warning: don't eat the oleander!

This fast growing evergreen shrub can reach up to 20' tall, but is usually seen trimmed at 6-10' . It forms a rounded mound to about 10' wide. It is a tough, versatile plant with showy summertime flowers in white, red, pink, salmon and light yellow. Leathery, lance shaped leaves range from about 4-10" long, depending on variety and are a bright green.

Oleanders have a tendency to become leggy - overgrown individuals should be pruned as needed to maintain a nice shape. A popular variety is 'Petit Salmon' which is a dwarf that grows to only 4' tall.

There are several white flowering varieties, like 'Sister Agnes' which is a favorite. It is a large plant with deep green leaves. Grow it in shrub borders and partial shade at the edge of woodsy areas where the white flowers show their best. The light yellow double flowered variety, 'Luteum Plenum' is another favorite.

Nerium oleander is native to northern Africa, the eastern Mediterranean basin and southeast Asia. Oleander prefers dry, warm climates and may naturalize in such areas. (That's why they're used so much in freeway/highway landscaping.) But, surprisingly, Texas claims to be the state with the most oleanders! (I thought California had the most.) Galveston, Texas even has jubilee festivals for oleanders!

But, here's the warning again! I learned this the hard way when my expensive parrots were leaning out of their cages to nibble on the nearby oleanders.

Oleander is toxic -- do not ingest. Contact with skin may cause reaction. Avoid smoke when burning cuttings. Do not use in playgrounds or other areas frequented by young children and pets.

It's that way with much of the world's philosophy these days. It "sounds" good, even logical. But it doesn't square with what my Guidebook says. And if it contradicts The Bible, well, sorry. I don't swallow it. I remember the Apostle John told us we were to test all things because there would be false teachers and prophets around us. (1 John) Boy, did he see that one coming!

Just as I should check if a beautiful plant is toxic before I purchase it, I should test beautiful sounding theories before I swallow them. Simple rule, I'd say. I know it keeps me from walking away in deception from the One I know I can trust!

(c) 2009 April Lorier

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

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Nature-Organic Architect Frank Lloyd Wright

One of my experiences that fueled my passion for nature was visiting my mother at her place of employment: Taliesin West Headquarters of The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Employees and "disciples" spoke his name with hushed tones, and often referred to him as "the genius."

One of his sayings, and there were many, that I liked was:

Every great architect is -- necessarily -- a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.

And Frank Lloyd Wright was a genius at interpretation! But the irony is that he was always ahead of his time!

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in 1867, and grew up in rural Wisconsin. He was taught the virtue of hard work, and acquired a love of the landscape. At the age of eighteen he entered university to study civil engineering and shortly thereafter began his career in architecture. He became a revolutionary and a nonconformist.

He despised what he called the stale, backward looking ideas of his peers who were designing architecture based on the Greek, Roman, Gothic, and Tudor models instead of creating a new, vibrant American landscape. He longed to be freed from the limits of existing material and designs.

In his various writings, he described "organic architecture" with site-specific construction where "form and function were one." He set forth the principles of the Prairie House with open expanses and limited subdivisions, which he referred to as "boxes." In case you're not clear on the meaning of organic architecture, a phrase coined by Mr. Wright, it's basically more than green, beyond individual, it describes a way of thinking about design that transcends the common, everyday buildings around us. ecological + individual = organic

No matter where I went -- outside or inside -- Taliesin West was all about bringing nature to the forefront! There is an excellent gallery of Taliesin West photos at Great Buildings.

So, why did Frank Lloyd Wright build Taliesin West?

Taliesin I was built in 1911 in Wisconsin. The word Taliesin means "a shining brow" perhaps alluding to the scenic location and vista. It was built to be a home, a work place, a school and a cultural center for his students. Wright designed it all, to the last piece of furniture. In 1914 it suffered severe fire damage.

Taliesin II was soon built on the same spot but was also damaged by fire, and again rebuilt as Taliesin III. He was not going to give up!

Then in 1927 architect Albert Chase McArthur (a former student of Wright’s) asked Wright to help him with the projected construction of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. (I've been there, and it's breathtaking!)

Wright accepted, came to Phoenix and presented plans based on his unusual architectural principles. There was opposition to the unique design and some compromises were made. Known today as The Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, the award winning property describes itself as “the only existing hotel in the world with a Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced design.”

Wright founded the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in 1932 to teach his theories and practices to young men and women. Subsequently, he decided that he needed a camp to escape the harsh Wisconsin winters. Five years later the seventy-year-old architect returned to Arizona and purchased the land upon which he built Taliesin West.

It turned out to be much more than the winter camp for which it was intended. In the course of the next 22 years until his death in 1959, Frank Lloyd Wright was awarded, rewarded, decorated and celebrated here and abroad. He was a prolific writer, inventor, world traveler, and, of course, architect.

During his lifetime, Wright continually altered and added to the complex of buildings, all of which were constructed by students.Many of Wright's most famous buildings were designed in the drafting room at Taliesin West, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York City and Grady Gammage Auditorium at Arizona State University in Tempe.

Taliesin West continues as the headquarters of The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and as the winter home for the School of Architecture. The structure was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982. Tours of the home and school are conducted on a regular basis.

In 2008, the U.S. National Park Service submitted Taliesin West along with nine other Frank Lloyd Wright properties to a tentative list for World Heritage Status. The 10 sites have been submitted as one, total, site. The January 22, 2008 press release from the National Park Service website announcing the nominations states that, "The preparation of a Tentative List is a necessary first step in the process of nominating a site to the World Heritage List."


The 33rd Session of the World Heritage Committee will meet from June 22-30 in Seville, Spain to make that decision.


My mother was in awe of Frank Lloyd Wright, and so am I. His students are still creating buildings by his philosophy, so Frank's gift will go on for generations. I'm happy about that. His organic architecture lives on!

(c) 2009 April Lorier

I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen. - Frank Lloyd Wright 1867-1959

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