Time just flies, doesn’t it? Tomorrow I’ll have officially been with my partner for a year, and I love him even more than I did back then. In other words, I need to do something special for him, and if there’s anything I know he’d love, it’s flowers. But I want to go further than that, and I can’t help but think it might be better if I pick a flower that would remind him of me. After all, we love each other, like, a whole lot.
The jolt of my car going over the curb as I made a right turn pulled me right out of my own thoughts. Crap, I sucked at driving. I should really just walk everywhere from now on. At least now I was in the parking lot. I could try again in about an hour, and hopefully I’d do a bit better.
The greenhouse was the largest available within a doable driving distance, and it was glorious. Brick walls laced with trimmed ivy, animal shaped topiaries lining the front of the building, this was amazing, it wouldn’t be an issue finding the right flower for my bouquet here. Picking it though, would be.
Even the entrance was overwhelming. The floral scent hit me like a truck when I walked in. I really wish I could have just brought that home with me, but it’s hard to box up a smell, I’ve tried. An employee was busy watering some potted trees by the welcome desk. His nails were painted to like a floral arrangement, they were gorgeous. I inevitably wound up asking them where he got them done before continuing into the building. Maybe I’d take my boyfriend there tomorrow as well.
Around every corner was a different variety of flower, plenty to choose from. Now, I’d just have to weigh out my options. Which flower felt like me? I’d have to take this step by step.
First, roses. A classic! Reds, pinks, whites, there was a decent variety to pick from here, and they’d be sure to make a romantic bouquet. They have for ages. But are they too typical? Everyone expects roses. Plus, they’re thorny; it’s like they want to hurt you. That wasn’t the message I wanted to send, so I moved on.
How about carnations? They seemed to all come in similar colors to roses, and if anything, they were just as much of a classic within the field of romantic gifts. I didn't notice any thorns either. But were these me? They were just so... frilly? It didn't feel right to use it as the main bouquet piece.
The next plants caught my eye. Persian buttercups, I'd never even heard of this kind before. From what I could see, they seemed to combine everything good about carnations and roses into one flower. In addition to that, there seemed to be a much larger color variety. Definitely a plus. I'd definitely have to use these, not as the "me" flower, but as an accent to that. They were just too gorgeous to leave!
The oriental poppies didn't do much convincing. The color pattern was cool though, very interesting with the black in the middle. But they lacked any variety for the most part, and they didn't look very interesting shape-wise. They'd look good in a garden, but that wasn't what I needed them for.
I always thought Tulips were fun. They came in so many colors, and they were all just beautiful. But the shape just didn't feel right. It felt enclosed. All of the good smells were stuck inside, and the blooms weren't outward like I'd hoped. I decided to leave those too.
Seeing the name "cushion spurge" on a sign caught my eye. What a name. And the plant seemed to match it as well. They grew in sort of a cushiony form, and spurge felt like a great name to describe the blooms with their outward bursting petals. They were so fun, but so small, and they grew together like a bush. Not great for a bouquet, unfortunately.
Balloon flower seemed like another fun name, and once again, it was very fitting. The closed buds were hollow on the inside, and delicate, round, and large on the outside, exactly how I'd describe a balloon. The blooms were nice though as well, looking as though the flower had popped open. I really liked these, but the color choice was very limited, and I couldn't find the connection I wanted, so I moved on.
Daisies were another classic, I always liked them. We grew them in our garden together for small accents, and while that would probably a fun little connection between us, the daisies were just too tiny for a centerpiece. I did pick up a few however, they'd make good supporting pieces.
I kept wandering aimlessly around the various pots and greenhouse benches. Employees asked me repeatedly if I was looking for something in particular, which was nice of course, but I wasn't quite sure how to explain my situation to them. Everything was getting overwhelming quickly. Cornflowers, sunflowers, calendulas, poppies, orchids, lilies, so many flowers, but none that felt right to me. Over an hour had already passed, I'd have to get home soon, but I couldn't just leave without a plant to give my boyfriend. I loved him, and I wanted this to be special. All I wanted was to show him how much I cared.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden blast of water from an overhead sprinkler. I looked towards it, and realized that I'd just found what I was looking for.
Tall flowers widened by bursts of beady buds, the vibrant colors of the snapdragons in front of me were amazing. The name was a plus as well, and the flowers that looked like paintballs spoke to my paintball loving heart. I grabbed the best pot I could find, placed it in my cart, and walked away to the check out, ready to finally give my partner what he deserved.