Last night I walked the garden to cut. We only have a few days left in this growing season and everything seems so precarious.  I feel antsy and melancholy this time of year, but this angst pushes me to use up the lovely things we are growing.

I am influenced by so many things and people. Last winter one of my readers Tracy Huntley from Springwell Gardens sent me love in a puff seeds. She very kindly arranged the seeds in the shape of a heart and wrote Love In A Puff in the center of the heart. The seed has a tiny white heart on it. She also sent an additional envelope full of her precious seeds. Along with the seeds was a lovely card encouraging me to grow this flower. Unfortunately my first crop failed, I planted the seeds in a flat that Evan had already tried to grow something in. I knew Evans tray of flowers had failed so I wanted to reuse the soil. Evan however did not know I had replanted the tray, and he pitched my babies. I guess that’s why they say, communication is key. I started another tray a few weeks later and I am just now getting the first crop of love in a puff. The seeds that are now in bloom actually had to be taken from the little heart card. I now have a half of a heart left for next year.

As I walked the garden last night I found so many treasures, from so many people, and I was reminded how blessed and fortunate I am. I began cutting things I had been dying to design with. First I took from my cardoon. I brought this plant home (in my suitcase) from California a year and a half a go. I got the cardoon from Ariella’s friend Robert. The plant wintered last year in my friend Morgan‘s green house. In the spring the plant returned to my home to grow. I nurtured the plant all year and I never got a flower. Last night I finally cut some of the leaves from the cardoon. Since the growing season is almost over I figured I better enjoy this plant as much as possible. I harvested cotton leaves and cotton bolls. These plants came from seeds given to us two years ago when we did Heidi’s wedding in Middleburg.  I also harvested the last of our zinnia’s, lambs ear, hyacinth bean, asclepias, and Evan’s precious yellow coxcomb. I also harvested scented geranium that I got from Morgan, and finally I got to cut some of my love in the puff.  I brought all of the flowers into the studio and I began anchoring them onto an interesting piece of wood. I got the wood at the flower market in Portland when I went to go meet Francoise. I literally brought the wood home in my suitcase last Feb.  When I started my piece I designed the way I felt like designing with so many people inspiring me. I reflected on this very strange year and the amazing people I have met. My life, gardens, and designs, are so very perfectly influenced by the people I connect with. My designs are influenced by all of the people I know and love. Their influence does not change my style but it helps my look transcend to the next level.

A little of me, Evan, a little of Francoise, a little of Ariella, Tracy, and Morgan, and the Chapel Designers. Everything that is given to me and everything I learn becomes a part of who I am and the designs I create.