I just wanted a cutting garden where I could cut big, extravagant bouquets for the house without feeling like I had stripped every bloom from the yard.

For years I focused on growing perennials, and I love them to this day, but when the cutting garden dream began to develop, I turned my attention to annuals which I hoped would keep me in blooms all season. I quickly realized that buying enough annual six packs for the garden I envisioned was going to be a budget buster. Plus, while there were lots of lovely annual plants available near me, they weren’t necessarily varieties for cutting, with nice long stems. The solution? Seeds. It was like an entirely new world opened up for me. Seeds! So many different kinds of flowers! So many varieties! So many colors!

Friends, I was like a kid in a candy store.

I grew all my annuals from seed that first year, which just happened to be the same year I realized it was time to step away from my 36 year career as an educator. That time in the garden was restorative, joyful, and full of excitement and anticipation which helped ease the transition from teacher to retiree. And best of all, my dream came true: the house (and yard!) was full of flowers all season long, and I had such an abundance of blooms I was able to share many, many bouquets with neighbors, friends and family. My passion for flowers continues. Join me in delighting in them, and sharing them.