H, Author at Hope Reflected

Thursday

22

September 2016

5 Fall Container Gardening Ideas for Your Patio

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

The transition from Summer to Fall can be difficult to navigate for even the most advanced gardeners, and it seems like at this time every fall season we find it easier to purchase pre-made containers filled with fall blooms or even just basic potted mums.

In looking for some autumn garden inspiration, I came across some beautiful and unique fall container gardens that would suit our home — especially while we’re fortunate enough to be experiencing some warmer temperatures! Take a look at my latest gardening pins over on my Pinterest, and check out these five fall container gardening ideas for your own patio!

1. Not your traditional fall planter. Featuring all the deep shades of autumn, this fall container garden is both unexpected and absolutely lovely. Filled with Purple Pixie® Loropetalum, ‘Lemon Lime’ Nandina,, ‘Fireworks’ Pennisetum, and ‘Alabama Sunset’ Coleus, this planter is one that would get compliments at any door.

img src southernlivingplants

2. Tall and slender. This unique container doesn’t take up a whole lot of horizontal room, which I love — ideally suited for smaller patio areas or apartment living. While most people view yellow blooms (pictured below is thunbergia ‘Susie Orange with Eye’) as a sure sign of spring, the warm hue works well and stands out against the rest of the darker plants like pennisetum glaucum ‘Purpple Majesty’ (ornamental millet), iresine ‘Purple Lady’, alternanthera ‘Purple Knight’.

img src gardendesign.com

3. Warming up wicker. While most of us look to Fall as the season for putting away patio furniture, if you’ve got a wicker side table, try using it as a stand for your fall container gardening! While potato vine wouldn’t thrive in our climate, homes in the south could certainly enjoy a vibrant fall container filled with the cascading vine, croton, and large gal mums.

img src southernliving

4. Colourful kale and cabbage. Definitely not comes to mind when I think fall container gardening, ornamental cabbage (brassica hybrid) and kale are a very interesting way to fill a planter for fall! Both hearty and eye-catching, you can usually find ornamental cabbage and kale in a variety of shapes, colours, and sizes. Add some common ivy and you’ve got a beautiful fall container.

img src OMGLifestyleBlog

5. Grasses and mums. Ah, the traditional fall planter. When it comes to fall container gardening, you really can’t go wrong with a variety of grasses and fall mums. Try incorporating grasses in a variety of heights, colours, and texture into your fall planter, and complement with brightly-coloured mums. The beauty of using grasses in your outdoor autumn decorating is that grasses quite often last right into the winter season.

img src thegardenglove

6. Dark and moody. If you’re not a fan of colour and prefer to keep your outdoor decorating low-key, this striking fall foliage planter may be a combination that could work for you. I love the monotone mood of purple millet, black mondo grass, and sweet potato vine.

img src gardenista

If you’re looking for more fall gardening inspiration, be sure to follow along on my Pinterest!

Wednesday

21

September 2016

Wednesday Wisdom: Discouragement is a Choice

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Wednesday Wisdom

“Disappointments are inevitable. Discouragement is a choice.” Charles Stanley

It would be completely unrealistic to think that throughout our lives we’ll never experience disappointment. Yet, how often do we experience disappointment and then get discouraged, without realizing that taking the unnecessary detour of discouragement is actually a choice?

Disappointment is defined as “the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations.”

Discouragement is defined as “a loss of confidence or enthusiasm; dispiritedness.”

It’s easy to see then how experiencing disappointment can lead to discouragement, right? Especially if we experience repeated disappointments; it can cause us to doubt our abilities, to question our circumstances, to choose discouragement.

Charles Stanley’s words, “Disappointments are inevitable. Discouragement is a choice.” are easy words to say, and hard to live. I know in my own life I often struggle with disappointment and discouragement. The key is not to stay there!

When you’re tempted to choose discouragement, remember these verses:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7
“Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22
“Fear thou not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God; I will strengthen you, yes I will help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.'” Jeremiah 29:11
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Tuesday

20

September 2016

Oscar Peterson Roses

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

Earlier this Summer, I got an amazing deal on some roses that were listed as clearance at a local store. Marked down to less than half price, I couldn’t resist purchasing a bush of Oscar Peterson roses, part of the Canadian Artists series. It wasn’t necessarily the quality and good condition of the rose bush that sold me, it was more the fact that these were Oscar Peterson roses! (If you know Wes and I, you know our obsession with all things jazz music). Naturally, the Oscar Peterson roses seemed like they’d be a perfect fit for our front garden.

As you can see from the photo above, our rose bush was in need of some tender love and care. We planted it as is, and trimmed off the dead blooms, and we also fertilized. Not discouraged, I thought it might help new growth if we trimmed the entire rose bush back. Sure enough, the plant grew back, however after about one month there were still no blooms.

