Some women spend their best shopping days in a dress shop, craft store, a gift shop, fabric store or a culinary store. Now, I enjoy shopping in those stores, too, but my best place to head especially this time of year is a greenhouse or garden center. Flower gardening is at the top of my list to plan. It begins in the early days of spring and then around the first of May. I grab my list and head to the garden center. It is so refreshing after the cold, dark days of winter, to walk into a garden center and see all the bright colored flowers just drawing me. Before a person knows it, the provided box or basket is filled with everything on the list and more.

Purple and yellow petunias, a number of red geraniums, purple and red salvia, and of course my Granny Boyles’ favorite multi-colored pansies. Admiring those pansies all summer reminds me of her. My peonies will soon bloom reminding me of my Grandmother Heskett as those were her favorites.

Peonies and lilacs are my favorite flowers. They provide much beauty and fragrance without requiring much care. The iris have not performed yet. However, they will soon as the buds are showing. I wanted to make up some May baskets on May 1, but the usual flowers I always count on were not blooming. It was fun watching on social media all the May baskets left on door knobs or placed on porch steps to provide a thoughtful and beautiful surprise for a friend, relative or neighbor.

Now I do love the roses, the daisies, mums, the Black Eyed Susans, rose moss and the colorful zinnias, all so rewarding. Of course there is the watering, fertilizing, weedin, and dead heading required in earning the flowering rewards. But in the end, it is all worth it.

Whether a person plans, plants and maintains several flower gardens, or maybe it’s enjoying the flowers in beautiful containers, here’s hoping that your flowers bring you joy! An unknown poet writes, “Flowers are like friends; they bring color to our world!”