Flower Power

I love flowers. My garden is loaded with flowers and blooming herbs. They take priority over the vegetables as one doesn't have to worry about bugs and slugs eating them down to their roots. Less stress and maintenance.

  

 

 

In fact, flowers create a proper bee habitat and hummingbirds feast on their nectar. The hummingbirds love the foxglove, scrambled eggs, petunias, and nasturtiums.

 

 

Prior to my enlightenment (the dark ages), I used to hang those sugar-water-filled hummingbird feeders. I can't imagine processed sugar is good for little birds if it's not good for humans. I sold my hummingbird feeders in my last garage sale and now I concentrate on filling my garden with hummingbird flowers. I love watching them zoom from bloom to bloom and hear the buzz of their little wings.

 

 

The Unenlightened (people who ignorantly know nothing or very little about MCS) are always surprised when they see my garden or hear me talk about flowers. "How can you be around flowers??? Aren't you allergic to them?" It's called Multiple CHEMICAL Sensitivity not Multiple FLOWER Sensitivity! I'm deathly reactive to chemicals not natural flowers! If the flower has been sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, preservatives or any other unnatural chemical, then they are toxic. My flowers aren't. I do, however, have to admit since becoming chemically sensitive the scent of some cut flowers are so strong they bother my lungs. I think that's my overprotective brain sending me signals to watch out. I can smell strongly scented flowers outside and do just fine, but bring them in my home where they overpower the clean air and it can become quite uncomfortable.

Every summer I love cutting little bouquets of flowers to decorate my home and brighten up my office, kitchen and bathroom.

 

The yellow arrangement is so cheerful!

 

 

Nasturtiums, daisies, feverfew, dandelions, California poppies, buttercups and ferns. Notice the weed flowers??? So bright and cheerful. Most weeds are herbs that have gotten a bad reputation over the years for being so evasive. There is nothing wrong with weeds in the proper context: a vase.

In fact, dandelions must be the hardiest and healthiest of all flowers. They can grow anywhere, much to the dismay of most gardeners. Peter loves them. He knows they are very high in nutrients and strengthen kidneys. I used to have a recipe for dandelion pasta, but I was never brave enough to try it. I do what I can to control the weed flowers in my garden because they can so easily take over, but a few here and there won't hurt. In fact, I think Peter is the fault I have any at all!

 

"Chomp, chomp. It's not my fault! Chomp."

 

 

I love the purply-pink pastel flower arrangement:

This one is herbs and wildflowers: chives, yarrow, daisies, oregano, lavender, love-in-a-mist, rose campion, pink mallow and sweet woodruff.

 

 

When I first moved here I spread packets of wildflower seeds everywhere although many didn't germinate right away. Every now and then, even years later, a new species will appear and it's always such a nice surprise. If I don't know what it is I check the flower packets I've collected over the years in hopes of identification.

 

 

My love-in-a-mist (love the name!) has an interesting history.

 

The little seven-year old neighbor girl who lived next store received a free packet of love-in-a-mist seeds from her school. Her mother refused to let her plant them anywhere as she didn't want the perfection of her landscaping marred. This woman's yard was so child un-friendly her daughters were forced to play in their driveway! Beth brought them to me and begged, "You can plant them anywhere you want! They won't hurt anything." She was so worried I would think they'd ruin my landscaping. Hardly! She was so thrilled when they started blooming. I've always called them "Beth's Flowers". Such beautiful little flowers. They are Peter's favorite, too!

"Yum...loving the love-in-a-mist."

 

So happy and cheerful. Flowers are a good way to brighten your day and add joy to your life.