in my vase monday {imperfectly perfect}

Nature has a way to humble you.  And flowers even more.  It is one of the lessons I have learned once I decided to grow flowers... actually when I decided to garden in general.  You can have the best laid plans and nature will show you she is in charge.  It can be frustrating but it also shows deeply rewarding.  But the one thing nature has shown me is to learn to find beauty in the imperfect.  Take dahlias for example.  I love them yet they are an exercise in patience.  They epitomize the hashtag #slowflowers. 

This weekend the first dahlia (dahlia Chilson's Pride) bloomed yet in all its beauty the one thing I could focus on was how many of the petals were chewed by bugs.  I was actually pretty annoyed.  But the more I looked at it, the more I started seeing that even with the chewing, it is a pretty beautiful flower. 

As I started inspecting it, I noticed the most perfect shade of pink-- almost ethereal.  The beautiful veins that delicately showed in the petals.  Chilson's Pride has feathery petals but as it opened, the chewing makes it look more feathery to me.  And suddenly, in the blink of an eye, I was in love. 

But that is a great lesson to learn, isn't it? How in the imperfect we find beauty.  It is a lesson that applies to life in general.  As we go through life, sometimes everything seems so perfect and then suddenly it is not.  And we are anxious, sad or upset. It is so much so that we fail to see everything all the good things we have in our lives.  All the blessings.  All the beauty in the brokenness... 

And that is why I love nature and growing things.  It is always teaching us lessons about ourselves and the world.  It teaches us have patience and letting go of what frustrates us.  It is better than therapy.  And so I lovingly cut it and brought it inside-- the first dahlia bloom.  A new love for me.

Joining a few other lovers of gardening and images: Dishing It & Digging It, Garden Like Link-Up, Floral Friday Fotos, In a Vase on Monday, Garden Blogger's Bloom Day (15th of the Month), Gardens Galore, Floral Bliss, Home and Garden Thursday 

what's blooming in the garden

Fall planting is just around the corner and I am excited!  I have to say that this summer season has been very trying for me.  So much rain has created more work for me especially trying to keep the dahlias from developing pests and mold.  I have had to be very vigilant with the pests.  I started noticing a few ants on the dahlias and upon research learned that they are usually present because they are farming for other insects, usually aphids.  This made my heart sink.  Upon inspection, I could not find any aphids.  So I started treating the plant with an organic spray for pests and my trusty hose—spraying those suckers away.  This combination seems to be working but even like that, I am vigilant.

And so we find ourselves at the beginning of August and I have yet to have any of the dahlias bloom although they developed more lateral stems after I topped them (a heartbreaking moment in a dahlia grower’s life) and buds are starting to pop.  Looks like Chilson’s Pride will be the first one to bloom! 

But while, we keep tending these, other plants are flowering around the garden.  One of our goals this year was to plant more pollinator friendly plants.  We purchased pollinator-friendly blends and went to our local extension office to get native seeds and the results are starting to show. From scabiosa to Queen Ann’s lace and wild flowers, all are attracting bees and butterflies. 

I also planted a new rose bush this year, and just like the one planted last year, it looked like touch and go for a while and then suddenly started blooming insanely.Now interestingly, these miniature roses go through a transformation.  They start as cream colored buds, then coral as they are opening.  Then they turn cream color with coral speckles before they turn coral pink.  It makes for an interesting display.  This is now dubbed the little bush that could part II.

The day lilies are still exploding in their stunning peach color and make for great contrast around the pine trees where they are planted.  And last but not least, the kind of summer—the sunflower.  I do not grow them but I live in a farming community where sharing is caring and on Saturday, these mammoth beauties were given to me.  They are gorgeous if you ask me. 

GardenWhat about you? What's blooming in your garden?

joining a few other lovers of gardening and images: Garden Like Link-Up, Floral Friday Fotos, In a Vase on Monday, Garden Blogger's Bloom Day (15th of the Month), Gardens Galore, Floral Bliss, Home and Garden Thursday