The language of flowers

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Some people are convinced that talking to plants helps them to grow. I don't really talk to my plants nearly as much as I listen to them, and sometimes they say things to me that help me to grow.

The yellow flower in the foreground is coreopsis, a member of the sunflower family, and it's just beginning to bloom.  Coreopsis is a great choice for summer gardens here because it is one of the the few flowers that seems unaffected by our 100+ degree temperatures. When everything else has wilted or died, it keeps blooming and will do so throughout the summer and fall. Like many members of the sunflower family, coreopsis is phototropic....its flowers turn to face the sun.

I always thought gardening, unlike some other topics, was a fairly safe topic for conversation. But recently I was stunned and hurt to learn that there are some people who think it is morally wrong to have a garden like ours in the desert. I've always considered myself rather environmentally conscientious, and I don't agree. Green spaces help mitigate the urban heat island effects which are a significant problem in Phoenix. The evaporative cooling effect of plants located near buildings means less energy is needed for air conditioning. Green and growing things help remove pollutants from the air, and provide food and habitat for wildlife. Home-grown fruits and vegetables don't require transportation from a distant location to get to the dinner table, and less in the way of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides are used to produce them. I know what I think, and what I believe, yet I was still bothered by the judgement of others.

Then I listened to what the coreopsis had to say. It sends its roots down in search of water and nutrients, and  keeps its face to the sun. Plants don't worry or obsess about what others think of them. They just go on doing what plants are supposed to do, and in the process share their gift of beauty with the world around them.