By Steve and Jeanne Wolfe from White Dove Farm
Greetings. It has been the coldest winter we have experienced for a long time. Brrrr. Everyone around us has been sharing their memories of extreme cold weather. Since many are from different areas of the United States and Canada, we share their discomfort of temperatures near and below zero.
We particularly remember traveling in the military to South Dakota from Mississippi via St. Louis, Missouri in 1973 and having one of the coldest Christmas Eves in 44 years and one of the fiercest blizzards.
I had scolded my wife for having overloaded the car, yet in disguise it became a blessing. God has ways of turning our mistakes into blessings. We saw trucks and cars sliding into the ditches, and here we were—me, my wife and three sons—slowly plowing a path through the snow. I decided to go to the nearest motel since visibility was getting near zero. Lo and behold, we obtained the last room available—thank you, Jesus. The room was cold, so we called the office and requested additional heat and blankets, but they were not available because they were putting up people in the hallways and lobby.
To make the best of a poor situation, we were thankful to get out of the weather and we all slept safely in our coats.
CASSIA. In Florida, the Cassia tree, more like a large shrub, blooms in the fall/winter months with beautiful clusters of golden yellow blossoms. Also known as the Golden Rain Tree, Cassia Fistula, and the Golden Shower Tree, it’s one of our favorites for showy blossoms that come back year after year and is fast-growing. It requires very little maintenance, only some trimming since the branches have a tendency to droop.
The picture in this article was rooted by Jeanne from an existing tree we have in the front of our property. Young trees grow asymmetrical with branches drooping toward the ground. Staking and pruning will help to develop a well-shaped and structured crown. This tree is not invasive and is pest-resistant, is moderately drought-tolerant and does well as a street tree.
If you desire a cutting, email or call us at 813-991-9786 and leave message. We will call back. Or send us an email to whtdovefarm@yahoo.com.
We have had only one Garden Connect meeting this last year (2017) since Steve’s mother passed and had to cancel several field trips due to the hurricane last year. Hopefully we can resume meetings this spring. Health, wealth, and good wishes to all!
Ecclesiastes 3:1–8:
”For everything there is a season.”
Steve and Jeanne Wolfe