LESSONS FROM THE GARDEN · AUGUST SERIES Our little orchard is a lively place right now. The grapevine is laden with grapes, the wild blackberries are ripe, and the apples are slowly maturing. The deer—and Bear, Max, and Grace—are already enjoying the bounty. The dogs happily eat the apples whether they are ripe or not. Apparently, their philosophy is: If we can reach it, it must be ready. But the garden refuses to place everything on the same timetable. The blackberries do no

Lessons from the Garden: August Series Living on twenty acres surrounded by hundreds more acres of forest means we are blessed with flower gardens, apple orchards, towering trees, and an abundance of wildlife. Deer wander through, birds fill the branches, and our Labradors remain convinced that the gardens were planted primarily to make retrieving their ball more interesting. Apparently, “Do not run through the flowers” sounds remarkably similar to “Take the shortest possible