Rewind
A look back at a month of growing flowers.
It’s been nearly one year since I published my first Roots & Vines essay and photo story. I promised myself I would try it for one year, just to see what it felt like to share my writing publicly. In some months, it was hard to scrabble together sentences, let alone share them with anyone but myself. In other months, the process flowed easily. I plan to keep writing, although a few new features may emerge in the second year.
When I compose these essays, hunched over my cell phone (yes, I only write on my phone!), I rarely imagine anyone on the other side reading my words. That’s a coping mechanism, I guess, so I don’t get lost in the “what ifs” of the creative process. Yet, the interplay between words, images, and flowers keeps me artistically curious and hungry for more. Lorene Edwards Forkner of
writes, “delicate flowers are a personal totem and a generational touchstone in my life.” I couldn’t agree more.I am so glad you are a reader. Thank you.
Each month I share favorite flower pictures I’ve captured during the previous weeks. Light on words, Rewind is the perfect place to enjoy still photography, an increasingly rare medium on social media.
Don’t want to miss a single photo from this essay? View it on the Substack app.
Ajuga grows near the base of a large over-sized tree in our gardens. I harvest their blossoms for small posey bouquets.
Peonies blossom for such a short time, but they make the best flower bouquets.
Even a single peony blossom adds elegance to its surroundings.
A mixed bouquet of loosestrife, yarrow, snapdragons, lemon balm, and peony branches.
Harvest lemon balm for a bouquet and you’ll instantly feel calmer — it’s the magic of this herb’s lemony zing.
Ranunculus accompanied by early-blossom zinnias.
Flowers aren’t the only thing I cultivate — select vegetables make it into the garden each year, too. Peas rarely last farther than the garden path before being consumed, pea pod and all.
One last look at the peonies. They’re done for the season!
Look for a full newsletter with new writing and images later this month.
-Betsy
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So beautiful!!!