Personal Post: On Flowers and Gardens

The past few weeks have been filled with flowers and gardening.

I'm not a gardener, but I would like to learn.

Last year, I bought a raised bed and planted flowers. It was lovely.

This year, I went:

1. To a plant store with my friends and I bought a violet. I took tons of pictures. You can see some here and here. I'm happy to report the violet is still alive

2.  to the flower and garden show at Epcot and loved their different stations. 

3. to a plant store with my folks and we bought some flowers for their garden.

4. went to a tulip farm and got some flowers

5. to a plant store in town to buy some flowers for my raised bed

6. purchased some flowering bushes and planted those. Plus some sunflowers from my parents. And we went to a plant shop supporting the library where I first started working. 6

I'm not a fan of dirt under my fingernails and I hate wearing gloves because my hands sweat. But I do love flowers, so I just have to deal with the dirt. I don't know much about the different types of flowers, but they are so pretty.

A few photos from the above adventures:

Lilac bush in the back yard

Plants from adventures #3

 

Plants at the garden from #5

My raised bed from #5 this summer

Found flower in the garden from #6

flower beds from #6. I love how they came together. Can't wait to watch them grow.

Are you a flower person or a gardening person? Do you have a favorite flower?

Elizabeth Park

Last weekend, we visited Elizabeth Park to see the flowers. 

This was my favorite on there. 

This gazebo looks like something out of the Hobbit. 

And it's even charming inside

We spend a pleasant morning walking through the park. 

Teen Program Ideas: Spring Flowers

Here are a few programs for Spring for teens that would be fun in the library -all found on Pinterest.

Flowering Tree

3D Flowers

Duct Tape Jewelry  

Seed Packet Necklace

Button Pins

Happy St. David's Day

Enjoy this photo of spring flowers - Daffodils are a symbolic flower Wales. 

Happy St. David's Day

Review: Forget-Her-Nots

In doing research for a project on the Victorian Era, Laurel comes across a book about the language of flowers. As she researching. she recalls memories of her mother's love for flowers. Each flower has a meaning, a language most people realize it exists. Laurel presents on a unique day, when the boys are visiting campus.

She learns more and more about flowers while giving them to other girls to help them fall in love, remember facts for tests, and keep love on course. Laurel finds herself finally gaining a friend at the boarding school, but all the pressure and judgment starts catching up with her.

There's something dark going on with Laurel. Something's eating her up inside. She struggles to understand her mother's death and the connection with flowers, dealing with school and social pressures, and finding a way to reach her grandmother. Can she figure out what it is before it's too late?

My Thoughts: A great romantic tale about a girl struggling to find herself after her mother's death and learning she's inherited a special gift. I loved reading about the different meaning of flowers and how Laurel uses them to help others, including herself in the romance department. I'm hoping this story will continue.

The Cover: Romantic and sweet - just perfect

Source: Otis Library