One of the things I love about spring is the abundance of flowers for sale at affordable prices. Flowers, like coffee, are one of my small obsessions. Who can resist a bouquet of daffodils for 99 cents a bunch, or bouquet of tulips for 3 dollars a bunch? Or, if I'm feeling like there simply isn't much room in the budget for flowers, I grab the clippers and walk outside to cut some fresh rhododendron blossoms....so lovely...and free!

When it comes to flower arrangements, I prefer very simple ones....just one, or at the most, two varieties of flowers in a vase. Certain flowers say different things to me. A few months ago I read The Language of Flowers, a novel about a girl raised in the foster system who loves flowers and learns the Victorian meaning (the language) behind each one. I enjoyed reading this book, not only for the insightful look into the foster system, but also for the idea that flowers have their own language.

Who knew that a hyacinth says constancy, a honeysuckle says devotion, an aster says patience, or a daffodil says new beginnings?