The color green brings many things to mind. One is that green-eyed monster, envy. I am happy for people when they do well so it has always been difficult for me to understand this particular and particularly troubling character flaw or to put it bluntly, sin. Just for the record I understand several others all too well so it’s nice to at least have one or two that I can’t readily identify with!

Four-leaf clovers are green and are supposed to bring good luck. I remember sitting in fields of clover with my best friend searching for that illusive one with four leaves. My friend, Anne, and I found one or two, but we literally spent hours looking. The sun beat down on our bare heads while bees buzzed from one clover to another. All the while our hearts twined together just as the chains we fashioned to adorn our necks.

I’ll be helping her celebrate her son’s wedding this weekend. I don’t believe luck had a thing to do with our enduring friendship, but those moments of shared secrets and youthful dreams among fields of green certainly helped us develop a firm foundation for our lifetime of friendship.

Green is also the color of money, and we all need it to survive, but not so very long ago people were much more self-sufficient. My grandparents grew or raised almost everything they needed on their farm. They raised and processed their own beef, pork, and chickens. The old, rickety smokehouse stands as a testament to times past. My grandmother loved gardening, and her efforts provided a bountiful harvest of vegetables to fill our plates, but also a wonderful array of colorful flowers to fulfill the need we all have for beauty.

One of my besties, Debbie, always has a fabulous vegetable garden. I know she enjoys the entire project from its inception, but the final product on her table must give her a special satisfaction. I actually plan on having a small vegetable garden this year. I’ll start small since I’m not yet fully recovered from hip surgery, but I’m able to do more each day.

Growing our own produce or at least shopping local makes me think “green” as in the act of taking care of our natural resources. My little grandson’s scout leaders are teaching the scouts about recycling, and Mike and I save cans to help with the project. I know this is only a small thing in the big picture, but it is helping our grandson to learn about one thing he can do to help benefit our environment.

A kiss of sunshine and the Master Gardener’s own hand work the miracle of rejuvenation and new life each spring as many different and interesting shades of green erupt on trees and plants. A rebirth also happens in many of our hearts leaving us energized and renewed. Buds burst forth on dormant plants and the impossible seems possible once more.

Jan Penton Miller can be reached at lilsisjan@yahoo.com.