Today I am feeling grateful for the opportunity to tend to the garden this year. This was my first summer home in over 8 years, and let me tell you, I did not take it for granted one bit.
The season started off with harvesting herbs to dry and preserve. So many herbs. Endless herbs. And then the flowers started blooming.
I genuinely did not know how much I would enjoy having flowers to pick from. When I think of gardening, I think of vegetables… what can we grow for food? I was not in the mindset that flowers would be a priority, but just something a little extra.
But the flowers ended up giving me something too. They didn’t feed us in the traditional sense, but they brought so much color and joy into our home, and I think I appreciate that now in a way I didn’t before.
Picking fresh flowers for the house and making up arrangements has been so much fun! I think I started over 40 zinnia plants in the spring, and they have provided so much color both indoors and outdoors. I swear, when I bring them in and put them in water, they flourish even more, and they last a while before getting crispy!
I also love having some herbs that have gone to flower (oops, but we ended up with an overwhelming amount of basil) because they add a nice height and dimension to the mini arrangements.
I love gathering, sorting, and placing these little vases around the house as a reminder of hard work, patience, and reward. And as a bonus, we get some of these flowers as volunteers, which is 0% effort and 100% benefit.
I know the season is coming to an end and my supply of zinnias will disappear, but it only makes me more excited for next spring’s seed starting and has my gears turning on what new flower(s) we will add to our garden!
Summer 2026, you spoiled me. Thank you for all of these gifts.
If you’re already thinking about next year’s garden too, check out my 10 favorite seed-starting items on Amazon. These are the things that make starting seeds at home a little easier and help me get a jump on the growing season.
See My 10 Favorite Seed-Starting Items
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