Tag Archives: Flowers

Blessed Are The Volunteers

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Blessed are those who volunteer to make the world a more beautiful place. It seems to be a rarity in this increasingly harsh world we call home.

Smoke from those terrible Canadian wildfires hangs over southern Ohio like a wet wool blanket. I was off work a little early yesterday and had packed my hiking bag only to realize the air quality was unsafe for prolonged outdoor activity.

So I came home to do some inside chores and ventured outside long enough to water and deadhead a few flowers. I was struck by how pretty this patch of volunteer flowers is in the edge of my yard. While I work so hard to convince others to grow, these little ladies thrive even though they are basically ignored.

Then there are these beauties. We call them Flags. They are orange Day Lilies that go by many aliases including Tiger Lily, Corn Lily, Fourth of July Lily and even Ditch Lily.

They grow prolifically along southern Ohio roadsides and are striking in that environment. In a flower bed, though, they are downright invasive. I have spent hours of my life attempting to dig them out of flower beds but it seems to only make them multiply.

Did I mention that I have never planted the first one?

All the same, they are beautiful and I’m grateful for the softness they bring to an otherwise heavy, smoky day. Blessed are these volunteers for they make our world better simply through their existence.

Sunset Ridge Lavender Farm

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My house smells of lavender right now and I’m savoring the aroma.

Yesterday, my oldest and dearest friend and I set off on an adventure at Sunset Ridge Lavender Farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio. For $10 you can cut a bouquet of lavender to take home and they have several varieties for your consideration.

Each variety has unique qualities like Folgate that has flowers of an almost iridescent periwinkle blue. Purple Bouquet has long dark stems that make it ideal for craft projects. Each variety has different qualities for cooking.

I have always enjoyed lavender but never found myself in a situation like this one where I could experience the differences in varieties. At a glimpse, it all just looks like lavender but it’s clearly different on closer inspection.

The leaves and the flowers on each plant have an array of textures and the aromas are drastically different. Your nose will recognize when you have moved from one variety to another.

I came home with a bouquet that includes some of everything. Like the bees that flitted from one plant to the next, one row to another, I moved about clipping a few stems from there and a few from here,. I did this until my fist was full and I was confident that I had enough white lavender stems mixed in with all the rich purples.

There was a shockingly large crowd just twenty minutes after opening and, as people left, more continued to flow in. Many were there just to collect their bouquets and to take a selfie or two. Others came with little kids dressed for portraits. Some brought spouses who stood in this small sea of lavender looking lost and making me grateful to be there with a friend who shared my enthusiasm.

It was a good day.

Plus, they have a pretty purple barn, some welcoming chairs in the shade and some baked goods for sale.

My car now smells strongly of lavender and I’m confident that I should always keep lavender in the vehicle from here on. We were both inspired to pick up some lavender seeds yesterday so we can have our own patches at home.

This isn’t an enormous lavender patch but we were quite happy with the experience. You can find Sunset Ridge on Facebook to learn more about location, hours and their season.

Without Rain

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“Without rain, nothing grows. Learn to embrace the storms of your life.” – Unknown

I snapped this picture between rain showers at my parents’ house last night. It has rained a lot this week so everything is growing nicely – including the weeds and the grass which I consider a glorified weed. The American obsession with grass is beyond my comprehension but I digress.

The point is that things are becoming pretty.

And, as for us humans, the quote is true for us as well. Every day can’t be easy and fun. Into every life comes an occasional storm must come. We’ll come out stronger and better for it.

We made it to a Friday, friends. Let’s just get through it.

Kingwood Center Garden

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This weekend took me to a new favorite place. Kingwood Garden Center is a 47 acre estate in Mansfield, Ohio. It’s the former home and historic estate of Charles Kelley King. A native of Maine, King was hired as the first electrical engineer at Ohio Brass in 1893. He rose within the company, eventually becoming president and chairman of the board. King had the house and grounds built in 1926 and lived here until his death in 1952.

He had a library, an office and a reading room! They were equally fabulous.

Married and divorced twice with no children, King understood the value of his home and commissioned a study to determine the best future use for his estate after his death. The result was the creation of a foundation that opened the gardens to the public in 1953.

Today you can explore the home, gardens and greenhouse for just $8 admission.

This place is fabulous and surpasses Franklin Park Conservatory as my favorite place to stroll through a garden.

They currently have a Lego exhibit that integrates Lego sculptures into the estate. I really liked this Monarch Butterfly which is comprised of 39,708 bricks. It took 425 hours to build!

There are so many nooks and crannies to explore, benches to rest on and lovely flowers to enjoy.

Plus, they have a greenhouse, a cafe and gift shop. You are also welcome to bring in your own picnic food if you wish. Want to visit? Get all the information from their website!

That Moment

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You know that moment when you realize you should have just stayed in bed? This was that moment for me yesterday.

At approximately 7:35 a.m., a terracotta flower pot flew off the bookshelf, taking with it the African Violet and crashing onto the window sill where it smashed into several pieces. Soil and plant, no longer contained, ran everywhere.

That plant was a gift from a coworker when she retired last year. It has done ok but hasn’t had a great life with me. Evidently, it believed life wasn’t worth living and decided to jump. Either that or the books conspired to force it off their shelf. Maybe it was an assisted suicide?

Dirt permeated the carpet, the crevices in the windows and the books nearby. You know I salvaged the books first. Luckily, I had killed another plant about a month ago and already had a replacement flower pot handy. So repotting this sorry little guy was easy.

In case you’re keeping track, I HAD five plants. One I evidently murdered through neglect and one decided to off himself. Now the violet that got such a hard start in life with me (see the link below) is nursing an injury. Meanwhile, the Christmas cactus, gifted to me by well meaning but misguided friends, is just trying not to call attention to itself.

I’m happy to report that Scout’s catnip plant is thriving but have no idea how this is possible given the abuse it takes from him every day.

Read about the African Violet’s sad introduction to life with me here.

Some days you’re better off just staying in bed. I fear the plants are wishing I would stay away and send them someone competent to tend their needs. Honestly, it’s hard to blame them.

Flying Jewels

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Hummingbirds have been active in my yard for the last few weeks and several are coming to the flower pots on my front porch.

They can beat their wings thousands of times per minute so it’s no wonder I failed to get a clear picture of this little guy before he zoomed off. While it’s not a good picture, I kind of like the sense of motion.

They were nicknamed “flying jewels” by Spanish explorers visiting the Americas for the first time. This is the best possible name I can imagine for these tiny but majestic creatures.

Hummingbirds actually prefer to get their nectar from flowers instead of feeders. If you do feed them, be sure to clean their feeders daily and never use dyes. It’s a myth that the red attracts them better. What they crave is the sweetness.

Better yet, plant some flowers and shrubs that will also feed butterflies and bees. I read once that hummingbirds can visit around a thousand flowers a day so I’m sure they will appreciate whatever contribution you can make!

They are a migratory bird so they’ll be departing soon but I’ll enjoy them while they’re still here.