It looked good and appeared healthy, however nearer the end of August, our Oscar Peterson rose bush still had no blooms. It could have been related to the fact that we experienced a cooler period in the weather, or the fact that we trimmed back the entire rose bush. That being said, last week, after two months of no blooms, our Oscar Peterson rose bush finally produced the most beautiful, delicate blooms!

Aren’t they absolutely lovely? We are loving these roses. As a mature flower, the Oscar Peterson rose features vivid white petals and a yellow stamen. The two roses pictured above were our first two blooms of the season, followed by two additional blooms that haven’t quite opened.

As you can see, the blooms above are the roses before they’ve fully bloomed. The Oscar Peterson rose variety begins its life as a very soft yellow rose, and as it opens becomes a bright white. We’re thinking the two yellow blooms could be due to the cooler weather we experienced last week, and are looking forward to later this week when the roses totally open up.

The unfortunate thing about our Oscar Peterson roses is that since we’ve trimmed the bush back, the plant regrew and appeared healthy, however once the roses started blooming, we noted the leaves have taken on a spotted appearance, where the skin of the leaves actually takes on a transparent appearance. [#Gardenchat friends, any advice here would be appreciated.]

Wes and I are looking forward to adding additional roses from the Canadian Artists Roses Consortium to our garden next year. If you’re not familiar with Canadian Artist roses, more than 1,000 original hybrids were made in the development of this series. 35 of these made the final selection list, and in 2007, two varieties (the Felix LeClerc rose and the Emily Carr rose) were introduced; in 2012, the Bill Reid rose was introduced; in 2014, the Campfire rose (named in honour of Group of Seven artist Tom Thomson) was introduced; and this year, in 2016, the Oscar Peterson rose was introduced.

If you’re looking for a unique flower for your garden, we would definitely recommend checking out the Canadian Artist rose series. Each bloom is beautiful, a different colour, and tells a story you can share in your garden for years to come. For more information, visit the Canadian Artists Roses website.

“In the plant world, none is more revered than the elegant rose, a symbol of true love for millennia, a flower of singular beauty with no equals.”

Monday

19

September 2016

Encouragement: Attributes of God – Deuteronomy 32:4

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Encouragement

“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4

God has so many incredible attributes; when I feel discouraged, it often helps to a. give thanks, and b. consider the many attributes of God that we so often take for granted.

If you’re looking for encouragement today, consider this: God, the Creator of the entire Universe, created you, and He loves you! If you will seek Him, He will hear you and He longs to have a relationship with you.

Think about it: The Creator of the entire Universe wants to know you! If you’re looking for reasons to get to know Him, consider these 5 amazing attributes of God:

God is the Rock. Not just a rock. THE Rock. You can lean on Him whenever, wherever, and about whatever. We serve an awesome God who wants to have a relationship with us. We can confide anything to Him; He loves us!
His work is perfect. Perfect. Not good. Not great. Perfect. In Hebrews 12:2, we are told that God is the author and finisher of our faith. His way is perfect, and His work is perfect. Choose the path that He has for you!
All His ways are justice. ALL. Not some. Not most. ALL. God is just, and God is truth. So many times in life we think circumstances or things aren’t fair, or we hear things said about us or people make assumptions about us that aren’t true. We serve a God who’s ways, ALL His ways, are justice. And He is truth. In Revelation 1:8 we learn that God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the One Who is, Who always was, and Who is still to come.
God is Righteous. By definition, He is morally right or justifiable; He is virtuous. God doesn’t change; He’s always been righteous, and always will be.
God is Upright. Strictly honourable or honest. Imagine knowing someone Who doesn’t — who can’t — lie; that’s God! If you’re looking for someone Who will always be honest with you, Who will never tell lies, Who places value on you, then look no further than our Heavenly Father. Psalm 23:1 tells us that God is our Shepherd; Psalm 121:3 reminds us that God will not allow our feet to slip; that He who keeps us will not slumber.

“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4

Monday

12

September 2016

Encouragement: Psalm 138:3

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Encouragement

Psalm 138 is one of the most encouraging psalms. Written by David, a man after God’s own heart, Psalm 138 is filled with some amazing truths.

“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3

One of David’s psalms, Psalm 138 is so encouraging and inspiring. It speaks of whole-hearted praise for God, worship of His Holiness, God’s lovingkindness and truth, the power of God’s Word, God’s ways, and so much more.

Perhaps my favourite verse from this Psalm of praise is verse 3, when David says: “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.”

