This flower wreath is a great visualization of my life. The heart shape represents my core being, encompassing my vision of love, hope, and my philosophy of life. Like the flowers, my story is an eclectic mix of good and bad.
Parts of the wreath are beautifully colored, reflecting moments of joy, success, and growth, while the dark gray and black sections convey the struggles, grief, and pain I have endured. The misshapen flowers are reminders that not everything has unfolded as expected; some dreams and plans changed along the way. The light blue heart at the center conveys a sense of peace that surrounds me despite the chaos and challenges I have faced. The one unique flower represents the relationships or experiences that were unlike anything else, leaving a lasting mark on my life. The scarcity of leaves mirrors the few supports I have left, yet they remain strong, just like the resilience I have built. The sprays of flowers and leaves along the wreath’s edge give it a rough, uneven outline, symbolic of the way I am—rough around the edges. Yet, just like the wreath, those imperfections add character and depth to my life and the lives of those who come to know me. The unfinished parts of the wreath are still a work in progress. Until my dying day, God will continue to shape and refine His unfinished masterpiece, too. Reflecting many aspects of my life, this creation is imperfect but meaningful.
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” — Aristotle
Afterthought: The Creative Process I have really been working in my yard for the first time and realized how many flowers I actually had in the front and back. I was looking for a welcome sign to place on my porch—and this is the welcome sign I found! I love it so much, I added it to my wish list! I was really astonished to find one and see how closely it matched to the components of this image, and the vision I had for it being transformed into a welcome sign, to a degree—no heart shape! I hope to be able to get it one day when money is no longer an issue.
I keep finding such deep meaning in everything. Like finding the welcome that reminds me of the heart image. It has all been like a whirlwind. Understand, I didn't choose the heart image based on my flowers, the image chose me when I gave AI the prompt, "a beautiful flower wreath shaped into a heart"! I saw no connection to the image and the beauty that was waiting for me—outside. After messing with some paint effects and ruining it, I forgot about the image. I later saw it and decided to use it on GoFundMe—it matched how I was feeling at the time of the update. When I started the blog, I thought of that image again and tried it! It would be a perfect fit in so many ways! The other day deciding to color it the way I did was a whisper from God! The color inspired me as I worked to get it to express what i was feeling inside. During the process, I was questioning myself as to why I was making some of the artistic choices, but I kept creating. Then when it was all said and done, and I felt a moment of peace, the story comparing my creation to things in my life unfolded. Yesterday, I decided I was going to make a blog about my flowers, since I had been outside for 30 days straight, and I only now realized the variety throughout my yard! The reflective life story was on the home page, I decided remove it, combine the life story comparison with the my flower story and the rest is blooming history !
Here are some of the flowers and plants in my yard. It is already over a week into autumn, so some of the plants aren't blooming, or are on there way out. I still have some weeding and other yard work to do—and I don't mind—it has been very therapeutic!
The front garden! I'm finally getting the weeds under control! I would like to do more, but there are so many dang little lizards around! Usually one sits on the sprinkler head, some are guarding the sidewalk, some hang out on the side of the house, while others run along the ledge of my window! Simultaneously!
Two palm trees, monkey grass, and shrubs bring a lot of greenery to the front. There is also a bush in the center that is beautiful and colorful when it blooms. The pink flowers have recently moved to the corner!.
It brings me so much joy to see these flowers when I open my door or look out the window! I transplanted the pink flowers to a spot close to the house so I could see them throughout the day! They were growing right next to the stone in this red flowers space! On top of that, they were near the road so I wouldn't see them that often. It is a surprised that it survived! I did a lot of research on transplanting flowers, and learned they can suffer from transplanting shock! It has been well over a week, and they are thriving! They even survived a hurricane! That's a blooming good story of resilience!
Another bush that brings me tremendous joy is my Crepe Myrtle! It was near death last year, and I was told I should just cut it down. I didn't want to lose it because, although there were only one or two blooms, they were purple, and I always think of it as a sign from Travis that he is here looking after me! The other houses on my street have red Crepes! I decided to only cut and remove the dead limbs and keep the small bush that was left. To my amazement, this is what bloomed this year! I have a wonderful view to calm me!
These hedges run down one side of my house. Throughout the spring and summer, the hedge row is a beautiful green. Since turning fall, look at that beautiful color and the flower! That one even looks like the single flower that is different in my wreath, reminding me of the most important people and events that truly changed my life.
When I was finally able to head outside, the hedges had overgrown by 18 months. It was quite the undertaking for my first "big" adventure outside! I powered through and I survived the outdoors. When I see the hedges so beautifully manicured, I am so proud of my accomplishment! If that wasn't enough, seeing the one flower towards the top in my image is so similar to the bloom on my hedge in color and position, I can't help but get overwhelmed with gratitude to those that changed my life—in a big way. If that isn’t a blooming testament to fate, then I’m at a loss for words!
Oh yeah! I definitely have words, so let’s take a look at the backyard. I'm not sure what type of plant I'm looking at here, but I like them! They have beautifully colored, shiny, and smooth-looking leaves.
I have been concentrating on the backyard the last two weeks, and the weeding as not been bad at all. It gives me a purpose to be outside, Abandoned by the previous owner, the little duck, along with several other garden ornaments, graces my backyard.
These lovely flowers line my back fence. Again, I don't know the type of flower, but they are strong and beautiful! The leaves so big and flamboyant in contrast to the gorgeous delicate flower transforms my backyard into a tropical paradise. There is a sad part, I can only see it if I open the door and step outside! Maybe by spring, going outside will be a regular occurrence! The photo fails to capture the true beauty of this plant!
These flowers have a stunning, deep purple color. I don't know what these are either, but I have to go outside if I want a glimpse of their beauty!
Look how similar in shape they are to the main flowers in my image. Understand, I didn't choose this image based on these flowers, the image chose me. Having purple in the back of my house as well as the front with the Crepe is another reassurance from God that I am 'petal'-ing in the right direction and things will are going to be blooming alright!
These are the same as the flowers I transplanted in the front! This area in the back of the house is the last section that needs to be weeded, before I have to start back at the beginning!
There is no visual unless I go outside! After seeing all this natural beauty around this property that I love so much, I know God made this all possible! God’s handiwork is truly present in every corner of this space I call home.
These cute little bottle brushes are at the corner of my house. I can't recall the name for them. When they are blooming, they are so vivid and quirky. The interesting fact is I showed them on my stream one time because they resembled a flower in the game I was playing.
It is really nice to have these at the front of the house, which bring the right amount of color at the right time! When these are blooming, the hedges are green, when the hedges turn the colors of fall, this plant is green!
On to the last section! I'd love to introduce you, but I totally blanked on its name—classic, right? All I know is, this robust protector has more thorns than a prickly pear cactus, and it’s camped out right by the bedroom window, keeping watch!
It is bright green and grows quickly! If I recall correctly, when it blooms, the plant is stunning! In the winter months, it looks dead, but come spring, it’s back to its cheery self! It’s like the plant version of me—a comeback story, never staying down for long!
Away We Grow
It's astounding that their is an incredible variety of flowers and plants surrounding my home. Each vibrant bloom and unique leaf reveals a message that may speak only to me. These signs, in which I attribute to God, seem so apparent! . I hope you’ve enjoyed this tour of my blooming life, and that it inspires you to find joy and inspiration in the simple wonders around you!
Isaiah 40:8
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.
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