As I begin gardening this spring, I am reminded of a story Jesus told. It went something like this. There was once a land owner who, as they examined their orchard, found a tree that had never borne fruit. "It's taking up space," they told the gardener. "Cut it down." The gardener replied, "Wait a year. I'll dig around the tree, water it and feed it, tend it carefully. If such care doesn't bring fruit, then you can cut it down."

I used to think that when Jesus told a parable, the model we are to follow would be the person in charge. I guess I thought If God is called lord and king, the lord and king in the story would parallel God's position. I came to realize that Jesus was in conflict with the king and the governor and lots of the landowners. He was constantly critical of those with power. The powerful person in many parables is the one being criticized. And sometimes, like in this one, the parable is more descriptive of the world rather than teaching a model for action. This one is a warning to the people, and the religious leaders, that they need to shape up, bear fruit. If there is a model it is in the gardener's tender care for the tree.

In my case, I am both gardener and land owner. In my new garden, there are evergreens that are not doing well. The lower branches are completely dead. The trees are covered with lichen. I quickly decided they had to come out.

But they are also unusual. I realized that before pulling them out, I had better find out how unusual. So, I took pictures and started to ask around. The owner at Keppel Croft Gardens identified them as fir trees, likely a species native to the Appalachian Mountains. Because this tree is used to a humid climate, moisture stress is the likely culprit.

Living right next to the bay, lack of water had not occurred to me. But the soil here is clay, so moisture runs away. And last summer, when this house was empty, it was extremely dry.

With this master gardener's advice, I developed a plan to care for these trees. I dug around them and added a soil mix with compost and peat moss. I will water them carefully and fertilize them. I will plant ground cover around the base to try and hold some humidity around them.

I am not sure this will be enough. In looking up care for these trees, there is a note that clay soil is particularly unsuitable. And those who planted the trees did not dig out all the soil and put in a more suitable mix. I can change the composition near the surface, but I don't want to disturb the roots. I am thinking that around the drip line, I may be able to dig out more, put in lots of peat moss and compost. But that may be too far out to do much good.

It isn't the trees' fault they ended up in unsuitable soil. Somebody liked the look and stuck them in. And I can see that. The narrow tight branches that grow in circles around the trunk are elegant. The spikes which were seed cones last year are interesting. But covered with lichen and with dead branches half way up, they are not particularly attractive.

I am starting to wish I had not taken the nicest as a Christmas tree when I so quickly decided the three would have to go. I doubt that I can bring back growth on the lower part of the remaining trees. But, I am going to try. I am going to be the careful gardener rather than the impatient land owner, at least for a couple years.

Perhaps equally important, these trees alerted me to the need to amend the soil here each time I plant anything. I am going to miss the supply of manure I had on the farm, but there are substitutes. I've composters set up here. I'm going to add texture to the clay and keep adding so that the soil is active and alive, so plants have what they need to bear fruit.

Cathy Hird lives on the shore of Georgian Bay.