Photography: Ashley Slater Photography

Do you ever feel small?  There’s this world out there that’s full of hunger, heartache, tragedy, anger and defeat.  And then there’s me, siting here warm in the comfort of my own home stressing about minuet details such as flowers and home decor.  Hardly a world crisis. It makes me feel little and worthless.

When I began my flower journey I struggled with the concept of fresh flowers because it isn’t something that would last.  I felt like maybe I was wasting a plant’s potential by plucking it’s blooms and placing them in a vase where they would only last a few days.  And then they would be forever forgotten.

A shift in perspective from an another designer made me realize that by picking that flower and bringing it inside, I can now enjoy it for numerous hours at a time, valuing the beauty it brings to my table for those few precious days.  If I had left it in the field, I may have seen it for a couple minutes as I drove by every now and then – but even attached to it’s roots, it will too eventually wither and fade away.  We need to appreciate beauty while it lasts.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to add a little beauty to the world around you.  I think we all need that moment of peace and refreshment.  Can you imagine what the world might be like if artists stopped creating?  What if Monet had never picked up a paintbrush because it was frivolous?   Or think of all the great architects, what if they’d never hand carved and crafted anything and all the buildings around us were just square boxes?  And what if there were no flowers?

What would it be like if we lived in a world without flowers?