This verse tells me at least four facts:

God is always there for me, I just need to seek Him. “When I cried out…”
God’s answers prayers. “You answered me…”. It may not always how we think He will answer, or how we think He should answer, but God hears our prayers, and He answers our prayers. Thank you, Lord!
God makes me bold. “You…made me bold.” We all know Proverbs 28:1, which tells us that “the righteous are bold as a lion”. True boldness comes from Christ. D.L. Moody once said, “When we find a man meditating on the words of God, that man is full of boldness and is successful.”
God provides strength for my soul. “…with strength in my soul.” God is more than capable of bringing me through anything. I’m reminded me of one of the other encouraging psalms, with the incredible promise of Psalm 27:14: “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” God will provide the strength you need for whatever you’re facing this week. Note it doesn’t say that He’ll remove the problem in front of you, but He will, HE WILL! provide the strength you need to come through it. Praise the Lord!

We serve an amazing God, and He longs to have a relationship with us, and to provide for us. If you’re looking for examples God’s goodness, check out any number of the encouraging psalms. Written by various authours who faced various challenges—and received various blessings—throughout their lives, the psalms are some of the most inspiring and incredible chapters of the Bible. All we need to do is cry out to Him! Wherever you are today, God is there for you, He will answer your prayers, He will make you bold, and He will provide you with strength for your soul! God is good!

Thursday

8

September 2016

5 Fall Flowers for Your Garden

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

There’s certainly (hopefully) still some warm weather to enjoy before we’re full-blown into Fall, especially if our ferns, hydragneas, and rose bushes are any indication. That being said, Wes and I have been putting some thought into Fall flowers and considering what we’d like to incorporate into our yard in the future.

I’ve been pinning some great Fall flower gardening options over on my Pinterest, and I’ve got to say, the options for flowers in a Fall garden are endless! There are so many varieties of blooms out there. We’re already planning ahead what perennials we want to get growing for next year. In the meantime, here are 5 Fall flowers for your garden:

1. Aster. Ah, the aster flower. In hues like purple, white, pink, and even blue, asters provides excellent colour to stand out in your Fall garden, long after other blooms have died off for the year. While they look similar to mums, don’t be deceived. Asters don’t come in as many varieties or colours as mums.

img src prariemoon.com

2. Colchicums. Beautiful, bold, and bright, colchicums (like the Waterlily variety pictured below) provide a lovely spread of blooms throughout the Fall. Available in white and pink hues, colchicums are a great perennial to plant and enjoy year after year.

5 fall flowers for your garden colchicum flowers

img src Brecks Bulbs

3. Sedum. These flowers are a sure sign to me that autumn is in the air. I can remember sedum flowers growing in my Mum’s garden when I was a child. This perennial features clusters and clusters of flowers, most commonly in a reddish pink colour. Sedums are a beautiful Fall flower!

5 fall flowers for your garden sedum flowers

img src Fine Gardening Magazine

4. Helenium. How cheerful are these daisy-like flowers?! Heleniums look like a happy flower. Featuring velvety petals and available in a variety of autumnal shades, heleniums boom very late Summer and they love sun.

img src Jacky Parker Floral Art Flickr

5. Mums. Chrysanthemums are probably the quintessential Fall flower. Available almost everywhere, fall mums are a classic flower to add some colour to your yard throughout the autumn months. Mums are beautiful, bright, and hardy.

img src thriftydecorchick.blogspot.sg

If you’re looking for more inspiration for your Fall garden, head on over to my Pinterest page and follow along!

Monday

5

September 2016

Monday Encouragement: Isaiah 58:11

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Encouragement

“The LORD will guide you always;” Isaiah 58:11

Ah, Mondays. I find the first Monday of the month to be particularly inspiring. The promise of a new month and a new week brings with it a fresh start and renewed inspiration.

Also, — and perhaps the most, — inspiring? God’s promises, which are spread throughout His Word.

Like Isaiah 58:11, where we are reminded, “The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

If you’re looking for encouragement or inspiration this week, look no further than the book of Isaiah. God’s got His hand on you, if you’ll put your trust in Him!

Friday

2

September 2016

Hope Reflected: Attributes of God, Part 1

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Published Work

A.W. Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing to us.” While I’ve yet to read all of Tozer’s Knowledge of the Holy, that quote really resonated with me. It’s true; how we think about God determines our measure of worship. This past Sunday at church, the speaker was talking about different attributes of God that we should recognize and acknowledge in our lives that will help to alleviate anxiety and create a more whole mindset in us. The way we think about God influences the way we go through life. Too often we get caught up in the day-to-day, worrying about tomorrow or our circumstances or other things here on Earth, when the reality is that we were put here on Earth to influence others for eternity.

