Ode to Zephyros, Bravo to the Farmers

My, what a busy, sun-drenched summer it was! And with the first couple of weeks of fall being extra sunny, warm and dry, we are only slowly inching toward winter here in Colorado. This weather, which has been a boon to farmers, has resulted in bountiful harvests of fruit, vegetables and flowers that keep on coming. The big snows will be here soon enough, but right now we are enjoying an extended almost summer-like season. 

Between the blistering heat and a good amount of travels, life has been pretty intense for me in these past months. Thankfully there was one constant that was a stabilizing force, one new activity that brought me much joy:  working at the Zephyros flower stand at the Telluride Farmer’s Market on Fridays.

Most every Friday this summer was punctuated with bright pops of color, redolent starts to the day and cheerful interactions with clients and fellow market goers. Yes, I became a flower seller. Like anything new, I was a little jittery at first. Wrapping flowers properly is an art. Doing quick additions in my head of a large bouquet composed of some twenty different stems had me dialing up skills I hadn’t used since grade school math class. And lugging heavy buckets of water gave my upper body a workout unlike anything I’m able to achieve on the ski slopes.

But soon enough I was able to navigate my way within this bustling attraction that has ranked as one of the market’s top draws for almost fifteen years. Under the tutelage of Molly and Rachel, I learned the art of flower arranging, and after a few weeks I began to compose bouquets that embodied the Zephyros look. Their signature style evokes a poetic expression of beauty, one that the French would call champêtre. (That word loosely translates to country or pastoral.) How gratifying it was to see these little bouquets–which Zephyros refers to as ‘lil Miss–selected for purchase just minutes after I carefully assembled my interpretation of a country bouquet.

By then, I had hit my stride and I was even becoming more familiar with the vast variety of flowers and grasses showcased on the stand. Flowers such as godetia, stock and Armenian basket flower were becoming almost as familiar as peonies, marigolds and sunflowers. Sometimes I’d even learn the common names; euphorbia, for example, is known as snow on the mountain. So fresh and lovely. 

Yes, I delighted in admiring the beauty in everything I sold. Nothing went unnoticed to me. Teaching skiing on creamy snow-packed slopes of Telluride on a bluebird day fills the mind, body and spirit. To me, handling such beautiful flowers and sharing them with others stirs the senses in the most glorious ways as well.

I call it joy therapy, a theme I have focused on for a good while now. After much sadness, loss and upset, I am once again witnessing friends and family affront death and dying. I’m also still dealing with an insanely litigious person that has brought more than twenty legal actions against the family since my father passed in 2016. The best response to all that is to shine more light and what better way to do it than with flowers. 

My mom imparted her love of flowers to me at an early age. We always had little country bouquets in every room at our lake house. Growing cutting flowers in the garden, however, proved to be a more challenging task. I’d have to pick carefully in our flower beds to find just the right amount of blooms and greenery to fill our vases. I do the same thing now in my little garden in Colorado.

So you can imagine my wonder every Friday when I helped to unload the big Zephyros truck heaping with buckets of flowers, single stems and bouquets that had been carefully prepared the day before. The bounty, the glory and the freshness of it all has made me dizzy with pleasure. Displaying their array of flowers–and also some produce–was like laying out a feast. 

I tell Molly and Rachel that their goods rival those from some of the most abundant markets of France. During a recent trip to Provence, in fact, lavender was the only flower sold at one of the big open-air markets. 

The flower shops in Paris are magnifique yet I don’t know of a boutique that grows everything they sell. Such is the case with Zephyros Farm & Garden, a farm about two-and-a-half hours from Telluride in Paonia. These farmers grow indoors and out, from seed to dried bouquets, working the earth organically and with a passion that shows in all of their goods.

I will visit their farm and gardens some day. You can, too. Let’s keep the joy therapy coming. Thank you to all the farmers who work tirelessly to spread such goodness to us. During this harvest season where we find such abundance on farmers’ stands and markets, we have an added appreciation for what they do. For those of us that have tried our hand at growing, we know that little emerges from the earth easily. (Except, of course, weeds!)

You can visit the Zephyros flower stand at the Telluride Farmer’s Market, which typically goes from early June through early October. Today’s market will be the last one of the year. I’ve completed my work there but hope to return next year. 

If you’re not able to check them out in person, visit their website for a hit of joy. And then pick up a bouquet of flowers for yourself somewhere to brighten your surroundings. Remember to change the water daily!

The darkest days of fall and winter will soon be upon us, so have your fill now of Mother Nature’s bounty. Your local farmers will thank you.

In September,  I enjoyed a visit to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, one of the world’s most resplendent resorts. I posted many pictures of their gardens on my Instagram and Facebook pages. In July, I had also posted on my social media photos of magnificent flower arrangements from a wedding I attended in Saint Tropez early in the summer. Do take a peek.