When I did my morning garden check-ups last summer, I felt this warm rush of pure joy radiating from my heart - quite literally. And even now, in the dead of winter, I get the same rush just thinking about it. The act of growing and appreciating flowers is truly life-changing and so good for the soul. It’s a gift from Nature that I want to share with you, even if you’re not growing flowers this year.

I’ve been planning my 2022 cutting garden for about 6 months now (yes, I bought seeds back in July - gobs and gobs of seeds). And now it’s finally time to actually schedule the seed starting. 

As I was going through my 87-line spreadsheet with flower varieties (each line = one flower I will attempt to grow), I realized that I wasn’t planning to “farm” flowers; instead, I was charting a small world filled with beautiful things.

These are my three biggest wishes and hopes for this small world of beautiful things…

Allow a small growing space to inspire, not deter us

With just five 2x8 raised beds, my available space is infinitesimal, but also a blessing in disguise. Every little square inch of room counts and is precious. That means we need to be creative and efficient, while still giving the flowers what they need to thrive. For example, in addition to the raised beds, this year I am adding grow bags that will place in my perennial beds as well as on the parkway (it’s allowed to use that space where I live, as long as it’s not a permanent structure). 

If you only have room for a 12” pot, think of it as a grid with 2x2 and 4x4 squares. You could easily plant a couple of bachelor’s buttons (super easy to grow), a couple of snapdragons and one nasturtium at the edge of the pot. Bonus: All these blooms are edible!

Let’s slow down to enjoy each flower in our lives

This is true if you grow flowers or just buy them. Last year I grew cut flowers for the first time and I observed how they developed and responded to the environment. In the garden, some of the most enjoyable flowers to watch are cosmos and dahlias. For cosmos buds, each day is a new phase in their development. Day 1 is a plump green bud, day 2 you can start to see a bit of color, day 3 a few tiny petals start to open up, day 4 & 5 the flower starts growing and the stamens are tightly packed. And finally, once the bees start visiting them, the stamens open up and get fluffy with pollen.

When you can’t grow your flowers and just buy them, you can still enjoy this magical process. Peonies, ranunculus, roses, tulips and many more flowers put out a lovely display of beauty at each stage. For these types of flowers, always choose the ones in the closed but colorful bud stage. With a fresh stem cut when you bring them home, flower food and a water change every few days, you’ll witness a breathtaking show each day.

Pay it forward with flowers and bring back a cherished memory

We are wired to appreciate flowers and sometimes childhood memories involve flowers, especially fragrant ones (olfactory memories and emotion are strongly connected in our brains). One of my earliest flower memories comes from my grandmother’s garden where she grew tuberoses. They open up at dusk and their fragrance evokes lazy summer evenings with my grandmother and my childhood friends.

One of the most thoughtful ways to show your appreciation to someone is with a bouquet of fresh flowers. I plan to share bouquets from my garden and just the thought of it lifts my mood instantly. That moment when you show up at your friend’s or neighbor’s door with flowers “just because” is a tiny way to make someone’s day a little better - and maybe awaken some lovely memory.

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Which one of these small ways to make room for flowers in your life speak most to you? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!