27. A Dream Come True

For years, I would look up at my mess of a hill and dream of having a cutting garden. I loved the idea of cutting fresh flowers and having them displayed throughout the house. In those years, I wasn't goal-oriented. Getting through daily life zapped most of my available energy, and dreaming of something better wasn't happening either.

After my divorce, I began buying myself bouquets from ALDI. It was an affordable luxury and grew to be such an uplifting form of self-care.

I knew so little about what I was planting this summer that I didn't realize that I had planted what would become my first cutting garden. I chose sunflowers and zinnias because I liked the look of them and because the sunflowers reminded me of home.

I began googling zinnias after a text exchange with my best friend. As luck would have it, zinnias are considered a must-have in any garden according to the online resource Savvy Gardening. I experienced all of zinnias' attributes this summer: fast growing, add extensive color, grow reliably, low maintenance, grow quickly from seed, draw butterflies and pollinators, and grow well in pots or the garden. I enjoyed witnessing their all-summer-long growth.

On the Saturday of my third yoga training weekend, I cut my first sunflower from my garden and took it to the studio to share with my teachers and classmates. I cannot tell you what it meant to do this. I parked my mat next to the puja (honored area) where other students had brought flowers from their gardens the evening before.

A few more weeks passed. I was enjoying the zinnias in their natural habitat so much that I wasn't inclined to cut them and take them inside. But more days passed and colors erupted and I decided that I could spare a few blossoms without sacrificing the look of the garden.

I later deadheaded the flowers to encourage more growth. I collected dead blooms to gather seeds for next summer's garden. I tried to count how many flowers and buds were in the garden and every time I started, I lost count. There were so many! And there was no need to take inventory. They looked amazing and that was the only thing I cared about.

My sister bought me a flasket, a cool kind of vase and basket combo. You fill the reservoir at the bottom with water and slip your arm through the handle for easy carrying. She gave it to me years ago, and this summer was the first time I ever used it. 

As a minimalist, I do a fairly frequent assessment of my material possessions and move along things that haven't been used in a long time. I am so grateful I broke my own rule on this tool. I wasn't ready to let go of that dream. Thank goodness.

This summer, as I looked up at the hill that was less of a mess and reflected my hard work, sweat, and joy, my day dreaming felt a lot more realistic and possible.

The cutting garden reinforced the lesson about abundance and scarcity. At first, I was hesitant to cut the blooms for fear the garden would lose its colorful look. But then the blossoms kept coming. There were blooms to spare and when I shared them, my joy in doing so increased. And I loved my garden more. Do not hoard beauty, is what this garden reminded me. There is plenty, and the joy comes from sharing! 

I gave bouquets to my friends over and over this summer and the joy that appeared on their faces was such a gift to me.

What other dreams shall I work to make come true?