Blooms 2 Brighten
@blooms2brighten.bsky.social
We share flowers that we grow with food pantry clients and small care hospitals. We attempt to grow flowers and greenery year round. We are passionate about soil health through composting and regenerative farming practices.
The cement birdbath that I made is holding water. I love how it looks.
December 2, 2025 at 4:57 AM
The cement birdbath that I made is holding water. I love how it looks.
Here’s the wonderful garden producing lots of our flowers and some vegetables.
September 15, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Here’s the wonderful garden producing lots of our flowers and some vegetables.
Flowers for those who might not be able to get them at the food pantry, care homes and shelters.
September 15, 2025 at 3:46 AM
Flowers for those who might not be able to get them at the food pantry, care homes and shelters.
The agrostemma flowers volunteered last fall. Now they are taller than I am. I didn’t have time to thin them, but the strongest plants did well. I spread some compost over some of the weaker plants. The lavender and white fragrant sweet peas are volunteers also. Now we are cutting them bouquets.
May 21, 2025 at 2:18 AM
The agrostemma flowers volunteered last fall. Now they are taller than I am. I didn’t have time to thin them, but the strongest plants did well. I spread some compost over some of the weaker plants. The lavender and white fragrant sweet peas are volunteers also. Now we are cutting them bouquets.
The raven only comes for bread and peanut butter in the winter.
February 26, 2025 at 4:29 AM
The raven only comes for bread and peanut butter in the winter.
Did you see this? We can make a statement that unity matters. Also do one good thing: smile at someone, visit a friend, cook something good to eat, pet a cat, etc.
February 24, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Did you see this? We can make a statement that unity matters. Also do one good thing: smile at someone, visit a friend, cook something good to eat, pet a cat, etc.
Company in the garden was a bumblebee. I haven’t heard any buzzing since the weather got cold, no bees of any kind. Today I hear a buzz when the day was ending. It was 5:20 pm.
I’m preparing beds to grow flowers and food. I spread carrot seed and planted lettuce seedlings. Sweet peas got tall.
I’m preparing beds to grow flowers and food. I spread carrot seed and planted lettuce seedlings. Sweet peas got tall.
February 24, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Company in the garden was a bumblebee. I haven’t heard any buzzing since the weather got cold, no bees of any kind. Today I hear a buzz when the day was ending. It was 5:20 pm.
I’m preparing beds to grow flowers and food. I spread carrot seed and planted lettuce seedlings. Sweet peas got tall.
I’m preparing beds to grow flowers and food. I spread carrot seed and planted lettuce seedlings. Sweet peas got tall.
A neighbor let me cut these deciduous magnolias which we made into bouquets to give away today. I got to walk among three of there trees just going into bloom as I selected short branches to cut. What a joy!
February 21, 2025 at 3:00 AM
A neighbor let me cut these deciduous magnolias which we made into bouquets to give away today. I got to walk among three of there trees just going into bloom as I selected short branches to cut. What a joy!
Acacia hung up to dry for next year. February in Northern California gives me few garden flowers. There are straw flower plants blooming. They have slowly been opening a few flowers through winter after being sown from seed in July. I cut the acacia as fresh as possible with some flowers not opened.
February 20, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Acacia hung up to dry for next year. February in Northern California gives me few garden flowers. There are straw flower plants blooming. They have slowly been opening a few flowers through winter after being sown from seed in July. I cut the acacia as fresh as possible with some flowers not opened.
The raven came down from the tree to eat the peanut butter and bread just like last winter when the raven pair asked me for treats during the winter. This was my first winter day devoted to growing flowers and food, as we finished the garage building. I love that the ravens are part of our garden.
February 12, 2025 at 5:04 AM
The raven came down from the tree to eat the peanut butter and bread just like last winter when the raven pair asked me for treats during the winter. This was my first winter day devoted to growing flowers and food, as we finished the garage building. I love that the ravens are part of our garden.
I helped give out flowers at the food pantry in the rain. One of the clients got teary telling me how much the weekly flowers mean to her. She says she wants to give back to others when she can.
I am glad we can provide the flowers especially during the winter.
I am glad we can provide the flowers especially during the winter.
February 8, 2025 at 5:19 AM
I helped give out flowers at the food pantry in the rain. One of the clients got teary telling me how much the weekly flowers mean to her. She says she wants to give back to others when she can.
I am glad we can provide the flowers especially during the winter.
I am glad we can provide the flowers especially during the winter.
I was picking flowers for the team to make into bouquets, and look who is in the tent on a cold morning. These anemone flowers will open to show stunning black stamens with white pollen. Pollen color of dark red scabiosa is lavender. Flowers are amazing.
