Gardener's Prayer

First it was too dry.
When we moved here Santa Fe was in a deep drought and it never rained for the first 11 months we lived here. My newly planted gardens struggled in mighty distress.

Then it was too wet.
A catastrophic flash flood in July, followed by a wet fall and a frigid, snowy winter have been too much. I'm very worried about my drowned and frozen plants.

So I am now calling on divine intervention to straighten things out. The classic gardener's prayer might help, and I'm resorting to it in the hopes that all may be saved next season.

O Lord, grant that in some way it may rain every day, say from about midnight until three o’clock in the morning, but, you see, it must be gentle and warm so that it can sink in; grant that at the same time it would not rain on campion, alyssum, helianthemum, lavender, and the others which you in your infinite wisdom know are drought-loving plants - I will write their names on a bit of paper if you like - and grant that the sun may shine the whole day long, but not everywhere (not, for instance, on spiraea, or on gentian, plantain lily, and rhododendron), and not too much; that there may be plenty of dew and little wind, enough worms, no plant-lice and snails, no mildew, and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano may fall from heaven.  Amen.  

- Karl Capek, “The Gardener’s Year,” 1929