My friend over on Green Street was insistent. There may be greater concentrations of Confederate Jasmine in the town, but not that I know of. Her backyard has those wooden panels for privacy and they are covered from the ground to their eight-foot top with decades-old plants that about this time of the year create a heavenly fragrance, indeed.

“You asked about them and they are in full bloom. Come soon and enjoy them,” she invited.

Donna Sue and I bought a Confederate Jasmine plant last year and planted it at the door that opens into our backyard. It was about two feet tall and I was wondering how it might do this first blooming opportunity.

With Donna Sue’s green thumb and my “hoping” (that’s about as far as I get into the gardening thing) I looked forward to a little of that heavenly fragrance just for me. A couple of weeks ago, the payoff occurred. Every time I walked out of the gate, or in, there was a wonderful feeling of satisfaction.

Quite frankly, I need a flower to have a little smell to it. Sometimes I just don’t see the blooms unless there is the stimulant to my nose. I guess the old saying “can’t see the forest for the trees” applies to me.

Confederate Jasmine is easy to grow, the website says. It’s like one of those climbing or crawling plants that, once it gets growing, it’s hard to control. Sort of like kudzu? I think I would be good at growing kudzu.

A question was asked “How do you cut back Confederate Jasmine without hurting it?”

The answer was “Don’t worry. You can’t kill it. You can cut it back to a nub, stomp on it, set it on fire, pull it up and leave it for dead, as in ‘doornail,’ but it will keep on keeping on.” That answer did not take in consideration my gardening abilities.

I see plenty of those little rose bushes called Knock Out Roses. They are very prolific around town and I said to myself, “Lynn, that’s a plant for you.” It is described as easy-to-grow and needing no special care. That’s a great description of my gardening proclivities; easy to do and no care. So Donna Sue bought me a bush.

Its leaves were verdant and there were bright red roses already in bloom. As per my Modus Operandi I transferred the Knock Out from its black plastic, nursery pot to one of our big clay pots and surrounded it with Miracle-Gro super-duper soil.

I gave my thanks to Donna Sue and the Lord for my beautiful rose and told it in very certain words, “You’re on your own, boy.” And I meant it!

A month or two ago, Donna Sue asked, “Have you seen the rose on your bush?”

I lied and said, “Oh yes, isn’t it beautiful?” Then I perused the backyard to figure out where that pot was and saw many beautiful red roses. He also has given us heavenly fragrances for “down here.” God works in mysterious ways.