In gazing upon their bright yellow color and fresh green foliage, I realized that spring is finally here. And soon the rest of the flowers would follow, filling my garden with assorted sprigs of color and life.
By now, you're probably asking yourself, "What doest this have to do with writing?" Well, for me, it has everything to do with writing. This garden was planted in memory of my sister, Lindsey, and she was the sole inspiration for my writing career. Without her words, my dream (like my dormant flowers) would never have bloomed. Without her, I would still be trying to finish my first romance, over watering it at times to help the flow of the story, feeding it flowery adjectives, only to prune it back to the point of starting over.
Lindsey was not some Miracle Grow fertilizer. But she was the necessary sunlight, an integral part of any beautiful love story that had been missing from my manuscript all along -- writing from the heart.
So today, with the celebration of spring and all its wonders, I wanted to share, with my readers and fellow authors, the garden that represents it all for me. The place in which I can get lost when I need to be found. The paradise in which I can immerse myself when I need a little break. The little slice of heaven that reminds me not to forget the basics, the essentials of life we sometimes overlook or take for granted.
Whether you're writing that next best seller or simply spending precious time with your loved ones, don't forget to add a little sunshine. You'll be surprised at how well things will bloom for you.
Wishing you all a very blessed spring,
35 comments:
Renee,
What a wonderful tribute to your sister, Lindsay.
The jonquils look beautiful, and so does your garden even though dormant.
Renee, your garden is beautiful, I love the layout, and what a wonderful way to remember your sister.
I too have some yellow daffodils trying to pop up in my garden :) They are definitely a sign spring is here!
Wishing you many sales!
It's beautiful, Renee! Wish I had your green thumb :)
Renee, your sister would be so proud! It's nice to have your own retreat where you can sit and think of all of the wonderful memories.
Beautiful post Renee, and such a lovely reminder that after the grief, we still have the beautiful memories and the inspiration of a lost loved one.
XXOO Kat
Awh, Renee your garden is SPECTACULAR! And what a wonderful tribute to your sister! I also have just a few daffodils coming up- I soooooooo have a black thumb! I love flowers but just have NO luck growing them.
I had a very dear friend from Ireland who passe away a year and a half ago, she was from Cork, Ireland and was my own Irish Blessing. She has the most amazing Wild flowers at her house, we worked together and she would always spruce up our office with her flowers!
I wish I could grow something special in her honor! I just don't seem to have much luck in that area!!
I know your sister is smiling down on you!!!
Wishing you all the best!
:O) xoxo
Andrea
Sandy: Thanks...realize those pics of my garden were from a few years ago. That is not what it looks like now....just picture all that, but dead and brown. haha Can't wait to take some pics this year when it all blooms again so you can see the changes. I will definitely share those this summer.
Eliza: Thanks so much! I think daffodils are just lovely.
Cindy J: I can't say I have a green thumb...some of my plants have taken a wee turn for the worst, I'm afraid. I just make sure to plant things that are VERY hardy. haha
Cindy L: And think about her I do! There are some Iris plants in there that are starting to come up....Irises were her favorite flower.
Katalina: Yes, you are right. And a garden is a great analogy for that. Thanks for visiting.
Andrea: My deepest sympathies to you, dear. I can just imagine how beautiful her home was with all those wild flowers. Do you know if she had a favorite flower? Try planting one of those....you never know...it might just be the flower that lasts.
Your garden is beautiful and what a fabulous way to remember your sister.
Writers are creative in so many ways. Lovely garden and post.
Liz Arnold
Message to Love
The Wild Rose Press
Thank you for sharing such a lovely post and photos. Just remember, every time you smile, Lindsey's sun shines through : )
Love YA >^,,^<
Isn't spring just the best. Love what gardening I can still do and couldn't do without my flowers. The wildflowers in southern CA are gorgeous this year.... Jean
The garden is beautiful, and a lovely way to remember your sister.
My garden is so terrible that we're going to put it back to grass. We just don't take care of it the way we should. Plus, it's a really damp area and if it rains a lot, the ground gets really soggy.
Great post.
Lordy, renee, you must really some work into your garden. It's gorgeous. My yard looks more like the aftermath of Armageddon.
What a wonderful way to remember your sister. You are such a loving person, Renee.
Your garden is absolutely beautiful, Renee, and what a wonderful tribute to your sister. Your post was a great way to kick of Spring and a reminder to never take things for granted. It brings to mind the saying, "Stop and smell the roses." That statement could never be truer.
Liz @ Coffee & Romance, a book blog
What lovely pics Renee!
Nice post.
