Finding Beauty in the Practical
Once upon a time I was a flower gardener. I transplanted perennials from neighbors and friends, and bought annuals by the flat. I weeded, mulched, and dead headed while enjoying the brilliant colors of my flower beds.
Those days are gone, or at least put on hold for some time. Now, I have exactly one flower bed. It is full of perennials my sister in law needed to thin. Thanks Delilah! It is also full of weeds. *sigh*
In the long list of things I'd like to do, and need to do, flower gardens do not make it to the top priorities. My summer time is consumed with growing and processing food for the family. I'm not complaining. I enjoy vegetable gardening, and I have chosen to find the beauty in my practical gardens.
Of course the true beauty of the plants I grow is the food they provide. They may not be as showy as flower garden plants, but vegetable plants have their own beauty. It is more subtle, and sometimes a little hidden, but is there none the less.
A sweet little baby.
Delicate beauties.
A little more showy.
A fence covered in vine and blooms.
Okra in bloom.
The promise of fall color.
Wild Beauties.
Future Eggplant.
The Showboats.
You won't find impatiens, pansies, or geraniums in my gardens any longer. The few marigolds that can be found are there to help keep insects away. There isn't much time for plants that do not serve a practical purpose. My gardens may not be full of brilliant colors, but they are full of beauty. A beauty that I very much appreciate.
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gardening
4 comments:
I agree. I loved our CSA farm so much that I spent all last summer taking pictures there while I learned to use my new camera.
The beauty found in a vegetable garden gives me the same feeling I get when I looked at a Shaker style home.
I think the veggies are just as beautiful!! I too once was an ornamental gardener. I planted flowers everywhere. Now, I stick the flowers in between the fruits and veggies to attract pollinators, repel the bad bugs and make things interesting. Love the watermelon photo. I've got one in the front yard that looks just like yours.
There's nothing wrong with being practical. I loved your post.
Stephanie....I have more flowers I will be thinning in the fall....look for those to come your way. LOL. I do love the flowers in my giant flower bed but I am a veggie grower at heart. I think my veggie garden adds just as much - if not more to the landscape. I think next year I am going to fill in some holes in my flower beds with a tomato or pepper plant here and there. In Kent (land of the hippies), I've noticed several people have gardens planted in their front yards. I just love it!
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