January 31, 2025 at 4:13 AM
I was picking flowers for the team to make into bouquets, and look who is in the tent on a cold morning. These anemone flowers will open to show stunning black stamens with white pollen. Pollen color of dark red scabiosa is lavender. Flowers are amazing.
A flock of starlings settles down for the night on a nearby marsh. A wildfire blew through this forest in 2017. We walked through charred trees to see this abundance of life on the marsh. There were new native shrubs and trees that sprouted after the fire along our path.
January 12, 2025 at 6:12 PM
A flock of starlings settles down for the night on a nearby marsh. A wildfire blew through this forest in 2017. We walked through charred trees to see this abundance of life on the marsh. There were new native shrubs and trees that sprouted after the fire along our path.
Sharing Joy in the Winter Garden
Tasks are Best Done Together
medium.com
January 12, 2025 at 1:30 AM
We made 150 bouquets to give away. I forgot to take pictures. But here’s how many bouquet flowers get started, from seed packs.
Note the cat in the background.
There are anemones growing under the protective cloth.
There are many flower seedlings that volunteered in the big garden.
Note the cat in the background.
There are anemones growing under the protective cloth.
There are many flower seedlings that volunteered in the big garden.
January 10, 2025 at 2:09 AM
We made 150 bouquets to give away. I forgot to take pictures. But here’s how many bouquet flowers get started, from seed packs.
Note the cat in the background.
There are anemones growing under the protective cloth.
There are many flower seedlings that volunteered in the big garden.
Note the cat in the background.
There are anemones growing under the protective cloth.
There are many flower seedlings that volunteered in the big garden.
Covering the small weeds with shredded wood chips will improve the growth of Dutch iris, native shrubs, California poppies, kniphofia, and other landscape plants. My cat watches from his perch on the wall. Temperatures got slightly above 60 degrees later, but it is not cold when I am working.
January 5, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Covering the small weeds with shredded wood chips will improve the growth of Dutch iris, native shrubs, California poppies, kniphofia, and other landscape plants. My cat watches from his perch on the wall. Temperatures got slightly above 60 degrees later, but it is not cold when I am working.
This is the cat-approved garage where we make bouquets. You can see stored dried flowers in the background for winter bouquets. We had a lot more hanging from the sticks on the wire. The blue plastic is covering a ping pong table, so several of us can work around it.
January 3, 2025 at 7:20 PM
This is the cat-approved garage where we make bouquets. You can see stored dried flowers in the background for winter bouquets. We had a lot more hanging from the sticks on the wire. The blue plastic is covering a ping pong table, so several of us can work around it.
We made our goal of 150 bouquets with the jonquils just starting to open. Most bouquets were jonquils, lavender and a fern leaf. We amazingly have some flowers blooming like everlasting (helichrysum) and lions mane (Leonotis).
There was even one anemone blossom near a rock wall.
There was even one anemone blossom near a rock wall.
January 3, 2025 at 6:18 PM
We made our goal of 150 bouquets with the jonquils just starting to open. Most bouquets were jonquils, lavender and a fern leaf. We amazingly have some flowers blooming like everlasting (helichrysum) and lions mane (Leonotis).
There was even one anemone blossom near a rock wall.
There was even one anemone blossom near a rock wall.
Like magic there are fresh flowers to pick after winter rains wake the daffodils. We will be using them to make bouquets this week.
January 2, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Like magic there are fresh flowers to pick after winter rains wake the daffodils. We will be using them to make bouquets this week.
Last week Sue unloaded mistletoe and today we made 150 decorated mistletoe bundled to give away. A new garage is going up in the background. Our bouquet making project takes up a whole garage which includes space to store dry flowers for winter use.
December 20, 2024 at 2:14 AM
Last week Sue unloaded mistletoe and today we made 150 decorated mistletoe bundled to give away. A new garage is going up in the background. Our bouquet making project takes up a whole garage which includes space to store dry flowers for winter use.
Seedlings of Sweet William, dianthus, a Sierra wildflower and divisions of rudbeckia and Shasta daisy for Kim’s and Sue’s community garden spaces. Notice the cat in both pictures. He seems to be following or watching me.
December 19, 2024 at 7:06 AM
Seedlings of Sweet William, dianthus, a Sierra wildflower and divisions of rudbeckia and Shasta daisy for Kim’s and Sue’s community garden spaces. Notice the cat in both pictures. He seems to be following or watching me.
This morning. Only the annual asters look fresh in the garden after frost and pounding rain. Sunrise is still glorious in the cool weather.
December 19, 2024 at 7:02 AM
This morning. Only the annual asters look fresh in the garden after frost and pounding rain. Sunrise is still glorious in the cool weather.
It’s that time of year when we give away mistletoe bundles at the food pantry and a few small nursing homes.
December 19, 2024 at 6:58 AM
It’s that time of year when we give away mistletoe bundles at the food pantry and a few small nursing homes.