Forget-Me-Nots, Personal Favorite
found surrounding my grandmother's pond.
Don't do it! Don't ignore the flowers!!
"What is she ranting about now?" you are likely to say...
So, as of late I've heard much to-do about growing flowers. Perhaps you've not heard, but there's a huge "sustainability" movement in which folks are getting their hands dirty--planting gardens full of delightful produce that will make summer's earth a vision of edible paradise from millions of satellites orbiting in our stratosphere. There will be tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, watermelons, grapes, lettuces, perhaps even bananas and lemons of every variety (hopefully MANY heirloom & not just your Lowe's brand hybrids). In one sense our dinner tables will be full, in another quite empty!
Sadly, and to the detriment of our noses (which long for the fragrant perfumes only flowers have to offer), bulbs, seeds and six-packs of petunias, impatients, marigolds, foxglove, cocks comb & more are being left on the shelves. So, how will our tables be lacking with an abundance of fresh picked produce? The vases that have so faithfully held the flowers that brighten our days will not even have the opportunity to glow in our landscaping, let alone drip their powdery pollens on our counter tops, mantles & dining tables.
Who doesn't LOVE seeing a pile of ripening tomatoes in a bowl on the counter? Or traditionally prepared Mason jars full of stock-piled corn, beans & strawberry rhubarb jam? Don't count me in a group of those who prefer corporate labels & freezer department spinach...
BUT...in all the hard work you put into your gardens, DON'T FORGET OUR FLOWER FRIENDS!!
The sweet satisfaction of flowers is undeniable. It may seem a frivality, but how do we love them? let me count the ways:
1. Beauty-clearly.
Bachelor Buttons--many varieties--Bee's adore
2. Bee attraction-flowers are one of the most attractive sights for the mighty honey bee. Must we go down the path of why bees are so indispensable? Don't get me wrong, bee's love the budding flowers of tomato plants as well, but they're more likely to find those buds if a flourishing marigold is beaming it's red orange bloom right below. Which brings me to point
#3. co-planting leads to fewer pests, better soil quality & all around balance. What does that mean for your harvest? BOUNTY (what a lovely word when not followed by "hunter" or "the quicker...").
4. Beauty-and now I mention that this is important for several reasons. Firstly, we're a visual people, no buts about it. Our eyes like looking & we're drawn to attractive things. This is true for our gardens as well. Is there joy in weeding? In July? There certainly is when it must be done in a place filled with the Creator's designer plants. The variety that can be found in flowers is phenomenal & breath-taking--no matter how common a plant you find. Taking a minute to admire the layers of petals, the sweet scent of natural perfumes, wallowing in the simplicity of their lifestyles...it behooves us all to Stop & Smell the flowers. (not just the rose variety).
5. Joy-this brings me back to weeding. Life, and all it's chores, is much more bearable with a small hand-picked bouquet. Why do we send flowers to those mourning a loss? To the loves of our lives? They're pick-me-ups & forget-me-nots! It was recently noted in a Magazine of mine a study that showed women who received flowers were left with elevated moods for up to 3 days post arrival-I think we already knew that.
5. Consumability-Many flowers are edible! Nastartiums, Pansies, Sunflowers, even dandelions! Not only are they edible, they can be VERY good for you, which leads me to medicine,
Giant Sunflower--countless benefits
6. Oh the great miracle of natural medicines...whether or not you use herbs centuries, perhaps longer, have made traditional medicine one herbs. Cone Flower (echinacea), Chamomile, Lavender, Comfreys, Yarrow, Feverfew, Dandelion, on and on. From teas, tinctures, Bach remedies, lotions, salves, balms & more flowers are nearly as "consumable" as are fruit bearing plants. Marigolds serve more purposes than can be named! Tomatoes--perhaps our most favorite garden producer serves, most plainly & commonly, as food.
Coneflower (echinacea) Beatiful, useful.
7. Pest control-while on the topic of marigolds, what better pair in nature is there? These 2 together grow strong and sturdy. Marigolds are a natural repellent for several of the most threatening tomato pests. Marigolds are prolific and easily cultivated, simply throw the seeds on the ground & stand back. They offer a warm welcome to the harvester, make herbicides rarely necessary--filling in empty garden space under tomato plants, potentially eliminate any need for toxic pesticides, and offer variety for a garden salad or other herbal needs. & that's just marigolds!
Heirloom Marigolds--Multi-functional
8. Did I mention Beauty? This obvious benefit of flowers of any variety can not be overlooked. Perhaps millions of anti-depressants could be spared each year if those effected got out and surrounded themselves with the natural & somewhat spontaneous beauty of nature's jewelry. Joy CAN be found in a simple field picked daisy sprig stuck behind the ear--a dandelion necklace, a buttercup ring...
Digitalis--loved by bee's, humming birds, butterflies...
9. Oh yeh! I forgot the birds, & butterflies! I guess those fall under #'s 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 & 8!
HEIRLOOM SEEDS AVAILABLE HERE:
www.rareseeds.com
www.heirloomseeds.com
www.selectseeds.com
upon further review I found this post a bit pretentious in tone. I hope you can overlook that and find some inspiration!
