Good for the Mind, Good for the Soul

Forever Friday…

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.  ~Gerard de Nerval

For as long as I can recall, I’ve loved flowers. Each winter, for many years, I would spend hours planning my perennial and annual flower beds. There were numerous things to consider such as: plant dimensions; color schemes; sun and shade requirements and zoning. It was quite a tedious and complicated process, but I found it very enjoyable and thoughts of spring warmed those cold winter nights.

Nowadays, my yard is busting with flowerbeds, with no room to add any more. But with flowerbeds comes “tending” and there’s certainly plenty of that to do! Often people walk by and tell me what a lot of work it is. But for me, it’s my passion, and there’s no place I’d rather be than soaking up the sun amongst my posies. I find the garden a beautiful and peaceful place where I can draw close to God. Isn’t it awesome how our creator made each flower so special and unique?

Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare, and left the flushed print in a poppy there. ~Francis Thompson, "The Poppy," 1891

The color splash begins with the yellow and purple iris and the deep orange oriental poppies. Did you know that each iris has a scent all its own? We are blessed to live near an iris farm that we can visit and “take time to smell the irises”.

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.  ~Walt Whitman

Then the first flush of roses begins in shades of pink, peach purple, white and red. What a joy it is to drink in their scent and gaze on their beauty. For a special surprise, God sprinkles seed here and there and the volunteers pop up in a whole new and intriguing design. It never ceases to amaze me!

With July comes the heat and hot summer nights and my flowers just thrive, especially the petunias. They are growing by leaps and bounds (as are the weeds), and I’m finding myself watering and weeding to my heart’s content.

Flowers are those little colorful beacons of the sun from which we get sunshine when dark, somber skies blanket our thoughts.  ~Dodinsky

So when my life gets too busy and some sort of crazy, you’ll find me in my garden. It’s my escape of choice; my refuge; my place to gather my thoughts and de-stress. Won’t you meet me there?

Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words.  They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning.  ~Lydia M. Child