Not too long ago I lived in an apartment complex which had a community garden. Approximately 20 feet wide by 100 feet long, tenants could sign up for a 10 foot by 10 foot garden plot.

Every morning and then again in the evening, resident gardeners tended to their green oasis, weeding, trimming and sharing tips as well as compliments.

Popular crops included vegetables and cutting flowers.

I planted miniature sunflowers. Why? They reminded me of the small yellow flowers I’d seen while vacationing on the beach. It was a way to keep me centered in my dream of one day living at the beach. It was one of the many ways I held fast to my dream.

Dune Sunflowers on the beach.

Now that I’m here and out at the beach everyday, these delightful yellow flowers remind me of my life there and how I made my dream come true and every time I see them I stop and say a silent prayer of gratitude.

They’re called Dune Sunflowers and they’re related to the sunflowers I planted in my garden. Growing on a bush that’s up to 2 feet high and sprawling over the dunes this plant flowers all year long. It’ll die back a bit during winter, but not by much.

  Approximately 2 inches in diameter, Dune Sunflowers are a delight to behold all year long.

Propagation is relatively easy. Take some seeds or a cutting, put it in sandy soil, water for a few weeks, then ignore it. I wouldn’t advise doing that with your dreams though. Tend to them with love and care. Find a talisman to hang on to until the tides change. Before you know it, what was once a distinct feature in your life, will become commonplace.

I invite you to engage in the distinct features of your dream. Nurture it until it becomes commonplace.

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Copyright 2009 Diana Taylor, Pug At The Beach
Photo credit: Diana Taylor, Dune Sunflowers, Delray Beach, Florida

For copy & paste:
http://pugsnewsfromthebeach.com/2008/10/28/barnacles-and-the-art-of-holding-fast-to-our-dreams.aspx (Dreams)