Flower Questions
Questions from Sunday Brunch.

"Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day - like writing a poem, or saying a prayer."
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The above quote from Sunday Brunch reminded me of the pleasure of cutting flowers and bringing them in the house.

This morning I went out and collected a few of the very few remaining blooms in the field.

Most of the plants have turned brown and gone to seed, so I had to hike around to find these flowers, making them all the more precious as winter approaches.

1) If you had a wedding, what flowers did you have at your wedding?

First wedding I had a beautiful bouquet, but I don't remember what kind of flowers were in it. The groom had a good friend who owned a flower shop and she did all the flowers for free.

I don't recall having a choice about what kind of flowers she provided. Or maybe she did ask me and I told her it didn't matter. At age twenty I wasn't into flowers and could hardly tell a rose from a lily.

Let that be a lesson to all young girls: If you don't know your flowers, you are too young to get married.

2) What is your favorite flower?

I love almost all flowers. My favorites are the violets that grow wild and bloom in the spring. That is how I ended up with "violet" as my email id and Seasons of Violet as my blog name.

My least favorite flowers are the mums that everyone plants in the fall to extend the garden color season. They are attractive to see but they smell awful.

My father died unexpectedly in the fall when I was in my teens. Many of the flowers at his funeral were mums. Not only was I in shock and in mourning, I had to deal with being surrounded by stinky flowers.

3) Do you have flowers as part of your landscaping outside or your interior decor?

Tons of flowers outside. Most of them wildflowers growing in the back three acres. This time of year they have almost all gone to seed, even the autumn blooming goldenrod and Queen Anne's lace.

The front two acres around the house are very shaded and it is not easy to grow plants with pretty blooms. I plant annual impatiens for a block of strong color all summer.

I'm lousy with house plants, so I only have flowers inside when I pick them outside and bring them in.

4) If you went to your high school prom(s), what kind of flower did you wear in your corsage or boutonniere?

Gardenia, orchid, and carnations.

When I got the gardenia I had to ask my mother what it was - but not in front of my date.

5) Do you like to receive flowers as a gift or do you think it is a waste of money?

I love to receive flowers as a gift, especially in the dregs of winter when there haven't been any flowers in the yard for months. DH sent me a mixed bouquet in March once many years ago.

Waste of money? Probably it was. But it's one of my fondest memories because there was no reason for him to do it except he thought I would like it.

What is your favorite flower?