Happiness is....

Today I am going to start a new blog post series called

Happiness is....

I have many things that bring happiness into my life and so I am going to make a point to tell the world...

well the blog world that is...what makes me happy.

So today

happiness is.....

flowers.

I'm sure I have said this before, but I love my flowers.

I did not grow up in a climate where many flowers grew so this is something that I have only experienced in the last five years or so.

It started with my daughter Elise's graduation and my flower fanatic friend, Alicia.

Here is Elise......

Here is Alicia....

As with every graduation, the frenzy was flying. Projects always need to be done for graduation, ya know. And that is where my love for flowers started.

Alicia came over and helped me "decorate" my front porch with all kinds of annuals. Those are the kind of flowers you have to plant every year, just in case you were like me and didn't know. And I haven't missed a porch decorating since.

Then came the addition of a word I hadn't heard much before...

Perennial

Just say it out loud. Pur - en - ee - el! Love that word because I love them.

Three summers ago, a client, of whose house I had listed, had 2000, yes 2000, perennials planted in her backyard. Once the house sold, she began the process of digging most of them up. And she gave some to me.

We made a spot in the front of our house, I carefully planted each and every one, and lo and behold, the things grew and grew and grew.

That began my love affair with all things flowery.

I do not know how to express to you how I feel about these things. They are simply

Happiness!

Every year it just gets better. And even though some perennials have had a hard time returning to me the following year, I have been faithful to them. And I add more happiness each year.

What I really want is an Old Fashioned English Style Cottage Garden.

Soon.

And yes, I talk to all my flowers, every morning. I clean off the dead heads and speak softly over the pretty little things. Sometimes I just get the urge to plop down right in front of them and have a complete conversation with those beauties.

You can call me a dork. I am. I just can't help myself.

And now you can see for yourself

 my happiness.

These were started by seed... at a very hard time in my life. I did it on purpose. Sometimes when it feels like death, life is just looming around the corner. Oh these testify!

What makes you happy?