A Smile with Petals

Why do flowers make us happy? Unless you're allergic, you probably enjoy this time of year for all the beautiful blossoms and their fragrances adorning yards, gardens, and the woods and fields around us.
I shopped for flowers yesterday to plant in the yard, and just looking at all the colorful varieties made me amazed at nature's bounty of beauty. I don't have a green thumb, and I tried to choose the kinds I've managed to keep alive in the past: pansies, petunias, marigolds, geraniums, and salvia, to name a few. I also bought a pot of gazania because they look like small sunflowers.
I inherited several varieties of perennials when we bought the house in Elk Mound, and 13 years later they are still blooming in spite of my ignorance. I've never planted perennials and would have to do some research before trying it. I can handle annuals because they're supposed to die after a year--it can't be blamed on my poor care!
Sunflowers are my favorite flower, and I've never successfully grown any. I tried a few times, but after sprouting up 2 or 3 inches, they always died. I think it was too shady for them in our yard in Elk Mound. My friend Lauri gave me two packages of sunflower seeds after we moved to Rhinelander, and I hope to have success with them here in our big sunny yard.
While raising flowers is one pleasure, receiving them from someone is another. A call from the florist about an impending delivery or a knock at the door from someone bearing a vase or bouquet can turn an ordinary day into a memorable one. I've always told Fred not to spend money on flowers for me because they don't last very long--but he has still surprised me a few times over the years. The one I remember the most is the arrangement he got me when I became a published greeting card writer. Christmas poinsettias, birthday bouquets from friends, wildflowers in a glass from the girls...and one of the most memorable: a Christmas arrangement sent by one of "my soldiers" who was in Iraq at the time.
I usually take pictures of these floral gifts since they'll be wilted and losing petals in a week or two. Even though their beauty won't last, the picture--and the feeling the flowers gave me because someone thought I was special--will be with me always.
I'm off to plant!