Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Zig Ziglar of Plants

Zig Ziglar.  In case the name doesn't ring a bell, he was one of the very first motivational speakers.  I saw Zig Ziglar in person in the late 80's.  It made an indelible impression.

My white irises are the Zig Ziglar of my garden.  They seem to have taken some of his motivating messages to heart:


  • 1)  Bloom where you're planted.
Zig Ziglar tells of a woman that came to him and said she hated her job.  He advised her to make a list of all she liked about her job, and for several weeks, to read that list daily.  It changed her attitude, and she began to appreciate her work.

Winter is not the easiest of times for a gardener to get through.  But my white irises are one of the first to bloom, heralding in spring from the dead of winter.  They immediately change my attitude to a positive one.  And every day as the blooms increase, so, too, does my joy, and my desire to work.


  • 2)  Be proud of yourself and what you do.
Zig Ziglar never said "I'm just a salesman."  Instead, he would explain that each sale would generate jobs for people to produce the product, accountants to count the money, and bankers in which to deposit the funds.  The bankers would then lend out a portion of that money, and people would acquire homes, automobiles, and other products, all of which require jobs for people in construction, automobile manufacturing, and other lines of production.  New furniture would be needed for the home, gas for the car, etc., requiring more people to fill jobs at furniture companies, gas stations, oil companies, and many more.  The people in these jobs would get paid, generating jobs for even more accountants, and even more bankers.  And it goes on and on.  All because he made a sale.  

My white irises are proud, too.  Tall and stately, these have weathered the storms that have come their way, and still hold their heads high.  Even when their stems are broken, they bloom anyway.  That's determination!  When they start blooming, it seems to encourage my other plants to start blooming, too.  My garden begins to come to life, and it all starts with my white irises.


  • 3)  Share the joy.
Another lesson from Zig Ziglar was to give others an honest compliment.  After we listened to him speak, we went to a little cafe for dessert and coffee.  We took Zig Ziglar's lesson to heart and not only tipped the waiter, but wrote little heartfelt compliments to him on our napkins.  It made us feel happy, and I hope it made him happy, too.

Want a complimentary plant?  The spiky foliage of irises make a great compliment to other plants.  Whether they're in bloom or not, I think irises are a wonderful companion plant to have in the garden all year long.


My white irises.  They're blooming now.  I can almost hear them giving my garden a motivational speech!   

46 comments:

  1. I love my white Irises. They are so pretty and pure.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. I love them, too. I think the purple are my favorite, but I would never tell the white ones!

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  2. Irysy są bardzo delikatnymi i ciekawymi w budowie kwiatami. Są po prostu śliczne. Pozdrawiam. *** Irises are very delicate and interesting in the construction of the apparatus. They are just beautiful. Yours.

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    1. I love how that got translated. I agree - they are sturdy, but look delicate.

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  3. What a lovely way of putting Zig Ziglars wisdom into context with a plant! They are simple words of advice but full of worth :) And lovely irises!

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    1. Yes, I love the way he puts a positive spin on things. It really makes you stop and think, and usually smile.

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  4. Lovely white irises - I can see why you love them so! I especially like that last photo of them with the rose foliage - what a wonderful combination.

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  5. Beautiful iris and a wonderful way of combining them with wisdom.

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    1. Any words of wisdom can be reflected in a garden, don't you think?

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  6. Darling, do you think this Zig Ziglar would have had some good words for my strong envy about your white irises too? In bloom the 28th of february? They might be some veeeery good words!

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    1. It is early, isn't it? They usually bloom with the daffodils, but this year they are blooming before!

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  7. Funny, as just before I clicked your white iris post, I looked out the window and there were my "Old Fort Worth" Irises. I enjoyed this look to spring. Thank You.

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    1. Isn't it wonderful when the irises are blooming?! Ah, spring must be here!

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  8. I've never heard of Zig Ziglar but I sure did like reading what he spoke about. Perspective is everything isn't it?

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    1. It really is. I try to remember to look at things with a good attitude, but it can be hard to remember sometimes!

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  9. So Pretty! I just LOVE white flowers. I wish I had some of these…

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    1. I love them, too. They make me wish I had entire beds of irises!

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  10. What a compelling comparison...loved it! Very much!!!

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  11. Replies
    1. haha - That's why we talk to our gardens, isn't it?

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  12. I love this post! It's so positive! It brings a smile to my face too because I had never heard of Zig until a few years ago when my husband heard him speak at a function in Indiana. Hubby then brought home some motivational material of Zig's (still have it) for me to read. Hubby doesn't like to read so he thought I might like it. Your comparison with your irises and roses is so perfect!!!! I hope he reads this post too as it is very motivational all on its own.

