Gather ye roses

I love having flowers in the house much like my Mother always did. It is one of the few ‘girlie’ things about me. Some women inspire men to give them flowers, roses by the carload, daisies in bunches, mums and the like….but I am not one of those. So I have always gathered flowers where I can find them. In Arizona that was limited, a few wildflowers, a pilfered road-side rose and the occasional sunflower from my garden.
One of the pleasures of living in Georgia is the incredible abundance of flowers. They are everywhere! When we first arrived there were camellias just starting to bud. Then the daffodils both planted and wild covered the fields in creamy yellow. Next the tulip trees burst out in lipstick pink, followed by the dogwoods and fruit trees in brilliant white. Now there is wisteria trailing purple over every abandoned homestead and dangling off branches along the railroad tracks. I’ve heard jasmine spins its web for the entire spring and it winds gold ribbons of color up nearly every light pole and fence post. With each new outburst I’ve had an ample supply to fill the house with color and fragrance.

Each day I am eager to see what new riches the roadsides have to offer. Every trip to the grocery store is like traveling through a huge drive-thru florist. I now go prepared with scissors and a bottle of water, collecting treasures along the way. I like to use untraditional objects as holders, apothecary jars, a milk bottle and even a simple water glass are prefect containers for such uncultivated bounty. Right now wisteria decorates an apothecary jar on the antique hotel luggage rack I found at a yardsale and there is a full garden on the windowsill. Yesterday I noticed some white blooms on an unfamiliar bush in the front yard. I think combining that with the yellow jasmine will make a pretty bouquet for the bedroom. I can imagine the sweet scent filling the air as we drift off....