Today my apartment had its first open inspection, prior to selling. I've been thinking about this course of action for so long that I'm quite reconciled to selling up and moving on, but there are some less than pleasant parts to this process - it's taken a lot of time and energy to make and keep the apartment spic and span, and I'm trying not to think about my domestic tastes and choices being so open to inspection and judgement by the general public.
Even so, there are small unexpected pleasures. Normally, I'm a bit reluctant to spend much money on cut flowers. But you all know that one of the first pieces of advice (wise or not) for people preparing their houses for sale is to display fresh flowers. While I'm cynical about lots of the selling advice I've received, I've obeyed this dictum with great pleasure.
Today I bought tulips from the Eveleigh markets:
I suspect they have horrendous airmiles or other environmentally unsustainable growing practices attached to them as tulips don't flourish in Sydney's climate, and anyway this is not the season for tulips grown anywhere in Australia. But they're seductively lovely.
And I still have some dusty pink lilies and grey-blue-green gumleaves that I bought last week.
I'm going to enjoy having an excuse for flower buying over the next few weeks and am already planning some purchases and variations on arrangements and placing. But I might try in future to buy flowers that are locally seasonal - too much guilt would undermine the pleasure.
7 comments:
I am the same - I rarely buy cut flowers because I feel a bit guilty about it - but having had a houseful of flowers for the past couple of weeks, it really is lovely. Perhaps I shall indulge in a bunch every so often...
i forget how much i love fresh flowers until i see them. i love native flowers but i do worry about them as well. im so with you on the platitude thing, but the flowers really are lovely!
I love cut flowers (though, like you, I usually can't justify buying them) and tulips are hard to resist!
Enjoy!
I love fresh flowers - they are wonderful to have around.
I grew up with a garden full of flowers from sweet-peas to roses and jasmine (my sinuses can live without the jasmine).
wow what a great idea!!! - and how cheerful - I love tulips but adore roses
i think it's a lovely indulgence and one I never do for myself - I've only had flowers here at sad times. I think I need to rewrite the meaning of bunches of flowers.
In my experience, seeing and smelling fresh flowers reaches deep into one's inner being. It's more than a rational reaction. If it were me, I would forget guilt and go exactly for the flowers that talk to you - just as the tulips and lilies did. When you are busy, potted succulents will last longer; at other times, you may want to splurge on roses. WA has dramatic native flowers. How fortunate to be so close to the Eveleigh markets.
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