Our backyard garden is delivering beauty via beautiful blossoms on an almost daily basis and, lately, I'm acutely aware of its calming and grounding effect.

I feel an uncomfortable knot in my stomach and, after a short putter in the garden, a feeling of ease arrives. The tightness dissipates. I can hardly believe how well it works at soothing a dark and fretful mood. It's one thing to know it intellectually, it's quite another for the healing power of beauty, of nature, to be a real felt experience.

As I write this, the peonies are fading fast. Those in vases are dropping their petals at a startling rate, and those left on the bush are exploding into beautiful messes.

The pink rose bush is up next and from the looks of things there will be plenty of blooms. Soon after, the day lilies start producing their cheery orange trumpets.

And the marigolds, I can hardly wait to greet the marigolds. I started them from seeds gathered from last years flowers. I was a little late starting them so I have a bit of a wait. But when they do finally flower, unlike the peonies, they tend to stick around longer.