May Flowers

I like this time of year … something about watching life return to the world around you … the return of colour, warmth, fragrance that’s lighter than what comes with the fall or winter.  

While I’m not patient, I waited seven years for my poppies to bloom and when they did, they were magnificent soldiers … I miss them already.  

Sighs … 

All is not lost … I have my pots on the balcony and this morning I’m looking at beautiful hot colours and it makes me smile.  Yesterday I went shopping for plants with friends.  Different space, different light, different plants.  I had to put more thought into what plants I wanted.  I had to consider the light and not just default to what I know … I had to go back to reading the labels, asking questions, thinking about spacing and growth.  It was fun.  

I love seeing what’s mixed together in planters - the texture, the colour, the movement.  This year I found myself gravitating towards only the flowers … without my garden acting as a backdrop for my planters, I wanted flowers.  

As much as I love poppies, I’m looking for flowers that will bloom all season.  

This morning is overcast and grey … the flowers feel like sunshine on the balcony - I like that.  They make me smile.  

I have three mid-sized pots and one large one.  I opted to do two containers for the large one and filled the others with soil and planted my purchases yesterday afternoon.  Normally I don’t need so much soil, but I had to empty the pots for moving … so, I was starting from scratch.  To be clear, my pots are always annuals.  In the winter I put greens in them - to give them colour and life through the winter.  

While we were out - I kept an eye on the indoor plants.  I’ve never really had indoor plants.  It’s something I’m trying.  

A friend hung a rod over her bay windows’ and uses that to hang plants. I have an area in the kitchen that would let me mimic what she’s done.  I have lots of light and hanging the plants keeps my counters clear for food prep and dishes without the plants feeling like they are in the way. 

That’s a future project … by future, I’m thinking June-ish.  

As I’m looking to fill space, I find myself considering plants for the first time … which is kind of fun.  I still think about colour, texture, height etc. to imagine how it might fill a space.  I’m getting a sense of how the light moves - so I know where I can place them.  

I like having life in a space, and yes, plants are living things, and yes, I talk to mine.  

There is something satisfying about watching plants thrive.  Knowing they are growing, expanding etc. under your care.  I think that’s why I miss my poppies.  Every year the greens would come up and finally, finally, I got three buds, three flowers.  Last year I had double digit blooms - that’s something.  

While I may no longer have perennials, I can still play with annuals. Find new flowers that bring me as much joy and fill my space with colour and life.  In the meantime, I’ll enjoy what I’ve potted on the balcony and hopefully watch them thrive over the summer. 

I’m hoping to spend more time out there than I did before, having meals, enjoying my coffee, reading, writing … using it and enjoying it as a part of my living space.  I still have some work to do but I have a vision.  It will get there.  In the meantime, it’s time for coffee and a morning hello to my newest additions.  

While I know they didn’t grow rapidly overnight, I still like checking on their progress, their health, and to let them know I’m rooting for them, to, well, to take root.  

Something that brings you joy should know it brings you joy … even if that something is pots filled with flowers.