Flowers make my heart sing. I mean who doesn’t feel joyful when looking at a colorful, luscious bloom, or slowly melt when breathing in its delicate scent?
Botanist Luther Burbank once said, “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are the sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” I couldn’t agree more!
When I was a little girl of about 8 or 9, we had 3 huge lilac bushes which bore the most beguiling lilacs. If I close my eyes, I can almost conjure up their intoxicating scent. My older brother Dave and I would cut large bouquets and wrap them up in sheets of newspaper and rubber bands. We would carry as many as we could on our bikes and sell them to our neighbors for 25 cents each. Wow, what a bargain!
And as an adult, with each and every abode where I had a yard, I have planted and nursed a bed of roses as well as other flowers. With each move to a new location, I hated leaving my little gardens, but I always felt like I had left it just a little more beautiful. I’d like to think that if I were to travel back to these homes today, I would see my roses and perennials still delighting the current residents.
My daughter and I regularly visit botanical gardens both close to home and far away. A day out with my favorite daughter (Okay, I only have one daughter) is a pretty much a perfect day in my world.
The beauty of a flower is fleeting, and when I’m able to capture its perfection on my camera and then look at it weeks, months and years later….the images of the flowers still have the power to evoke the same awe and inspiration I felt when they were right there in front of me. :-)