Earth Laughs in Flowers

"Earth laughs in flowers," is a wonderful quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous poem. Having visited the garden center of a brand new Loews, of all places, this past Sunday, I think I have to agree. It seems silly, but standing in the middle of the flowers they had for sale there was like standing in the middle of one of their commercials...everything, from the season's earliest petunias and pansies to rock cress and creeping phlox was vibrant with color and personality. I was smitten!

Peter and I went there for wood and various other as sundries that we needed and I told myself, as I do so often when I go to places like this, "I'm only looking!" But what is a "flower-aholic" to do? I mean it's like putting our dog, Tucker, in a room full of squirrels and asking him not to chase them! Do you see what I mean? In any case, everywhere I turned I saw beautiful spring bloomers all in their finest and frilliest best, smiling back at me and I could not resist the eye candy.

As enchanting as flowers are and as happy as they made me, Emerson's underlying message here is more about how we humans think we can readily buy flowers, plants and trees at any garden market or center, plant gardens and cultivate the land and think that we actually own what we grow and tend.  Well, according to our property taxes, we do.  However, the earth knows that these pieces of nature really do not belong to us.  For, who can truly own a flower more than earth itself. Pretty deep, huh? And, when I think about it...it does seem to hold a bit of truth to it. But, you can't blame a "flower-aholic" for trying.

So, after buying just a few things--little pretties I just could not live without--I took a lot of pictures and received a lot of strange looks from other flower patrons at Loews and then reluctantly followed Peter into the lumber department. What a let down after the party atmosphere in the garden center.

On the way home, I had to stop and take a picture of a stand of forsythia at it's peek of frivolity and next to them, the daffodils looking very "daffy-down-dilly" begged to be photographed as well reminding me that the earth does indeed laugh in flowers almost anywhere it wants, especially in spring when everything old is new again.  It may be that I, or anyone else may not own the flowers, trees, birds or bees in Mother Nature's strict sense of the word, but I can surely enjoy their gifts of beauty, serendipity and happiness for at least the fleeting moments that I gaze upon them.  Such is the laugh of a "flower-aholic"...who's laughing now?!"