Rev. Simmons blesses John Pine's garden and yard
Church of Good Shepherd priest, Rev. Michele Simmons, lead a group of parishioners on a “Wandering Sheep Stroll” to tour pollinator-friendly public and private gardens on Lookout Mountain.
Mother Michele explained that Rogation Days are traditionally the three days before Ascension Day when a litany is offered in procession as an act of intercession during planting seasons. Rogation is an English form of the Latin rogatio, which comes from the verb rogare, which means "to ask."
Traditionally the purpose of the Rogation Days is to ask God to bless the fields and the parish (the geographic area) that they fall in. At each of the nine gardens, prayers were offered for the vitality of the native plants, the wildlife that depends on them, and the people who tend them.
John Pine and Ann Brown, co-chairs of the Care of Creation Committee at the church, shared their knowledge of native plants, pollinator corridors, and the life cycle of insects, birds, and other wildlife. Special emphasis was placed on returning nature to the many places from which we have expelled her, such as our yards and gardens. It was noted that plants not native to the Southeast or the Eastern US cannot support the lifecycles of the wildlife on our mountain.
It was observed that cinnamon is a gentle and natural way of moving ant hills out of our yards and gardens. Stir the ant hill up and pour cinnamon on the ants. It will not kill them but encourages them to move out of that location. It may take several heavy applications of the spice and they will desert that nest. Beekeepers sprinkle cinnamon at the entrance to their hives to keep ants from destroying the honey and young bees.
It was announced that to celebrate National Pollinator Week, Bee City USA, Reflection Riding, and the Lookout Mountain Beautiful Garden Club are sponsoring a kickoff event on Saturday, June 17, from 9 a.m.-noon at Lookout Mountain, Ga. Town Hall. A gardening workshop, “Gardening with Native Plants, Better than Therapy, and You Get Bees, Butterflies, and Birds,” will be held and Reflection Riding will be selling native plants.
Despite the forecast of rain, the group, plus two dogs, were able to complete the 2.75 miles “Wandering Sheep Stroll and Rogation Day Observance” to enjoy the natural beauty of nature restored in the many yards and public places by our residents.
For more information contact Ann Brown at brownw01@yahoo.com or visit https://www.homegrownnationalpark.org/
Bella, BB and owners Ann Weeks and Peter Rawlings enjoy the pollinator walk