From the time I was a little girl, maybe four years old or so, I’ve always loved flowers.
I guess I got that from my grandmother and mother who both have a green thumb.
I remember spending every spring and summer by their side as they shoveled dirt, pulled weeds, and went to the local nursery in search of new plants to add to their collections. Lots of times I would come toddling behind my mother, small potted flower in hand as we left a Lowe’s or a small, local sanctuary.
Me and my sister’s absolute favorite thing to do was to sit in the shade in the flowerbed located in our front yard, dig in the soil with gardening tools, and find and kill all of the white Grub Worms we found.
I remember my mom specifically giving us that job to do, probably to keep us out of her hair more than anything, but also because she said that those pesky insects always ate up her pretty flowers.
“But,” she would tell us, “leave the earthworms. They’re good for the plants because they help keep the soil healthy.”
So my big sister and I would watch these worms wiggle and dig through the soil with fascination. We would even see who could find the biggest one and, once we caught one that we thought was worthy, we would let its slimy body writhe around in the palm of our hands before squealing and dropping it back into the dirt.
I also remember early one spring planting a packet of sunflower seeds and being so excited as I watched them grow and flourish to be several feet tall. In the summer I would go outside everyday in the morning and water them, spray the bugs off of them, and trim the blooms; sticking the prettiest ones in multiple vases and putting them in my bedroom and all over the house.
I loved it so much and I still do today.
Now, whenever I’m with my boyfriend and we wander into one of those chain hardware stores in search of a tool or whatever other things boys like, I can’t help walking past the aisles with the pretty ceramic flowerpots or gazing from afar at a potted orchid near the entrance of the store.
Because I’m fascinated at how I can so easily bring natural beauty from the outdoors into my home.
I love adding plants and flowers to my space to make it more bright and lively.
There’s something about bringing in things from the outdoors that adds such an effortless, natural earthiness to a room.
Even if it’s just buying a bouquet of flowers from Kroger and sticking them in a vase, it adds so much more interesting detail to an area.
This letter comes just in time since this past week we celebrated Valentine’s Day!
So, ladies, if you received flowers or if you bought them for yourself this Valentine’s, show them off!
Getting flowers not only feels good, but they look amazing in any decor scheme.
I don’t think I have one specific flower that I’m just crazy about (because I literally love all flowers) but a few of my favorites are roses, peonies, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, tulips, and orchids!
I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of flowers like carnations and that I’m not over-the-moon for plastic decor flowers (pretty sure I got that from my grandmother and mother as well), but everyone has their own unique taste and what works for them! For example, when I don’t have real flowers readily accessible, I’ll substitute plastic decor flowers and they work (pretty much) just as well!
Sometimes I get disappointed because certain flowers, like peonies, are very particular about where they grow and what time of year they bloom, so it’s rare coming by those in Texas.
But the good thing about living in the type of climate I live in is that succulent plants and cactuses absolutely thrive here.
I just love succulents and cactuses because they’re so small and cute and easy to take care of!
Maybe you’re someone who doesn’t know a lot about plants, but want to learn more and incorporate them in and around your home more. Or maybe you’re someone who likes the look of plants but doesn’t want all the maintenance and tediousness that comes with it. If you identified with either of those, then succulents/cactuses are a great place to start!
They literally require little to no water and if you stick them somewhere that gets ample sunlight, they’ll grow like crazy!
So whether you’re a plant person or not, a flower person or a cactus person, it’s simple and easy to add these aspects of nature to your space to make it feel more alive and natural!
I hope you enjoyed reading and that you were able to take away a few ideas for your home!
Sincerely,
Cam
The Blooming Letters 