In the spring my daughter and I planted zinnia seeds in our little 3x3 raised beds. We waited anxiously as they sprouted and began to grow.
Eventually small buds began to form and I got excited for my favorite part of zinnia growing: finding out what color they were.
Each green bud got bigger and bigger. They opened tantalizingly slowly. Petals began to unfurl, at first appearing lime green, but then the color would finally begin to reveal itself.
As each new bud opened, I hoped for anything but pink. Even though I love the color, I don’t love it in my garden. I prefer pops of yellow and orange.
But this year, pink flower after pink flower appeared. I was disappointed. But the hummingbirds and butterflies seemed to like them so I couldn’t be too upset about it.
One day I was in my garden deadheading. Zinnias are one of the best flowers to grow because as soon as you trim one flower off, the plant begins to form a new bud. They keep going all summer long.
I thought about my dear friend and neighbor while I was looking at all those pink flowers. Pink is her favorite color. I decided to make her a bouquet, grabbing one of the pickle jars I keep on hand for just this kind of thing.
I began clipping. Some flowers I chose were salmon, some a soft rose, others almost fluorescent. Once the jar was full, I looked at the flowers and was stunned. They may not be my cup of tea in the garden bed, but seeing so many shades of pink together in a bouquet blew me away. Suddenly it seemed as if all those pink flowers glowed. Flowers that look a little ho-hum in the garden, became gorgeous once clipped and put together in the vase.
I finished clipping the zinnias, picked up the jar, and carried it next door. That day, what started as a surprise for my neighbor became a surprise for me.
