Joyful Flowers

 Chives

Flowers that are in bloom around our farm right now

Planting a flower garden shouldn't be about how a yard looks in a magazine as much as how you feel in that space.If you are to create gardens with an authentic view, self-exploration must come before pictures from Martha's Gardens. Personal flourishes can be had for little or no money. Search seed catalogs and start flower seeds in the early spring. Don't for get about bulbs! Plant bulbs in the late winter and early spring for a delightful surprise. Once the bulbs bloom plant around them to create a beautiful space. Divide and Concur!  Trade plantings with friends and family, dig up your excess and trade.

Lavender

 Herb gardens have been considered  an important ritual. Devotion to growing herbs can be traced back nearly six thousand years before the Christian era began. Ancient civilizations like those of Egypt and China, herbalists were revered. Their teachings about medicinal properties were passed down and written about in sacred texts.  Today herbs are used for cooking and remedies. Sow some symbolic seeds and become a participant in your own healing and culinary wholeness.

Shasta Daisy

Ah! The beloved everlasting Shasta Daisy! Shasta Daisies spread prolifically and benefit from division every two to three years. Dig up the plants and move them about the yard or garden spot.You will soon find that they begin to clump together and fill in blank spots. In time, you may have extra plants to give to friends.

Deadheading, or the practice of removing spent flowers, has several benefits for Shasta Daisies. Deadheading encourages more blooms and extends  the blooming season. After deadheading the first go around, let the second or third blooms go to seed and deadhead after the seeds form.  snip the seed head off and store in an airtight container or envelope. Share the seeds with friends!

Rhododendron

Got shade?  Here is a picture of some of our Rodies! My husband, Dale's favorite flower! Check out the American Rhododendron Society http://www.rhododendron.org/  A non-profit organization whose purpose is to encourage interest in and to disseminate information about the genus Rhododendron.  Members' experience ranges from novice to expert.  Society activities include public education, flower shows, seed exchanges, scientific studies, and communication through publications and local and national meetings.

Hosta!

Shade, Shade, wonderful Shade!
Plant Hosta's  in the very early spring for wonderful foliage throughout spring and summer. They add a lush feel to any landscape.

Iris

Our Iris's have gotten so tall we have to stake them!  
Did you know there are about 300 species of Iris? They are a natural hybrid and the risomes live for centuries. These are Iris' that were planted on our farm long before we came to live there. I imagine they are pretty old.   The Iris dates back to Greek Mythology. Iris is of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. She is also known as one of the goddesses of the sea and the sky. Iris links the gods to humanity and  travels with the speed of wind. She can travel  from one end of the world to the other and into the bottom of the sea.  It seems like our Iris' bloom during the period of rain and sunshine, a time when we see rainbows, so I guess the Greek Goddess Iris of the rainbow makes sense, eh?