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    1. I'm so glad someone has heard Zig Ziglar! That night, although many years ago, was amazing. This was before motivational speakers became popular, and it really opened my mind to looking at things in a different way.

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  13. Hi Holley, thanks for another well written post! I love, love, love your white irises! Sadly just recently I have removed some white irises that were not growing in my garden. I don't know why, but irises have a very hard time in my yard and just seem to not like the conditions that I can offer and I am thinking about giving up to grow them altogether. Your post made me painfully aware how beautiful they can be and you motivated me to try to find out everything possible that I can about how to grow them here. Maybe I find something out that will help me to establish them successfully in my yard, too.
    Christina

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    1. I don't know why, either. I just plant them and they grow! (Don't you just hate it when someone tells you that about a plant you're having trouble with?) I do know that they don't like to be planted deeply. A very shallow planting is best. I hope that helps.

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  14. Holleygarden -- I am sooooo envious of your white iris. I can't seem to grow iris. The bearded kind came up about 5 inches and that was that. I have a plain yellow and a plain blue that sometimes bloom. I've heard that I can only grow Louisiana irises here. --Mizz Chairman

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    1. Oh, I bet it's too hot there. I love the Louisiana irises, too. They are both pretty to me.

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  15. Those irises look so lovely. Did the purple ones I sent survive the summer heat?

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    1. Yes! They are alive and well, and settling in. I worried over one that had to be dug up again due to us putting in the new well, but it looks happy now! :)

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  16. I like your motivational reminders about the power of positive thinking, and your white irises are positively beautiful!

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    1. Spring makes everything look better, doesn't it?!

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  17. Those were really motivational ideas from Zig Zagler. And, I like the way you have compared your white irises to him. Brilliant idea. Your white irises are really nice.

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    1. I love looking outside and seeing them - it's like they're asking me to come out and play!

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  18. Hi Holley,
    I really like your first photo. The dark background makes the white bloom look especially fresh. It seems like these have been blooming for you for quite a while now ... all month? How fantastic! I have a few irises but I'm not expert and I can't tell from the photos: are they a bearded type or a Louisiana type or something else? Could it be the "cemetery iris" I recently read about - happy to bloom and multiply for years while completely neglected?

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    1. They are a bearded type, or maybe they're really the cemetery type, because that's exactly what they do - multiply for years while completely neglected! Got to love that!

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  19. I shared this on my Florida Gardening Friends Group on FB. BTW, anyone is invited to join, even if you don't live in FL. North Floridians, especially, grow some of the same plants as others in the south, so there is room for everyone.

    SW Florida has so many beautiful blooming plants, but I long for the flowers of my childhood...irises, wild violets, daffodils, dogwood and azaleas especially. I wish I could go back to SC just for the flowers, and I would if it wasn't so cold and so expensive in the winter to heat. I long to get back to North FL where I can grow some of what I miss from my childhood.

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    1. I think once you get farther south than zone 8, there are a lot of plants that just don't grow well. And memories of our childhood gardens are very powerful. But Florida has some amazing tropicals that we can't grow! Thanks for commenting.

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  20. Oh Holley now I am jealous. I won't see mine until May in the white garden...yours certainly are a motivation when the only white I am seeing is more snow...we are getting quite a storm with ice to follow soon

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    1. Oh, my! So sorry you are still getting snow - and ice, which is worse. We are having higher than normal temperatures here - high 70's and some 80 degree days!

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  21. I was all set to comment on this one last night, and then the phone rang and I got distracted! I enjoyed how you connected your irises to motivational ideas. A long time ago I read a list of complaints that the author re-interpreted to show in a more positive light. The only example I remember is the complaint about having to mow your lawn, turning into gratitude for being able to own your own home. It's amazing what a difference your perspective makes on the same set of facts!

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    1. It really does make a difference. When I start to complain, often (but not always, unfortunately) I will try to stop myself and see if I can find 'the other side' to the situation. Most times I can. It's a good exercise, even if I don't always quit complaining! :)

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  22. Love Iris the rainbow flower and I like this blog page. I stopped a Lady on the street by my house and told her how nice she looked. I do not know if she thought I was crazy or not. She was so perfect Navy dress with white trim, Hat- navy with white flower- purse- navy white trim- Shoes heels-navy white trim and gloves. you do not see that much today. Love your yard. Wish I could see it in person.

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    1. I bet that lady really appreciated the compliment. I bet she looked fabulous, too! I love being able to visit gardens all over the world through their blogs, but I know what you mean - there are some I'd love to see in person, too!

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  23. Replies
    1. They are a delight to see every year. And it seems they just get prettier every year!

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