Why do we need flowers? I imagine not many people think about flowers now, especially when one lives in a cold winter state like Michigan. The potager outside my window is a frozen skeleton, buried under piles of blowing and drifting snow. We are months away from growing flowers.
I miss having flowers in the house. So, I tried forcing paperwhite bulbs for the first time, in a vase on the kitchen counter. After receiving complaints daily from both my husband and daughter over the, shall we say, distinct scent of the paperwhites, I went to a flower shop and brought home a half dozen roses. The next comment I received sparked the topic for this post.
What are those for?
Upon returning home from work, my husband saw the roses on the kitchen counter, (in the place of the offensive paperwhites). He asked, “What are those for?” I was surprised by his question. “The roses?” I asked. “Yes”, he replied, looking pointedly at the simple arrangement. My response was simple. “To have.”
A brief look of “that’s weird”, flashed across his face. Then he seemed satisfied enough with the answer and moved on. But, I couldn’t stop thinking about his question. On the surface, it is an understandable question. I think most people in general, send and receive flowers only for a specific reason. At the flower shop I work at, birthdays, condolences, and thank you’s, are the most common messages accompanying bouquet deliveries. It is extremely, and I stress, extremely, rare for someone to walk in and buy flowers for themselves… just because. Why is that?
Why?
Why do so many of us associate buying fresh flowers only with an occasion, and not just “to have”? Yes, their freshness and beauty is fleeting. One must be present in their (the flowers) moment, fully appreciate the luxury of having fresh flowers in the home. Ah, luxury. Maybe that is the key to this mindset; buying fresh flowers just because, is viewed as frivolous, a wasteful expense.
Buy flowers…just because
I encourage everyone to buy flowers every now and then, for yourself, or someone you know… just because. Especially in the winter, when the days are filled with endless shades of grey and white. Flowers will brighten up a room and, one’s mood! The unexpected addition to your space will divert your bleak winter thoughts. Admire the color, shape and scent, (as long as they aren’t paperwhites, according to my family) of your chosen blooms. Fresh flowers bring so much to a space any time of year, and the captivating book, “Charlotte Moss Flowers”, serves as a beautiful homage to having fresh flowers in ones home as often as possible, for any reason.
“Charlotte Moss Flowers”
Charlotte Moss, a renown interior designer, writes about flowers in the home from a designers viewpoint. Page after page is filled with beautifully curated interior spaces with fresh flowers. An entire weekend could be devoted to leafing through this coffee table worthy book. In addition to sublime interiors and gorgeous flower arrangements, Moss also features women from the 1800’s to present day, well known for their views and habits concerning fresh flowers in the home. The women featured include, among others, the famous garden designer Gertrude Jekyll and floral designer Constance Spry, as well as Danish author Karen Blixen. Very different women from very different times, held together by their need for fresh flowers in the home.
Buy the flowers, just because
To be sure, books last infinitely longer than fresh flowers. Coffee table books like Moss’s, are gorgeous and provide hours of design inspiration. Instructional books, like those I wrote about in my post “7 Beautiful Floral Design Books to Elevate your Floral Design Skills”, can strengthen your flower arranging skills for your home. But it is the physical contact with fresh flowers that has the most impact on us.
Fresh flowers bring all the inspiration from these books to life. Especially now, in the dark winter months, think about adding fresh flowers to your space. Whether you stroll past the flower cooler at your grocery store or take a drive to your local flower shop, buy the flowers. Enjoy their color, beauty, and scent. Live in their moment. Just because.
