The Power of Flowers

We bought this orange poppy a few years ago from the markdown rack at the Lowe’s garden center. It’s a complete outlier in the flowerbed and my personal favorite because its intense orange jumps out like an orange safety cone in the middle of comparably tame daisies out of control mint.

This particular flower is often chosen by children during their “making bouquets” phase. They like to pick the most colorful flowers they can find and present them as a gift, sometimes causing damage or unknowingly taking flowers from a neighbor’s garden. However, it’s difficult not to smile when they offer you their botanical gift.

As I was going inside to take photos, my five-year-old daughter saw me with three small flowers in my hand and said, “Awww! So pretty! You got flowers for mommy. You good daddy!” This is from the girl who recently told me, after making a completely legal u-turn, “Daddy, you stupid….and you drive bad.” It makes you appreciate the softening impact of flowers.