A quick turn around the garden at this time of year yields an impressive diversity of flowers. Most of them are rather humble natives, medicinals or even volunteers, but they are no less colorful or beautiful than the showier annuals. I love to have cut flowers in my home. I find it very uplifting, especially when we have grown them ourselves. I often add ferns for a bit of greenery, perhaps a sprig or two of mint, and I always include a few stems from my beloved scented geraniums. A bouquet like this is a tonic to the eye and a feast for the senses. Place one by your bed and see if your dreams aren't sweeter.

Borage is a big sprawling plants—actually an herb—with hairy stems and these adorable star-shaped flowers. It's all edible and is packed with healthy fatty acids. Sprinkle the leaves and flowers in salads.

Bee balm is in the mint family and is quite hardy. Deer won't eat it and it shoots up long stalks that are eventually topped with what look a bit like crazy African headdresses. And the bees do flock to it.

We plant lots of nasturtiums, including in our vegetable garden where they help protect plants from predatory insects. The flowers are edible and have a light peppery flavor that becomes much more pronounced in the little seed buds they produce. You can pickle these and use them as you would capers.

Native roses don't have much scent but they bloom prolifically and have a romantic old-fashioned look.

Yarrow is a medicinal herb that grows like a weed all over the garden. It is known for its astringent effect and is good for treating inflammation, as well as staunching wounds. (Great for when you stab yourself with the clippers.) Its broad flower head is made up of lots of tiny flowers.

These pansies, known as Johny Jump Ups, are favorite rabbit fodder but some do manage to survive. I love their deep almost-black color and soft, soft petals. 

Do men secretly love flowers as much as women do? How could they not?