English Emma Blooms

 Good Morning!

Today Peanut and I head back to Indianapolis—to restore order in the garden. Word from the pool is that thunderstorms rolled through while I was away. Perfect! That means my flowers have been thoroughly watered by the sky itself—nature doing her part while I took a break.

I got an email about a gardening job. I’d absolutely work for her if she paid me in hostas! Honestly, that’s not a joke. I’m always looking to diversify my collection. And I love the idea of being someone’s “garden whisperer”—but only if it feels good in my soil.

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Earlier in the day, we drove to Okemos.I picked up a small rock from a parking lot. I think I’m starting a new ritual: collecting rocks from places that matter, then placing them in my garden at home. Each one can root a memory. Eric and I and the dogs walked through the field where I used to wander in high school. That land is sacred to me. I remember playing with Daisy there—how she’d leap like a gazelle above the tall grass to find me when I’d hide. I met Jen there too, and we’d walk and talk, surrounded by wild prairie.

Now, that field is a designated nature reserve. The same trails. Bigger trees. More blooms. 

Here is some bee balm! This North American native grows in bunches and shoots up these wild-looking, spiky flowers that look kind of like tiny fireworks.  Planting beebalm is super easy - just give it some sun (or partial shade works too) and soil that doesn't get too soggy. Here's a cool fact: Native Americans used this plant for medicine, and you can actually make tea from the leaves - they smell amazing, like a mix of mint and citrus. Snip off the dead flowers to keep new ones popping up all summer.

“I plant joy in familiar soil. I walk the trails of memory with reverence. I let roots, rocks, and rest remind me that I am always growing—softly, steadily, in season.”