Flowers bring me joy. I revel in the beauty of God’s creation; stopping to smell the flowers and breathing in the picturesque beauty of our land of living skies. It is truly magnificent. I marvel at the myriad of colors and designs in nature and more specifically in plants and flowers, both wild and domestic. I enjoy keeping up with the ever-changing landscape trends. This year, I did a little research (scanning Pinterest) to see what was trending and then chose plants to mimic the designs I admired. It seems ferns are having a big impact while succulents have been around for a few years now. Trailing plants, lots of greenery and color variety are all the rave.
Cut flowers have also been emerging as a catchy trend for a few years now. The arrangements one can buy are far from the formal rose or carnation bouquets we once bought. It is interesting to see the choice of fillers in those bouquets such as dill, eucalyptus, ferns, and you name it... any greenery you may have in your garden or yard would likely fill the bill. One of those vintage flower-types that has made its way into the cut flower market is the peony. When I think of the peony, I think of a plant that has been in almost every gardener’s yard since I was a child. I have always enjoyed their beauty.
Did you know that peonies can bloom for over 100 years?! They are definitely a worthwhile investment, leaving a generational legacy of blooms. Their period of blooming, however, is only a week to 10 days per year. Interestingly, you can store the peony buds in the fridge for eight to 12 weeks. They will then take eight to 24 hours to bloom once removed from the fridge. Sometimes, you may notice ants climbing all over the buds or flowers, however contrary to popular belief, they are not necessary to help the buds to open. They are attracted to the sweet nectar on the buds. To remove ants off the buds, simply turn the fully opened flowers upside down and dip them in a bucket of water.
I am so grateful that our Creator God saw fit to bring so much beauty to this earth. It is incomprehensible when one stops to think of the diversity of nature. From the deep cavernous gorges in South Africa (that I had opportunity to explore as a child) to the grandeur of the Rockies to the golden wheat fields waving on the flat prairies to the crashing of the ocean waves and the fertile rainforests of Brazil, we see the hand of our Divine Creator who has fashioned our world for us to explore and enjoy.
And yet, the One who created this vast world, our earth, also created the most miniscule fragile blooms and ants and hummingbirds and seeds. How intricate. How detailed. How incredible.
And to think, He created us to tend this Garden and to enjoy the fruits of our labors. We get to bask in the beauty. We get to allow this beauty to penetrate deep into our souls and let it bring joy. Oh what a gift! I pray that you will take the time to allow the beauty in our world to minister sweet joy in the depths of your soul this week.
“For behold, He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, the One who turns the dawn to darkness and strides on the heights of the earth, the LORD, the God of Hosts, is His name." Amos 4:13
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
