bye bye tulips, and other changes

It's all over for tulips here for another year. One of the best things about being a florist is that early morning rush we get when setting the display with a new seasonal favorite like tulips or peonies or seasonal sunflowers, something we know people will be super excited to see...finally! It's like Christmas, sometimes literally, complete with paperwhites and amaryllis. We are sneaking presents out for our customers. It's the gift we get to offer. And we see on the faces of people passing by a wash of emotion. It's this response that gives all our hard work extra value. There is a realization when spotting the fresh dahlias in a pail, bundled and waiting. They herald a change in weather, in energy. The tulips are a big one. They mean darkness is over, spring is here! Cue the bird music. It's movement and familiarity and cycles and relief, and thank goodness for that. And as quick as they come they are gone. Already we have to say sorry, we aren't buying tulips anymore, it's just too warm, they blow open so fast...etc... But the disappointment is hard to dwell on in the face of all those peonies, they just don't get your tulip devotion. They are like hey, what's the big deal, have you seen us? We're pretty gorgeous.... And so, just in time for all those fluffy garden weddings we have what we need, again, always as florists, truly living in and with the now.