Into the Garden: Flowers

“To build a garden, is to believe in tomorrow.” Audrey Hepburn

Nature is perfect, calming, beautiful, invigorating, soothing, and can evoke so many emotions within just one breath of fresh air. I’m an outdoor girl, one who is extremely connected and driven by my surroundings. I feel more like myself when I’m outdoors, surrounded by trees, listening to the birds and the peaceful stillness nature provides us. So it’s no surprise the garden is the favorite part of my house. It’s where I work, relax, exercise, enjoy my meals, become inspired, and feel a true connection to the land. I come from generations of farmers, so the love of the land was born into me. Years in college and living in an apartment, I missed the freedom of sitting on the deck looking at the multitude of wonderful little greens popping in corners, being able to sink my toes into the grass, and smelling flowers still fresh from the morning dew.

Now, I speak like my garden is large and lush, secluded from the business of daily life, but in actuality it’s quite the contrary. I can currently see the 9/11 Memorial building in clear view, an old boat parked in a mechanic’s parking lot, and the sounds of cars driving along a busy road, yet somehow I tune it all out. The wind carries the smells of rich soil, and fragrant roses, ruffling the leaves and branches on trees, creating a soothing melody. I can honestly say I go crazy in the winter, there is no visual life, just the dark quiet and stillness of life working below the ground, and I just like nature, waiting for the days to finally warm up to begin their cycle again and emerge.

I had always had a part in planting some flowers and taking care of the herbs, but it wasn’t until my time in Arizona, away from my garden, that I realized my passion for taking care of the land, sustaining and helping it thrive, was much greater. This year I wanted to take initiative to grow more flowers that I loved, like peonies and garden roses, and special greens, like dusty miller, along with creating my own space for fruits and vegetables.

From the first sight of the Hyacinths and array of beautiful Tulips, some lush with large buds others bright and pointy, that had never emerged so forcefully in the garden until this year; I felt complete once again. Nothing made me more excited and happy than walking outside every morning and seeing a new colorful bloom making its way through the ground, or seeing my beloved Sarah Bernhardt Peony bush stemming with more lush blooms than ever before.

No matter what mood I am in, all it takes is a walk around my garden, seeing the different varieties of plants growing, the endless greens ranging from light to dark, the tall, the short, and the wild ones trellising along the fence. Each of every single flower is unique and precious to me, always putting a smile on my face. Stepping outside and taking part into the beautiful earth that lies beneath our feet, is more than anyone needs to feel whole and optimistic, no matter their present life.

In the words of Daron “Farmer D” Joffe, “Nature is perfect, and one should remember to be grateful for the abundance it provides.” Nature teaches us a very valuable lesson about life, just like the ever-changing flowers and seasons, life changes every day, whether one day is sunny and in full bloom with wonderful opportunity, the other may be dark and gloomy, wilting with worry and sadness, it still manages to grow and thrive amongst all the outside forces. This passion of mine, has led me to take many photographs of my garden, and document its growth throughout the summer. Even though we’re only halfway through the season, it’s amazing to see how much it has changed. These are just a few photographs of the flowers that have brought life into my garden so far. Aside from always having fresh flowers in the house, the garden boasts with tiny treasures of colorful dahlia petals and pretty greens, that I’m pressing for some upcoming projects.