A wise mentor once told me if you only have $5 buy yourself a loaf of bread and a single flower for happiness, then splurge with the rest of it. That advice has stuck with me. I am a lover of flowers, and I make it a habit to purchase myself a bouquet every time I go to the farmers market. There’s something about flowers that just brings me happiness. This year as I sit and dream of what to plant in my garden, I have made the decision that I will plant a flower garden. I need to turn a plain-Jane backyard into an inviting space (yes, the back yard dream continues). We now have two huge empty spots of dirt- one where the hostas used to live and where that horrible nonfunctional water fountain lived. So, I thought wouldn’t it be great if we filled them with flowers?

Our gym looks into the backyard, so what better way to get through that time than by watching Mother Nature’s array of colors evolve. It is also my hope that it will bring a smile and moment of joy and beauty in the world to my neighbors as they walk by with their dogs and take in the beautiful curb appeal. I dream it will cut down on my own flower bill- how I dream of sharing those bouquets with family, friends, workmates, and anyone who could use a lift. We can all be Emily.

Here are a few tips for starting your flower garden and a few good reads.

1. Get an idea. Is this going to be a vegetable garden? An herb garden? A flower garden? If you choose to grow flowers, do you want annuals, which you must replant each year but which give color most of the summer? Or do you prefer perennials, which have a shorter bloom time but come back year after year? You can mix any of the above — after all, it’s your garden. Just one bit of advice: Start small. ‘Tis better to succeed just a little, than to fail grandly.
2. Pick a place. Almost all vegetables and most flowers need about six hours of full sun each day. If your lot is largely sunless; many plants tolerate shade. Check plant tags or ask the staff at your local garden center to find out how much sun a plant requires.
3. Put the garden where you can’t ignore it — outside the back door or near the mailbox. Place it close enough to a water spigot that you won’t have to drag the hose around the whole yard.

Good Reads

Feed Your Soul: Plant a Cutting Garden by Kathy LaLiberte

Burpee Flower gardens

Viability – It’s All in a SeedbyMistyMeadows