Winding Down

Gardening season is winding down in my neck of the woods.

During the summer months I regularly(ish) deadhead my annuals. It’s one of my least favorite tasks in the garden (second only to weeding lol), but it helps to prolong the growing season. This is because it takes a lot of energy for a plant to make flowers and then produce seeds, so by removing the spent blooms (before they go to seed) it redirects those resources to making more flowers.

But with the shorter days and cooler weather, there are fewer and fewer flowers. So instead of cutting them to bring inside, I am saving what blooms they do make for the butterflies and then letting them go to seed. This way I have free seeds that will self-sow for more flowers next year.

As much as I look forward to the those first blooms in spring and love to celebrate their abundance during the summer months, I thought it made sense to honor this part of the growing season. The natural progression of things. The comforting rhythm of life in the garden.

Taking photos of these spent blooms reminded me that there is beauty in every season. But more than that, these photos represent my trust in the process and my hope for the future.

Love, Kelly