Friday, February 13, 2009

Valentine Flowers

Gregg likes house plants.

I do not (I have what is called a "brown thumb").

Gregg does not like to buy cut flowers.

I like to receive them.

We are still happily married, in spite of this important difference of opinion.

Dear friends and neighbors lovingly gave us two house plants in wonderful pots after Katie passed away. I appreciate the thoughtfulness, generosity and love that they represent, very much. Gregg has been taking care of them for about a year and a half.

I recently started to think that the plants were getting overgrown. The one in our master bath contained an ivy plant that made me nervous; at nearly 3 feet long, I thought that vine wanted to take over the room, and maybe strangle me, when I wasn't looking. The one in our living room was looking sort of like...Rip Van Winkle's beard. It was growing down the side of the antique dresser upon which it sat. It was raining many tiny leaves, daily.

Gregg & I discussed possible solutions. I thought that perhaps the pots needed to be filled with outdoor plants that didn't create the need to sweep and vacuum so often. To be outside, where we could admire them through the window. Gregg disagreed. He suggested that I take the pots to the florist and have them "refreshed." I said, "Okay, but you are still taking care of them. And I want an orchid." Gregg agreed, just as long as I bought indoor plants.

We picked them up yesterday, and as we were pulling up to the store, I realized that I forgot to give them a budget. That is, when I dropped the pots off, and was describing the colors I wanted, the environment each one would live in, trading the brown pot for a fabulous cobalt blue one, & selecting the plants, I completely forgot to say, "Could you keep it under $xx.00, please?" But I remembered as we were parking the car, and about to have to pay for them. Whoops!

Let's just say that Gregg and I told each other, "This is your Valentine's Day gift." These are my flowers that won't wilt in a week; these are Gregg's houseplants to love and to tend. These are going to last; Gregg is going to see to it. They bring fuschia and cobalt accents to the house, and I now have an orchid!

Thanks for the flowers, Sweetie, and thank you for not being mad that I forgot to ask an important question.

Whether you are in love, or not, here is a gift of love for you...

flowers!



















Happy Valentine's Day!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

GORGEOUS! Think of it this way, they were probably a lot less than a dozen roses that would be wilted in a week, right? Thanks for sharing...really beautiful!

(I buy my own flowers every once-in-a-while at Safeway because you are supposed to "surround yourself with things that make you happy" and, darn it, fresh flowers DO make me happy.) L in Alaska

pysanki.blogspot.com said...

Those are so beautiful and what a wonderful idea to bring them to the florist to refresh them.

Anonymous said...

Karen, your orchid plant is beautiful! What a fantastic valentine's gift... flowers that will last and last. Happy valentine's day to you and your family :)

Pam said...

So pretty! I have a brown thumb too! I redid some of our arrangements we received and did them in fake flowers. I do have to dust them, but I can still remember how they looked when I got them.

JuliaVP said...

Those flowers are beautiful, and what a sweet way to have a living remembrance of your daughter.

Dreamer girl said...

Happy Valentine's Day Karen, and I'm so glad that your husband and you are able to combine your differences in a way that works. I have a brown thumb as well, and my mom is a master gardener. Oh, brother.

Enjoy the love. I cannot believe it we have flooding, up to 13 feet in the downtown area where I teach. And it snowed again. Augh!

Busy Bee Suz said...

This is so funny. I love how you both want different things and could come to a nice compromise.
They are really very pretty. I hope you have years of enjoyment....and you will then get your moneys worth!!!
Happy Hearts day.