"Getting rid of everything that doesn’t matter allows you to remember who you are. Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are."

Friday, June 28, 2013

Say It With Flowers

As my love of gardening grows, I found that while fruits and veggies have their own special appeal, what I was really lacking in my garden was color. 

Excitement.

Sure, battling Bermuda grass and weeds and bugs and even snakes has made my heart skip a beat for sure but it wasn't until this year that I finally embraced a gardeners most poetic staple.

The flower.

Up until this year, my forays into the flower world were pretty simple.  Knockout roses, petunias, pansy's...You get the picture.  Stuff you buy on your way out of the market because it looks pretty and "Gee, that would look nice on my front step."

So it's not like I didn't have flowers, I just had annuals in a pot that would die and get tossed in the trash once Winter rolled around.  It never occurred to me until last year that I really needed to get into perennials. 

The only perennial I had in my yard were some daylilies that Deb (across the way) gave me from her garden when we first moved here.  Kind of a "Hello, Welcome to the hood" kinda thing.

It was a big ole clump of dirt and brown leaves in a wheelbarrow that got tossed out back by the shed and ignored.  Over the years that clump has grown right where I plopped it, pretty much neglected by yours truly until this year when SM and I resolved to mulch the back forty so we wouldn't have to mow anymore.  I split up the plants and scattered them around the back yard.

So when SM and I ripped out the front yard hedges, in their place I planted perennial flowers.  I added two more to the front just this week.  Walmart had them at 50% off so I went ahead and snagged them.  I told SM that that's how we'll build up the front yard beds.  Just a little bit at a time.  Whatever catches our eye.

But I also wanted a cutting garden so this year I also created a "flower garden space" in our fenced in section of the garden.  Years ago, I'd planted sunflower seeds out and about in the yard and the bastard bunnies mowed them all down when they were still small. 

Speaking of which, the bunnies around here are fearless.  This year they came up on my front porch and chewed their way through some winter pansy's and petunia's that I was stupid enough to buy for some front porch color. 

"It's not like my yard isn't full of clover!"  Geez!

Freakin bunnies! 

But I digress...

Anyhow, I bought a bunch of flower seeds when I placed my veg order from Baker Creek this Winter and tossed all those seeds into the dirt back in April. 

And nothing much has happened until last week.  Last week I FINALLY started to get some zinnias. 
 


Then the dahlias popped. 





I know I've got some other kinds of flowers in the bed.  Can't remember what they are so I guess I'll be surprised when they come up but I can't tell you how excited I am to finally see these flowers. 

I was so happy I cut a mason jar full of them to take into work with me!




Just you wait...I can see me plotting and planning different flower additions to this space as the years go by.




And even if the bugs chew up all my veggie's and the weeds take over the garden, I can still look a my little jar of cut flowers and know that all is right with the world.




Now I'm happy....@;>

6 comments:

  1. I have no bunnies because I have foxes!

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  2. This post made me smile! The varmits and the bugs are constantly munching on what I have growing........but I can usually find an flower or two to stick in a jar. You are right........flowers say it all!

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  3. When we were first married my husband thought it foolish (and just wrong!) to plant flowers along with the vegetables. He got over that fast (thankfully) and now thinks a garden looks "barren" without the color that only flowers can add.

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  4. Zinnias are one of my favorite parts of summer. Every year I intend to plant some and never get around to it. Fortunately, the local produce stands around here sell them. Love the lily header!

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  5. Zinnias are SO easy! They just bloom all summer long, even in our heat! Enjoy the color!

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  6. Zinnias are my very favorite flowers. I always have them all over. And they are beginning to start blooming finally. I usually have vases full of them all over the house.

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