Sowing the Seeds

Last week I bought myself these gorgeous tulips; inspiration courtesy of bean*mama over at flickr. I almost passed them up. I stood in the floral department having a huge internal debate. Flowers are so pretty. They make me happy. And, yet, they are fleeting. In the purely practical financial sense they are a waste of money. I don’t want to work for the rest of my life. I want to retire. I want to live on the World Ship (yeah, right - it’ll take more than flower deprivation to get me there). And, there are so many floral choices it’s overwhelming; $14.99 for a full bouquet, $9.99 for long-stemmed tulips, $1.99 for a single gerber daisy. I nearly bought a living gerber for $7.99 thinking it might last longer. But, I had tulip envy. Finally, I choose a simple bouquet of five tulips for $5.99 figuring it was worth two mochas (for those of us who love our coffee - mocha money is an appropriate financial calculation).

The tulips came home closed, buds shut tight against the world. I trimmed the stems and placed them in pitcher of water. Within hours they began to open - a birth, an out-stretching of petalled arms reaching to embrace my soul. And it worked. Those flowers made me incredibly happy. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much they lifted my spirits. Every time I walked past the table I glanced over and got a little spark, a rush of adrenaline pulsing through my chest, a burst of floral love. And the tulips are still there energizing my being. But they are fully open and on the downhill slide to the worm bin. So today I want, I need, more flowers.

But, again with the finances. Twenty dollars a month is $240.00 a year. Invested at an 8% return over 10 years it would be worth $3703.31 and in 20 years it’d be worth $11, 878.94 (this is really my father talking through me. He seems to have the ability to channel himself into my psyche at the most inopportune moments. But we can’t help our parentage so bear with me. If you so desire you can do the calculations here).

As my mocha money was spent I brewed a pot of coffee while debating the financial ramifications of botanic desire. I went to the fridge for some milk and glanced down at the fruit bin. In the bottom drawer was a forgotten bag of bulbs; flowers purchased this fall and never planted, saved for a later date. Well folks, that day is today. But these guys are not going outside. These babies have won the flower lottery and will have a sheltered existence within the confines of my home; no wind, no frost, no monstrous flower eating deer. And I already have potting soil, fertilizer, empty pots and bulbs. It didn’t cost me a cent, at least not today.

Will they bloom? I don’t know. I still have this chrysalis in my bathroom hoping for a spring awakening. I am an optimist at heart. I can’t wait to see my floral babies sprouting from the soil, reaching for the sky, growing and blooming. Until then I’ll satisfy myself with photos of flowers past.

Have a wonderful weekend!