Sunflower sentinels
Lavender shades
August is the month of sunflowers and
lavender. Orange and blue are complementary colors balancing each other, a pleasure
to the eye. They thrive in my garden and each offer up distinct personalities
evoking different emotions within myself when I see them.
The sunflowers grow behind and below the arborvitae
on the third terrace of my garden. I don’t notice them until I walk the path
and turn the corner. They are intended as a surprise tucked away in a spot
which gets sun most of the day. Sunflowers are at their best when surprising a visitor. They
generate smiles from humans, small birds love the seeds, and bees hug the
blossoms. They are the sentinels of the sun.
Lavender occupies the western curving
berm and show up as a blue crescent against the green English Laurel hedge. Walking
past this scented display I can hear the constant hum of bees gathering pollen
like miniature winged harvesters. The tiny blossoms are filled with perfume and
when cut are perfect as dried arrangements. First tied in small bundles and
hung upside down to dry.
These flowers so different yet they
complement each other in the landscape.
Characters in stories often complement
each other in similar ways. I have a tall sturdy character with red hair who
loves nature and would rather be outside working on a golfing green than work under
a roof.
My other character has mellowed with age
and prefers the comfort of scented interiors with her environment safe from the
unexpected elements of nature.
The plot of the story is like the garden path
where these two people will stumble across each other and their lives will
change.
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