Cut Flowers Coming My Way

For the past several days, I have been feeling sicker and sicker with a nasty head/chest congestion combo. Even though I was able to sleep very well last night, I still woke up feeling horrible and exhausted. I found out when I went to the doctor that I have a upper respitory infection - fun! I am now being fixed by anti-biotics and mucinex. I also self-medicated by getting some Vitamin D while out in the garden today. The heavy work involved shoveling the last truckload of dirt into the newly added raised beds in my garden. The two final beds that were filled with dirt are where I am going to be growing flowers that I intend to cut and bring inside. I've always had a hard time feeling good about cutting the flowers that I grow in the garden beds in the front and side of my house. I want to have fresh flowers by my bed, on my desk and on our dining tables, but I don't want to sacrifice the color outside that I enjoy so much. Now I won't have that problem - so far I've planted several of my favorites, ranuculus, irises and the flower that always makes me think of my wedding, liatris. There are still calalillies and peonies left to plant. Lately, every time I spend time out in my garden, I am overwhelmed at seeing my dream garden coming together. I am nearly 32 years old, but I remember beginning to dream about having a garden when I was 19. If I had been able to somehow magically have had my dream come true back then, I don't think my "dream garden" would have amounted to even half of what my current garden has become. I have so much space to plant and experiment. I have a nice area for permanent plants like my strawberries and the flowers I planted today, and lots of space for rotating seasonal vegetables. I have a beautiful orchard that now holds 21 fruit trees and a safe, contained area for my chickens. Life is funny that way, the sweat equity I have from many hours of hard work in my garden makes it a very special place to me. I don't think walking into a "turn key" garden with everything set up would be quite so satisfying. Years ago before I'd met the husband, I told a friend that the type of man who I wanted to be with would bring me fresh cut flowers all of the time or would even buy me a membership to one of those annual "bouquet of the month" clubs for me. Again, it was a young and limited dream, the man I thought I wanted would have thrown a few bucks at flowers. Instead, I have a man who gives money, but also time and hard work to my dream. Not to say that he doesn't bring me fresh flowers...but have you seen what a bouquet can go for - especially during winter - it can be ridiculous. Now rather than fresh flowers I prefer he buy me bulbs or tubers so I can grow my own and enjoy them year after year.

Monday is going to see another part of my dream becoming a reality, I can't wait to share about that, I have an amazing greenhouse coming my way! Even sick, I still feel like the luckiest person I know.