Maven Moment: Flowers for Your Soul

For the first time in a long time, I am growing plants from seeds.

Like my grandpa’s garden in the porch, I have started lots of seedlings indoors this year — both veggies and flowers. Some of my seeds may grow and some may not, but it sure is interesting to see what works.

So far, my sweet peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes are looking pretty good. My cilantro — well, not so much, but I’ve always found it to be a somewhat delicate plant. And my scallions are having a “race” to see where they grow best, in soil or water (water is winning).

My biggest surprise has been my marigolds: they’re beautiful and hardy flowers. I originally grew them for the children at a preschool where I help out and to attract pollinators for my community garden.

But even if I don’t get to plant them outdoors this year, the marigolds will serve as “flowers for my soul.” This phrase comes from a conversation that I had years ago with my mother-in-law, Lucy. I had announced that I refused to grow anything that I could not eat. She responded, “Sometimes you need to grow flowers for your soul.”

And you know, she was right! Watching my marigolds flourish, I’ve realized that growing flowers with no other goal than enjoying their fragrance and beauty can really bring me joy. And the fact that they attract bees and other pollinators to the garden is definitely a plus!

In fact, our community garden crops have done really well and I think that our little patch of marigolds was one of the reasons why. And they provide a happy little pop of color as well.

Perhaps you, too, would enjoy companion planting flowers along with your veggies and seeing which ones benefit your crops and brighten your day. If you don’t have room for a garden, consider joining a community garden. Or, you might just enjoy growing a pot of “flowers for your soul.”

Feature image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay. This post was originally published on April 29, 2020.