There’s something wrong with shopping for flowers with a shopping cart.  The sound of metal awkwardly running over uneven asphalt and concrete completely ruins what should be a zen shopping experience.  Rows and rows of picked over flowers and plants, the frantic shopping to see if you can find something that looks like it might make it home with you before someone snatches it away from under your nose.  Literally.

I don’t shop for flowers in a hurry.  There is too much subtle beauty to speed through – too many shapes and colors to choose from.  Whatever I choose has to be able to take a LOT of afternoon sun and survive me leaving for a week of vacation. It also has to be screaming at me, telling me to take it home with me.  Instead of spending slow, quiet time looking for lovely flowers, I found myself dodging people who were on a mission.  As I was looking at one rack of various plants, a woman literally squatted down at my feet.  My anxiety level increased when I shifted out of her way and she continued to crawl in my direction.  She never made eye contact or smile. I got the message and moved away, only to be practically run over by several people with carts racing for petunias I’m sure.  Doug had chosen a few herbs which he put in our cart, so in a run for my life away from the crazy flower people, I told Doug we needed to go elsewhere.

So we took the herbs to the car and drove to a place with a little more of that zen feel I was craving.  I’m grateful for a husband who will follow me around in circles until I make the decision as to which flowers I’m going to buy.  It’s a big deal you know.  Once I buy and plant them, I spend my summer working to keep them alive.  

So after walking around in circles several time, taking in all the shapes and colors and imagining what they would look like in my various pots and planters, I took the plunge and starting buying.  This is good and bad, because I’ve finally made a decision but now I’m buying things.  And it’s hard to stop, so I’m hoping that I haven’t bought too many for the pots I have at home.

This becomes the atmosphere for my summer office.  It’s my favorite time of year when I get to go outside in the morning to have breakfast on the balcony, feed the birds, water the plants and work on exciting things I didn’t get finished the day before.  It certainly makes the work more palatable.  

As the sun finally dropped below the treeline, the last of the flowers and herbs were planted, with Doug saying he hoped we didn’t wake up in the morning and wonder what kind of mess we had made in the dark.  I for one can’t wait to see them in the morning light and watch them grow each day.  By myself. And not have to worry about crazy women crouching at my feet looking for flowers.