Flowers
A flower garden is for the soul. Like my feeling about farming, I could never make flower gardening a job. It is truly done for my own personal wellbeing and I invite others to give it a try if they haven't already. And if you've gardened in the past, I encourage you to take it up again.
I have never known any person who didn't smile when receiving flowers, regardless if it's one long stem or a bouquet. But something really special happens when they receive flowers that you have grown. It's two fold actually. The receiver normally has two feelings: impressed and joy. As the giver, it's like releasing a child into the world. You've given everything you could to grow and nurture them and then there's the excitement of sending them out into the world. And if you're blessed to have a plethora of blooms, your tables, nightstands, and desks get the pleasure of housing a vase of vibrant colors, textures, and perfumes.
Flower growing for me started about 20+ years ago. It was a slow start as I really didn't have time with raising 3 children and working. I grew up with a mom who enjoyed growing tropical houseplants and that's all I really ever saw so I wasn't all too familiar with flower varieties and what I really liked. It wasn't until the discovery of Pinterest (for me) that opened my eyes to garden design. I fell madly in love with cottage gardens and have since tried ever so desperately (with my husband's incredible patience, strength, and love) to create our own cottage garden showcasing our personalities.
I like to think we have more than one garden and that our entire yard, both front and back, is a culmination of many gardens. Every year I am changing something, adding something, removing something. I love it. The gardens (and wildlife) are the reasons the windows to our house don't have curtains or valances. A few have blinds, but they are always up. I LOVE sunlight and the view to all the flowers, flowering trees/ landscape, and nature are an extension to my indoor decor. And the feeling I get driving down our street and pulling into our driveway being greeted with a variety of blooms is like a soft 'welcome home' hug; an entrance to the escape of reality. It's just one of the many reasons staying at home during the lockdown never bothered me. Everything I needed was here, at home, in my house, and in my garden.
If you're one of the many people without a yard to garden in, a patio or deck garden is a wonderful place to create an oasis. There are a variety of containers for individual plants, multi pots, vertical planting, off the railing pots...so much for the imagination. I'd even go so far as to ask a relative for a small space in their yard to grow flowers! No matter how you do it, always include a comfortable chair to sit with your flowers. Your soul (and wellbeing) will thank you!
I've linked some of my favorite seeds, growers, etc. HERE for you to check out to help you get started or continue making your soul happy. I've also added some items I've purchased from Amazon HERE.