There are several attributes of God found throughout scripture, however today I’d like to focus on three that have truly impacted my life:

God is faithful. Psalm 86:5 tells us, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” So many times throughout the Bible, we are shown examples of God’s faithfulness to those who trust in Him. A very realistic way to recall God’s faithfulness is to keep a journal of prayer requests and answers. Wes and I recently went through the first prayer list we ever made together, and it is incredible just how many of our prayers were answered specifically, and not just answered, answered exceedingly abundantly above all that we could have asked or thought. God is faithful! All we have to do is trust Him and commit our way to Him! “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
God is love. Not just loving, God is love. And I think we’d all agree that in this world in which we live, each of us could use more love. John wrote in his epistle of 1 John 4:8, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” We read a deeper definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Frequently referenced at weddings, the “love chapter” of the Bible was written by the apostle Paul. [For a fascinating history of the books of Corinthians and when Paul wrote them, check out Matthew Henry’s Commentary.] The King James Version of 1 Corinthians 13 refers to ‘love’ as ‘charity’. It was originally translated from the Greek word, αγαπη (agapē), or in Latin, “caritas”, which means ‘Christian love’. We are told in 1 Corinthians 13 that love, or charity, never fails. That’s God. He will not and cannot fail. When we trust in Him, that’s a promise. We are also reminded in Galatians 5:22 that love is one of the fruits of the Spirit; if we love God, we will live in love, joy, peace, gentleness, faith, etc.
God is merciful. This attribute in particular is a great reminder to me. God loves me and has forgiven me, and sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins. I haven’t got what I deserve because I serve a risen Lord who, among other awesome attributes, is merciful. Psalm 103:8 says, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” Notice anything in particular about that verse? God’s mercy is so strong that it merits two mentions. Often confused with grace, mercy pardons sin (whereas grace grants favour). God is plenteous in mercy; He has mercy enough to cleanse the sins of the world, should we choose to trust Him. We are promised in Isaiah 55:7 that if we forsake our sinful ways, and return to the LORD, “…he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” I love this quote from Arthur W. Pink: “He foresaw my every fall, my every sin, my every backsliding; yet, nevertheless, fixed His heart upon me.”

These are merely three of God’s amazing attributes. God’s demonstration of His faithfulness, love, and mercy in my life have molded me into who I am, and without God’s faithfulness, love, and mercy, I can’t imagine where I might be today. God’s attributes are parts of His character that help us to really understand Who He is. The truth is, we’ll never understand them all, but we can observe what the Bible tells us about Who God is, and believe it, and be encouraged.

Originally published as “Attributes of God, Part 1.” Minto Express. July 27, 2016: 5. Print.

Thursday

1

September 2016

3 Hostas to Add to Your Garden

Written by H, Posted in Gardening

I’m a huge fan of low maintenance plants, so it’s no surprise that hostas are one of my favourite perennials. Requiring little maintenance, hostas can grow just about anywhere, and besides watering, they’re some of the most low maintenance plants for your garden. If you’re looking for some hostas to plant in your garden, check out my Hosta Pinterest board for some inspiration!

Here are 3 hosta varieties to add to your garden that will definitely stand out:

1. White Feather Hosta. White feather hosts plants are characterized by their large, pure white leaves that emerge in late spring/early summer. Throughout the summer, you may notice green streaks developing on the foliage, and lavender flowers.

img src jparker

2. Inniswood Hosta. What I love about the Inniswood hosta variety is the distinct texture on the leaves. While the colour of this hosta is similar to other varieties, the texture on the leaves gives almost a metallic look to the plant.

img src sunnysidegarden

3. Canadian Blue hosta. The Canadian Blue hosta has to be one of the most different hosta varieties that I’ve ever seen. I love how the steely blue contrasts against the green in the rest of this garden. What a beautiful plant!

img src tradera

For more pictures of hosta plants and lots of gardening inspiration, follow me on Pinterest!

Wednesday

31

August 2016

Wednesday Wisdom: Be Quick to Listen

Written by H, Posted in Christian Living, Wednesday Wisdom

“God gave us mouths that close and ears that don’t; that should tell us something.”

I’ve always loved this saying. How simple and how true. We were created with mouths that close and with ears that don’t!

It reminds me of James 1:19, where we are instructed to “take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”

How many conflicts would each of us avoid in life if we followed these instructions? How many relationships would be improved if we took this advice? It’s a reminder that we can all use.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

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Author Archive

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5 Fall Container Gardening Ideas for Your Patio

21

Wednesday Wisdom: Discouragement is a Choice

20

Oscar Peterson Roses

19

Encouragement: Attributes of God – Deuteronomy 32:4

12

Encouragement: Psalm 138:3

8

5 Fall Flowers for Your Garden

5

Monday Encouragement: Isaiah 58:11

2

Hope Reflected: Attributes of God, Part 1

Originally published as “Attributes of God, Part 1.” Minto Express. July 27, 2016: 5. Print.

1

3 Hostas to Add to Your Garden

31

Wednesday Wisdom: Be Quick to Listen

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