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| in an August garden 2018 |
Lantana
"If
a hot, dry spot is a problem in your garden, lantana may be your solution. This
hardworking plant with colorful flowers thrives with little moisture in full,
unyielding sun. It's also easy to grow and pollinator-friendly!" --Better Homes and Gardens onlineWith a mix of hot sun and then some rain, the lantana my husband planted is thriving. And as August 2018 draws to a close, the above description of this flower speaks, it seems to me, of the writer and her seasons, too. Hardworking, yes. Colorful results, hopefully. A few blooming words despite dry spells (writer's block) and driving heat (seasons of burnout). Are we, like lantana, pushing through those things that might hold us back in order to bring forth fruit in our writing gardens? Our words may not be easy to grow like lantana, and we may struggle to nurture them through rocky days, but we can aim to be 'pollinator-friendly,' growing ourselves and offering something of value to others.
Celebrating summer's end by marveling at the remaining colors of the season's beauty. Have your words blossomed this summer or suffered from drought? Are you anticipating a productive season ahead? Can you identify with the characteristics of the lantana flower?
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I absolutely love lantana. It's just so beautiful. Meanwhile, Nice post. I am working on a new book. An old book, really, that went through a dry spell. I hope to finish a draft of it by year's enc.
ReplyDeleteWishing you all the best, Elizabeth, as you work on your draft through the rest of the year :-) Hope all goes well. I have a major revision facing me so the goal has been set (along with more haiku of course!). Take care. Thanks for stopping by...
DeleteI haven't seen lantana before that I know of, but the photo is beautiful! I think the analogy is a good one. Writers DO have to keep going even when it's hard. I've had plenty of days like that - haven't we all!
ReplyDeleteFor me, summer is usually a good time for writing because I'm not working during the summer. I started a new manuscript in May and am almost 90% through the first draft. I hope to finish it soon, and after that -- probably revisions. Plenty of lantana days there!
Wow, Peggy, not only did you start a new mss, but you're already almost done with the first draft? That's terrific--what an example for keeping those words coming! Thanks for letting me know. Hope the final finish flows well :-)
DeleteWe need lantana around here. There are only 5 types of flowers still blooming now in September in my garden. Instead of being wildly colorful, it is now mostly green foliage.
ReplyDeleteAs to writing, I tend to be an all or nothing person, and two things (writing and scrapbooking) were calling for my attention and neither were moving forward in large enough chunks to suit me. So I stopped my writing while I complete about 20-25 years worth of scrapbooking. That will be done in 3-4 months, and that will clear my time for the next big thing.
Cathy, I can see how the two passions can be at cross-purposes with each other, scrapbooking and writing, since they both require that big thing called time--and how time often seems so limited at times for those things we'd really like to do. I do hope you enjoy the time at scrapbooking and don't worry about not writing for a while. I'm guessing the stories will be percolating in the subconscious while you're getting creative with all those beautiful scrapbooking supplies. Please take time to enjoy that side of creativity, too :-)
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