:)
S.Lira aka Michael Mandrake
Such a wonderful heartfelt post. The pictures of your garden are so beautiful. Thanks you for reminding us about the simple joys in life.
Amber: Thanks so much. I'm glad you liked it. It is such a beautiful place on my farm and I'm so happy to share it with you all.
Liz Arnold:
As an author, I try to be as creative as I can be....some days are just plain difficult, let me tell you!
Virginia C: You are so sweet and you never fail to make me smile. Thanks so much darlin.
Jean:Oh, coming from CA, I can only imagine the beauty of your flowers! Happy gardening to you!
Anita Clenney: Too funny! We're having the opposite problem. There is a spot near my garden that will not grow grass no matter what we do. So I'm filling it with huge creek rocks and putting phlox in between. Hoping that solves that problem this year. haha
Sarah J. McNeal: Right back at you! I consider myself a very lucky person to have your friendship. (((hugs))))
Liz Velez: YOu are so right. And unfortunately, so many of us forget to stop and smell the roses once in a while, myself included.
Thanks for stopping by!
Michael:Thanks for visiting. I love having all this company!
Mary Corrales: You are so welcome and I thank you for coming by and visiting with me. Enjoying one's company is another simple joy in life that I love to indulge upon. Have a great day!
Renee, darn you. You made me cry. The flowers are so beautiful. Like you, I have a sister that deeply inspires me.
What a lovely way to always remember your sister. {{hugs}}
You own a farm?? OMG, do I envy you. The pictures are beautiful.
Lizzie: You are a doll! And I am so grateful that you came by today. (((hugs))) back at you!
Tina: Yes, I have a 100 acre farm in Ky with horses and hay fields and a 5 acre lake that is gorgeous in the summer time. It's another one of my favorite places on the farm.
Dear Renee,
The beautiful picture of your garden is beautiful, I love the layout, and what a wonderful way to remember your sister.You have done a great work.
Best Regards
Mannouchka: Thank you so much for your sweet comment. It certainly took a lot of time and muscle to make it just the way I wanted it. Thanks for noticing its layout!
A lovely garden, Renee and a lovely tribute to Lindsay.
Renee:
It's truly a lovely garden and even more wonderful that it's a special remembrance. I, too, have a garden that I created as a memorial to my mother who loved to sit out under the gazebo with a book and tea.
I like how you so beautifully tied gardening and writing together.
What a nice surprise, Maddie! So nice to see your smiling face. Thanks for visiting me.
And Suzanne...I'm glad you enjoyed the correlation between writing and gardening. I didn't plan on it...it just came to me as I was writing it out.
Very cool garden! I'm lucky enough to have seen how beautiful it really is. Lindsey would be so proud of you, just like all of us are. I love your analogy b/w writing and the gardern blooming! So pretty!
Such a lovely tribute Renee! And a wonderful view of writing.
Thanks Tonya! I'm hoping the next time you come out to my house, you and I can share lunch in the garden on my cafe table. Sound good?
Taryn: And thank you to you, as well! I'm so glad you stopped by today.
Renee,
Your words are a well needed reminder to stop and smell the flowers and to be present in each moment of life. This business can be so all consuming that we forget the simple pleasures of everyday. Thank you for sharing your lovely garden and your inspiring story!
what a sweet story in your beautiful garden, Renee.
Hi Renee,
What a lovely garden! Thanks for sharing it with everyone.
We have gorgeous thundercloud plum trees in bloom (in Yorktown, Virginia). The light pink blossoms were stunning beneath the bright perigree moon Saturday night. Ah, spring. *sneeze*! Just beautiful.
What a lovely tribute to your sister. I am sure she is smiling down on you and very pleased with the garden and your success as a writer.
Enjoy as your garden wakes up for the summer.
Lorie: And thank you for being here so I could share my story with you. I sometimes have to take heed of my own advice when I get too caught up in my work or my busy daily activities. So it's nice to sit back and appreciate the simple things on occasion.
Keri Ford: Thank you sweetie! I'm counting down the days when I get to see you again!
Tracy: Oh, those thundercloud plum trees sound lovely! Spring blossoms are such a great sight after a long winter season.
librarypat: Thank you Patricia! Your works are so sweet and kind.
Renee,
I also have a sibling who has been very supportive of my writing ... and very helpful with improving my craft. Fortunately, he is still with us. I can only imagine the pain of losing a sibling.
Your garden is beautiful and I'm sure it will always be a source of inspiration for you.
Jeff
Thank you so much Jeff. You are a sweetie! And don't forget to tell that sibling of yours you love them every day.
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