It is not a secret . . .

I’m ready to let you in on a secret! I am a forager! Once plants start greening up and buds begin to bloom — my eyes are on them. It doesn’t matter where I am — but especially driving along our Michigan country roads, I can’t help but notice pops of color in ditches, under trees, in fields of grasses and weeds….

There is a small field on an abandoned property near our home that blooms every June with gorgeous wild sweet peas! For years in a row that I have pulled over and waded through thistles to snip a few stems (okay, more than a few stems). It’s on a busy 4-way-stop-corner and so far no one has ever reprimanded me for my “foraging.”

Sweetpeas

Last year was the first time I didn’t even notice the passing cars slowing down and worry about what they might think of me snipping sweet peas that I didn’t plant. But just as I was about to wade out of the field, a truck slowed to the stop sign and a man said to me: “they sure are pretty aren’t they?” I turned around and smiled — “ab-so-lute-ly beautiful!”

I have yet to find anyone intent on halting the efforts of soaking up “goodness and beauty.” When I first began sharing bouquets, I was surprised that my friends (old and new) invited me to come and cut blooms when their gardens were flourishing!

I’ve learned that deep down, flower lovers want to spread the beauty and joy of their gardens. They want to share that stunning realization of color, form, leaves, scent, and overall amazing-ness (is that a word?) that happens when we pay attention to blooms.

When I walk around our field at home, I am even captivated by the beauty of weeds! You know, those plants that we didn’t sow or grow — they just show up in our landscape and live their life from seed to bloom to seed?

I’ve been known to put “weeds” in my bouquets. And that is no secret.