Peace and Beauty
The journey of life is never an easy, wide, or well-marked road—at least mine hasn't been.
Despite all the twists and rocks in my path, I have found there is peace and beauty all around us.
I had a happy childhood, though we were never wealthy. My father was a schoolteacher, which meant in order to have enough food on the table a garden full of vegetables and fruits was a necessity rather than a luxury. My mother grew up in an abusive household and worked hard to create a safe space for us at home. She especially knew the value of beautiful flowers. They brought pollinators, yes, but they were also a source of healing, beauty, connections, and comfort, even in our frugal lifestyle.
Throughout my life I have practiced gardening like my parents taught me. As a mature adult, I completed an AAS degree in Sustainable Agriculture. The skills and knowledge I gained there helped me know how to turn—effectively
and sustainably—my small residential yard in the Phoenix valley into an oasis filled with fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and of course flowers. I’ve spent the last five years specifically learning the art of growing in the Arizona heat.
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The concept of an oasis, a haven or place of refuge is important to me. My husband and I, along with our family, have walked many rocky and difficult paths, including abuse recovery, addiction recovery, miscarriage, death of loved ones, job loss, financial hardships, anxiety, depression, and ongoing health concerns. Though these experiences have been painful and overwhelming at times, we've also experienced the growth of our wonderful children and grandchildren, the healing of deep traumas, a beautiful home, mental and spiritual resilience, and strengthening family bonds that will last through eternity.
Through it all, we have worked hard to carve out a safe space, a haven. The name Havenfrost comes directly from this desire to build a place of healing and rest, separate from a world that is increasingly divisive, painful, and mind numbing. We want Havenfrost to be an intentional place of healing and strength.
During some of my most difficult times I used a coping technique of buying a bouquet of grocery store flowers, especially the dozen rose special. I discovered that I was happiest when I kept a few flowers for myself and gave the rest away to family and friends. Sometimes, my loved ones had particularly difficult days or weeks and I hoped the flowers would help ease their burdens. Other times it was just to celebrate a random "Happy Wednesday!"
I’ve found that dried flower petals help take off the pressure of keeping flowers fresh and yet still use them to bring comfort and peace. We found such peace when Lady, our beloved family dog, died and we scattered her ashes in our yard, mixed with petals from our garden. Her final resting place was a beautiful memorial to her joyful life.
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Now that I am in this stage of life, I find myself wanting to extend my circle of loved ones. I want to comfort and celebrate with others. I want to help make the world a little brighter and more beautiful. Sharing dried flower petals is one of the best ways I know how to do that. Wherever you are in your journey, I hope you can see the good and beautiful even in the middle of your hard and difficult. I hope Havenfrost Farm can be a part of your journey and wish you peace and beauty on your path.