Flower Power! Or Not.

{ flowers in my dad's yard in northern Michigan }

Flowering plants to me, in the most simple explanation I can think of, are like little people. Except plants actually come with some instructions and children don't. Plants come with those handy little plastic things, stuck neatly into the soil, that explain the plant's needs. Shade, plant separation distance, and water needs are all covered in the guidelines on that little piece of plastic. Even with the extra help though, I still manage to kill off our pretty little flowers time and time again.

We had a beautiful hanging basket full of flowers that lasted about 1.2 days on our patio. The death of our flowers left me miffed and confused. What did I we do wrong this time? Was it too much water? Or did the plant get too much light? I don't really blame it either. That Florida sun can zap the life right out of you in no time flat. Too much, and even too little, of a good thing can be a bad thing. Now I'm even more confused. These little people/plants are harder to take care of than I thought. Or are they? Maybe I'll pretend the death of our flowers was just a fluke, because I am able to keep our other plants and basil alive just fine. I'm not sure we want to spend the money on another hanging basket if it's just going to kick the bucket after we get 30 minutes of enjoyment out of it.

God help us when we get a puppy or, even scarier yet, a child. How will we ever keep it alive? At least babies grow up to be children, who eventually learn to speak, so we'll be able to ask what they need with time. Now that I think about it, flowers and puppies just might be scarier than children. They don't speak. Who am I kidding? Kids are scary, because they grow up to become adults. On second thought, maybe I will buy more flowers.

enjoy some more flowers from my dad's gardens.... I promise they won't talk back...

so pretty and green

beautiful flowers line the porch steps

spiders enjoy flowers too

lovely hydrangea

 bright as sunshine

this morning glory wraps around a glass with an avocado pit growing its own roots

Do you love being surrounded by flower gardens?

If you have any secrets on how to keep flowers alive, that would be much appreciated.