“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece” – Claude Monet

I love flowers. I always have, and probably always will. This year, I’m more excited than usual to get planting — I have a garden to plant, a blank slate. Before my family and I moved to Prague, my gardens at our former house overflowed with flowers. Now that we are back in the US and have a yard to plant again, I’m ready to work on it and turn it into a place like the photograph below.

Gardens, flowers, and nature have long been inspiration for poets, writers, and painters. None is more famous than Monet’s Water Lilies or Van Gogh’s Irises, great paintings of flowers and gardens as Muse. For me, a beautiful backyard garden is one of the greatest parts of living. A beautiful backyard becomes an accessible daily retreat.

For me, at this time of year, as the brown, wintry grass begins to green, I once again remember how very much I love flowers. The color, the fragrance, the day-after-day beauty. I love it all. If only the world were covered in flowers …

Here, I’m posting 20 of my favorite flowers, most photographs taken from my former backyard gardens. For me, it’s a feast of color.

20 Favorite Flowers to Plant in Spring

 

 

Can you think of any flowers I’ve missed? What are your favorite flowers to plant in your gardens? I’d love to hear what your favorites are … Happy planting for a beautiful spring and summer!