The summer is possibly the most chaotic time for a working mom; navigating where each child is going to be and when. Still, the summer will always offer a nice, natural opportunity to get away from work for a bit to just rest and recover while fishing on the lake or floating in the pool. Summer has always felt like slower days but in a very busy season that seems to just fly by. Rain returned, and it was almost as if the ground and our plants got the opportunity to take in a big inhale and with its exhale reveal new beauty and life. It was refreshing to witness. Hydrangeas that roasted in the summer heat, grew back new green leaves. Flowers that had resisted growth, shot up full of blooms. Those daily watering sessions were enough to keep everything alive, but they were just not the same as those really satisfying Earth-drenching rains.
The gardens also became very noisy as pollinators flooded the gardens. Hummingbirds, goldfinches and bluebirds that I had never seen in our yard before were suddenly fluttering all around. Fat bumblebees would fill the folds and layers of marigolds. Beautiful eastern tiger swallowtails would put on a show as they moved from zinnia to zinnia actively pollinating with their legs and proboscis. During our daily garden walks, the boys quietly swarm around to get a view of nature’s show. My youngest used to nearly panic at the sight and sound of a bee yelling, “Mommy, die” commanding me to kill the bees. Butterflies are easy for children to enjoy, but it is so important that we educate our children that bees are our friends and to not be afraid. These pollinators have helped our flower gardens and vegetable raised beds thrive. Without them, there wouldn’t be much color or juicy tomatoes to enjoy.
The gardens were also noisy with attractors; friends and neighbors walking by in the neighborhood as the boys stood with me assembling bouquets. I was finally able to pull together some full bouquets this month, enabling me to practice the simple act of floral arranging. I helped the boys understand which flowers were ready to be cut, how to use shears and where they needed to be cut to allow for future blooms on our cut and come again varieties. I also tracked the individual flowers in the bouquets to see how long they would last in a vase after cutting. A personal goal would be to be able to build arrangements for customers that we could ensure would look fresh for a week or more. Snapdragons, dahlias and zinnias are my longest lasting cut flowers, and they will certainly take center stage next year in our garden.
The boys are back in school. Thankfully, the pool has stayed warm, and the tomatoes are still coming, extending our summer. Just as my husband starts to think I’ll be laying flowers to rest for a bit, seeds and bulbs start showing up in the mail for fall plantings.
