Flowers in the Time of Quarantine

     Dear Reader, I hope that you and yours are safe and sound during this unprecedented time. TD and I have been staying in place at home since March the 12th, going on ten weeks now. New York City has suffered tremendous loss. Thankfully TD and I are fine. The streets have been spookily quiet and empty. Things seem to be easing up a little now but still of course no one wants to run into this virus so being outside in public and in stores is anxiety-ridden.
     One thing that has helped is having flowers in the house. They offer some beauty for the eye and a small opportunity to be creative in arranging them. In the beginning, flowers were only available at the corner delis. Some delis were closed and some ran out of flowers but we found a couple that still provided. Now the farmer's market at Union Square is getting into swing and flowers are available there, though we have to wait in line to enter the market and then wait in lines at each stand to be served. 
Sign at the farmer's market --

The cheerful, fresh-looking white daisies at the top of the post were from a deli.
Tulips are entertaining because after they are placed in a vase, they continue to grow and get taller --

I loved these big, fat, pink roses. You can't feel bad when you're looking at big, fat, pink roses. They are in a radicchio vase from Tiffany's that TD and I received as a gift from our friends Margaret and Dick Holman at our commitment ceremony in 2000.  I love this vase and unfortunately Tiffany's doesn't make it any more --

A single rose went on the table next to the chair where I read at night --

A bright yellow daffodil for the bathroom --

These tulips from Durr Flowers at the farmer's market grew and arced dramatically --

In the pots on the front stoop I planted a mix of colorful pansies and impatiens. The ivy from last summer survived the winter. In the other pot on the stoop I planted basil but it died when we had a surprisingly cold night --

A pale peony bloomed in the front hall --

Another peony went into a hanging glass wall vase --

I am really missing nature and the country right now so it's nice to have flowers at home. Flowers delight the eye and offer a soothing comfort. I hope that you are finding solace too.