The Latter Rain.

The Staff was going to be off for three weeks, she’d asked us to water the small vegetable box on wooden stands, the four large potted plants and the pretty flowers in the rockery she’d done.

Some Staff were not bothered, she told me they wouldn’t be, and indeed some had told me themselves, it wasn’t in their job description! But me, I love plants and wildlife, of both we have in our large garden at work.

It was a heatwave! But I had a job to do and do It I would to the best of my ability. She’d shown me where the little watering can was kept in the garden, it held about six pints. So, in the baking heat of the sun I started.

I’d watered the tiny thin fragile plants in the raised box I didn’t know what they were. I then watered the four large potted plants with pretty flowers in, next the beautiful rockery sections had ‘water.’

But it all seemed SO futile! What difference did I make? For by the time I’d walked to the outside tap and walked over to each section, the other side of the large garden, everything was bone dry again!

I felt like the small, medium, large and extra-large trees also wanted water and it was only I could give it to them! So, after I’d made an attempt to water what the Staff had asked us to do I decided to go over and beyond.

With the tiny inadequate watering can I proceeded to water as much of the huge garden as I could including the blackberry’s! Over the years, we’ve enjoyed homemade jams made by one male and one female Staff.

I was chucking the water as far as I could to make sure the tops of the fruit would benefit and hopefully some would drip down to its roots but a Staff saw me and said, “Put the water at the roots,” So this is what I did.

I was out there in the heat for two hours! Even though it felt like a complete waste of time, that looking back at what I done, it didn’t look like I’d done anything at all! I wasn’t there tomorrow, would they die?

Seriously would they die? No, they didn’t, how is amazing, for the poor lawn was straw like yellow and as good as dead! But grass as you know are hardy plants! I was tempted to water a Cross shape into the lawn!

I didn’t put a Cross shape into the lawn for the space was so vast I walked up and down and when I refilled the little watering can I had to roughly remember which sections needed water next, it was up to me.

It was up to me to save the lawn, the flowers, the fruits, the rockery, the potted plants, the small trees, the medium trees, the large trees, the very large trees, I needed help the watering can would not do I need a hose!

Three days later when I was back at work I said, “We need to buy a hose!” Only to be told, “We have one in the shed.” So, after they showed me how to use it, and a posh one it was too on wheels with handle when done!

What a great invention! I had real Power now! More ground could be covered I started with the plants in the wooden box on stills, then the potted plants and then I did the rockery plants and showered the blackberries.

I walked slowly down the long path aiming the hose at the roots of the trees first on my right then at the bottom doing the other side of the path, I felt I was making a difference to their lives, health and wellbeing.

I did the lawn as best I could, there was a lot of ground to cover, I did the wild grasses and the weeds, in the deep shrubs little birds and butterflies would move, I’d disturbed their slumber, but it was for their good too.

I’d watered the vast garden for over an hour, but when I looked at all my hard work, everything was still the same! It seemed all a waste of time, for the hot bright sun had dried it all up as quick as I could water it all.

I needed more, a watering can just would not do, nor a hose with water flowing non-stop from its tiny nozzle, we, they needed rain from above, all around the poor grass, the plants, fruits trees, needed a good downpour!

Then about a week ago, it rained! That was good news, but the five-minute drizzle, didn’t soak into the dry and thirsty earth, and as soon as the sun shone again, the garden needed watering again with the hose.

My hose watering was futile, the latter rain was needed, this latter rain would miss nothing out, both tops and roots and weeds and shrubs, rockery’s lawns, small trees, medium and extra large would all be thankful.

I’d wanted to make a difference, in a tiny way I did, nothing died, it rained again soon after, this kept the garden ticking over and yesterday the Heavens opened, I wanted lots of rain and we got lots in five minutes.

The Latter Rain did what we couldn’t, it felt GOOD to see the water on the leaves, the wet thankful soil, the fresh fruits, happy plants, the changing healthier colour of the grass and the Hope, that we made it. Thank You. x