New Beginnings This Spring!

I'm looking at rain drops hugging the window screen while several brand new tulips peek up above the sill. As I think about the promise of spring, still so much is fractured around us which doesn't seem quite right in this potentially cleansing time of year. It is quite aggravating that tax time coincides with one of the most lovely of seasons, don't you think? Plus it always seems that several insurances are also due right at this time of year. Then if you are self-employed you cannot ever forget the estimated taxes that seem to add insult to injury and that demand another good-sized check to write.

It can be easy to get stressed as we impatiently wait for better weather to become typical. Today in Seattle there is a blustering storm that usually calls in October or November, not in this supposedly bright and sunny month. It can easily be just as frustrating to look around your home and see all sorts of improvements that are needed and not have any funds with which to make changes. I'm going to give you one of the first lessons that I ever learned about design and it remains a marvelous tip: No one will notice what is in your room if you have it clean and filled with some fresh flowers! I might add that if you are entertaining after dark add in the romantic light of candles or soft twinkle lights and you cannot miss.

I need to have my entry and dining room painted in the worst way at home. So I do understand what it is like to function in a room or a house that looks a bit dingy. However, there is genuine uplifting benefit to cleaning and it only takes elbow grease and energy. Adding in flowers is extremely affordable. I suggest that you avoid those pre-made bouquets at the market because the combinations are not always the most attractive. You are better off to purchase a bunch of one type of blossom. For instance I just picked up a bundle of yellow tulips for the dining table tomorrow evening and spent just under $6.00 at a local Trader Joe's. Flowers can be bought at street corner floral stands, floral shops, drug stores, grocery stores and at home improvement stores so there are no excuses!

Always undo the bundle and cut off about 1" of the stem. This allows the cellular structure of the stem to operate again and begin to soak up fresh water. Strip off unnecessary greens on the stem part that will stay in the water and avoid slim accumulating in the water as days pass. Some blossoms last longer than others if you wish to extend the visual treat. Gerber daisies are long lasting as are other types of daisies. Carnations tend to last well as do some rose varieties. My all time favorite aroma comes from the delicate Fresia that sadly doesn't seem to stay for very long. You can also get long life from a blooming plant such as an azalea, gardenia or mums.
The classic Easter lilies that you buy in the grocery store might already be in bloom by the time it reaches the retail market and therefore have a relatively short life left.

Whatever you favor, remember that a room can indeed be brightened simply by one of nature's most generous gifts to us: Fresh flowers!