It really wasn’t the summer I expected it to be, though that doesn’t mean it was a bad summer, just a different summer. I guess it started with the wonderful intentions of planting my cutting garden early, but it didn’t quite happen that way. As I write this, I am sad that I didn’t get it all done as I’d hoped, but often for me that is the case… I did, however, enjoy planting each curious seed in the soil and watching the extraordinary process of a seed germinating and turning into a flower…or at least some of them. Also, I remind myself that there is always next year, especially with better planning during winter and earlier planting in spring.

After all of the planning and planting, I have to let go, let nature take over and let it happen.

I had some success, though admittedly this year I had the least amount of blooms than any previous years. It could have been all of the rain and not enough warm, sunny days, but part of gardening is that nature happens. Of the flowers that bloomed, I planted some Hollyhocks seeds and at least I got to see them turn into pretty leaves. The Black Swan Poppies that I so looked forward to never came to fruition, though the Cherry Rose Jewel Nasturtium more than made up for them in their bright coral color, which for me was quite unique as I have only seen the yellow and orange. The Cleome (Spider Flower) were beautiful, though not enough of them sprouted and bloomed. And then of course from previous years there were the California Poppies that popped up all over, the Borage that reseeded in my other garden, and the Orange Oriental Poppies that grew in perfect succession from the previous year’s planting.

It may not have been the summer I had hoped for with tons of flowers blooming and my trellises full of Morning Glories, Sweet Peas and Cardinals Climbers…but it was an awe-inspiring experience once again with the pure simplicity of planting a seed and letting the rest come as it will. Another lesson learned from flowers: after all of the planning and planting, I have to let go, let nature take over and let it happen. The same goes in life: we can put all the effort we want into something, but then we must let it go and see what happens. I can’t wait to plan my cutting garden for next year!

Share with me below: How have your summer gardens grown?

FEATURED FLOWER
California Poppy. Photographed in My Cutting Garden.

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