Today was definitely a day for pondering. Thirteen years ago, I was sitting in a high-rise office building in downtown Philadelphia. My co-workers and I watched the television screens in the conference room in horror as the tenuous and presumed safety of our modern world collapsed in the smoke of jet fuel and skyscrapers. I took a very long walk that afternoon under a crystal clear blue sky and decided life was too short to live it trapped inside a mousy gray cubicle. In many ways, my new path, the one that led me here, was set that day.

There are many things in my life I pondered today, good and bad. There is quite a bit of change afoot for me. I don’t deal particularly well with change, but I know it often leads to new doors being opened and things I might never have imagined. I remind myself that the world would be a dull place if it was always summer and never spring, winter, or fall.

Speaking of summer, one thing I realized today was that I never made it to the beach this season to sit in the warm sand and soak in the sun. I should have made the time. A small part of me seemed to be holding on to that thought as I made this week’s Backyard Bouquet. The orange ‘Sticks of Fire’ in this design remind me of coral reefs. And that one dahlia, Bahama Apricot, just screams “umbrella drink”.
I pretty much never try my hand at ombre designs, but I felt like turning over a new leaf.
What do you think?

What’s blooming in your backyard this week? Feel free to add a link to your own Backyard Bouquets in the comments section below. If you are on Instagram, be sure to use the hashtag #backyardbouquets to join in the fun. I’d love to see what everyone is growing and creating!
The only “rule” is that all the elements in the arrangement must be sourced locally, within a 25 mile radius. Your own backyard is a great place to start!!