Book excerpt: Garden Blessings is an eloquent tribute to the wonders of the garden, a place where our souls are nourished and memories grown. June Cotner’s books comprise a balance of about 20 percent classic and famous writers and 80 percent lesser-known, award-winning writers, uncovering many selections not found anywhere else. Ranging from childhood memories of planting and harvesting to celebrations of the changing seasons to contemplation on the joyful art of gardening, Garden Blessings is a moving collection of poems, prayers, and reflections that reminds us of what really matters -- making and sharing memories. Our gardens grow us, and this collection of readings takes us down a path of pleasure. The overriding intention of Garden Blessings is to provide a heartwarming, spiritually focused collection of uplifting prayers, prose, and poems that share a common joy and appreciation for the love of gardening and the many blessings that gardens bring to our lives. June Cotner, a best-selling inspirational author, has gathered a bounty of garden blessings here, offering gems of wisdom that remind the reader and gardener in all of us just how much we learn from our gardens.