What better time to write about the joy of gardening, but on a soggy, wet morning after a night of intense rain, booming thunder and a majestic lightening show. Rows and rows of seedlings are happily rooted in their home for the next few months, so it couldn’t have happened at a better time.
(Submitted by Litsa Folse)
I was never a gardener, but it’s something I take great pleasure in now, learning more and more as I go/grow. It seemed simple enough: plant a seed; wait (impatiently – but excitedly) for it to germinate; watch it take form; feed it, nurture it, and then sit back and enjoy the bounty. I wasn’t prepared for the absolute JOY involved in surrounding myself with colorful, living little miracles. Nor did I anticipate the childlike excitement, the byproduct, of growing things — flowers, vegetables, anything, really. Not only did I become a gardener – but I also became a photographer. The beauty was something to behold; a perfectly formed cantaloupe, a giant red beet, nice, straight carrots, and of course that very first, breathtakingly beautiful, zinnia —the most vibrant explosion of pink my eyes had ever seen.
(Submitted by Litsa Folse)
Our honeybees brought their A-game, and watching them savor their own personal flower buffet was next level. I found myself nestled in a thicket of bachelor’s buttons, so whimsical and delicate, surrounded by hues of periwinkle to dusty rose — phone in hand — where I captured the bees doing what they do. With their distinctive “hum,” they investigated each blossom and loaded up on pollen; an endless supply. I found them in rows of majestic sunflowers, interesting varieties I had planted and was curious to experiment with — oranges, chocolates, reds — floating from one bright yellow face to another. I found them in my vegetable garden, feasting on splashes of electric cucumber blossoms, pretty pink crepe myrtles, and of course sharing the colorful crayon box of zinnias with their fellow pollenators, the beautiful butterflies. A photographic journey awaited in the early mornings at dawn, maybe after a rain when a rainbow formed in the distance, or perhaps at dusk as the clouds in the sky took on a golden/orange hue. The flowers were always on display and always changing.
(Submitted by Litsa Folse)
This is our third year growing. We created an environment for the honeybees with purposeful plantings that has naturally evolved into a little English garden. The stone pump house is surrounded by garden beds filled with mint — chocolate, orange, spearmint and peppermint — planting zones were created with native plants, drought-tolerant sage and yuccas, and we’ve added pretty rocks, birdbaths, wooden rustic benches, and flowers that have reseeded themselves, almost to say “we like it here.” The zinnias have become a staple, along with a variety of celosia and gomphrena, our basils (purple opal is a showstopper in our floral bouquets), salvia, and of course, the sunflowers. Full circle: seeds become flowers that then become seeds! “Style 208 Surprise Garden Mix” is now available in our store. Plant a seed. Feed the pollenators, and enjoy the bounty!
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