Gardening and the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails

Ever since I can remember, I have tended to plants. Before I turned eight and my family and I moved to a house with a yard, I nurtured marigolds in paper cups, started an avocado tree from a pit and took charge and watered my mother's asparagus fern daily. After moving from the city to the suburbs, I had a postage stamp space next to my dad's "real" garden where I lovingly grew mint and mammoth sunflowers. And in all these years of gardening, I believe that when gardening, flowers must always be included.

Daily I check in with each of my flowers. Today I found two flowers on my pink and purple fuchsia, bracts on the Bougainvillea, huge, bright red flowers on a geranium, as well as other pink, orange, white, magenta and yellow flowers spread throughout the property. Every time one of the bright colors catch my eye, I find myself stopping to take a moment and absorb the visual contrast of a small splash of color against, the green of the grass, brown of the soil and grey of the 100+ year old house I live in.

This morning, as I stopped to look at an isolated yellow flower, it occurred to me that a quilt square on the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails is a bit like a flower. The beautiful colors of a quilt square stand out against the green fields, brown soil and neutral colors of barns and houses. Yet, a quilt square last through all seasons. For all those out there who want to plant an ever-bearing flower-consider sponsoring a quilt square on the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails.