Being a Kentucky girl, the Spring season will always hold a special place in my heart. Spring is the time of year when the Bluegrass looks especially beautiful, with dogwood trees opening their soft white flowers, magnolias with fat pink buds and redbud trees covered in bright blooms. In South Florida, it just isn’t the same. My garden stays green all year and flowers stick around for months (which isn’t a bad thing, don’t get me wrong! I just miss the sense of new-ness the awakening of Spring brings to a cooler climate.) Down here, Spring means the imminent return of hot weather, 95% humidity and looking sadly at the boots and scarves that I barely got to wear. But this year I have paid a little more attention to subtle shifts in the seasons and I’ve noticed that a few springtime signs have popped up in my garden. For one, all of my Phalaenopsis orchids are in bloom, which is kind of a miracle when you consider the lack of attention they get sitting outside next to the air conditioner. And best of all, a big pot of dark purple begonia leaves has sprouted delicate pink flowers on long stems that bob and sway in the breeze. Since most things bloom most of the year or at least a few times during the year, I hadn’t really paid close attention to the begonia before, but those little pink blooms began to appear at the beginning of March and I suddenly realized, “Wait a second, it’s Spring!”
I’ve had my eye on the begonias for a few weeks now, waiting for just the right moment to snip them for a pretty Spring-themed bouquet and arrangment. Combined with tulips, tuberose and foxtail fern, I think they feel fresh, exuberant and a little playful, perfect for early March. Paired with crisp white linen and a palette of pinks and greens, it just sings “Spring”!
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