Mr. Sunshine - Favorite Faux Phauxtos #4

 

 In honor of what looks to be a sunny and warm January day, we give you exhibit D - a daisy on our farm..in July.

We both like looking at this picture.  And, this is especially true in the Winter months.  We've nicknamed Rudebekia flowers "smiles" because it is hard for us to see these flowers any other way.  These plants are short-lived perennials, but they are also quite willing to set seed and start new plants.  We welcome new plants wherever they pop up - even if we feel a need to transplant them.  

Our only complaint about them might be that they don't flower long enough during the year.  But, we say the same thing about most things we like.  We enjoy iris flowers and we both agree that season is way too short.  Same thing for day lilies, hibiscus, zinnias, etc etc.

  

The lesson we take from this is that we need to learn to see different kinds of beauty and enjoy different tastes and smells.  As gardeners, we re-learn this every season.  With our CSA, we encourage participants to learn and re-learn these concepts with us.  Green beans may be your favorite vegetable (Rob will possibly agree), but you can't have them all season.  What if you tried kale?  It doesn't taste like green beans, but it has its strengths.  

We also remember that we need to take the time to enjoy the things each season brings.  These daisies do not bloom all the time.  So, I try to slow down a bit as a walk by on a farm task just to appreciate their beauty.  And, in seasons where we get an abundance of one particular crop, we remind ourselves not to waver in our enjoyment of them.  For much of our year, many of these vegetables are not in season.  A short term bounty is an opportunity!  Remember this the next time you see four zucchini in your share... again.