Zinnias

I have a beautiful flower garden this summer, thanks to my mom who spent several days in May weeding, planting and watering. She planted petunia plants in front with a row of my all-time favorite summer flower, the zinnia, by seed behind them.

Now in mid-July they are at the peak of their beauty, the zinnias standing tall, some at nearly four feet, in bright pinks, reds, yellows, oranges and purples. I'm still waiting for the candy-cane stripe to 

bloom as was pictured on one of my seed packets.

I post a lot of pictures of them on Facebook because Mom is now back home in Washington state and I want her to enjoy them as much as she can from so great a distance. While many friends "like" them, I'm sure by now some just pass over the photos, but one dear friend did not. She looked, and she responded with the following tribute to the flower I love so much. Thank you, Long Skirts, for lending your poetry to my posy!

The Zinnias

By Long Skirts

Zinnias grow
In dirty earth.
Crumbly, wormy
Soil of worth.

Not only zinnias,
Apple trees
And dirt dams up
Our open seas.

Earth's dirt keeps
Us firmly anchored
When even wars
Her surface cankered

But joyful souls
Who trust stay meek
From earth's dirt see...
The zinnias peak!

A couple of times a day I go out to look at my garden, sometimes just sitting out there and taking in the beauty of God's ornamentation. As the flowers reach for the warm, golden sun, there is constant activity all around them, mud-dobbers making practical use of of the irrigated dirt below, butterflies and bumblebees savoring the nectar above. The huge bumblebees are my favorite to watch as they travel lightly from bloom to bloom, their 'landing gear' fairly dangling from their graceful but busy bodies.

It seems like every season is my favorite as it arrives in its unique habit. But for today I'll take summer and its warm breeze and oft-too-hot temperatures, its flickering lightening bug and noisy cicada, and not least of all, its lovely, stately zinnia adorning my flower garden.

God bless you!