One of the last surviving flowers in my garden before we finally got a hard frost this week was broccoli. I put in six plants this year. I harvested on a pretty regular basis from five of them but decided to let the sixth one go without a trim. I was curious about what would happen. Most of us only “know” broccoli from what we see in the grocery store. What would old, more mature broccoli look like?

How’s that for beauty?

I thought this was wonderful on so many levels.

• Some things need time to show their inner beauty. The same is true for some people.
• Things are often more beautiful than we think they are.
• When you grow your own food, you get to see things you never see in a grocery store. When I first grew red potatoes, I was shocked when we dug them up and they weren’t all the same size!
• It’s nice to be practical. And it’s nice to let things flower. And then pass.
• Purple and yellow look really awesome together.
• You can sacrifice a little to beauty and still not go hungry.
• Walking around in a garden with broccoli blooming helps you focus on the one unusual broccoli and appreciate all the fellow broccoli even more.

I’m going to try this same experiment next year with all the veggies we grow. How big WILL a zucchini grow before it bursts?

And how about if I practice this in my everyday life through the winter? What can I let go until it blooms on its own?

Wishing you a warm, thoughtful, and charming weekend!

Want to see other posts on this blog? There’s a small link below to the left that will take you to the most recent post. Or check out the column on the right to see what other folks are reading. Please try the “search” box at the top of the page if you’re looking for something specific.

I welcome your thoughts and suggestions for future posts!