Flower Power

Swedes take their gardening very seriously. And the main attraction in any garden could only be - the flowers of course. Now that winter is behind us, there are bright and colorful flowers everywhere. Nature has been incredibly generous and everything has been in full bloom for a few weeks. Which means that no self-respecting swede wants to be left behind when it comes to their pride and joy, oh no. The sun, the Spring and the (mild) heat are like blessings that need to be treasured and preserved, since we all know they're not going to last very long. It is like a very fleeting, passing moment and before we know it, it's gone as fast as it appeared.

I should tell you I don't know much about flowers, neither their names nor their specific properties, but I do know that I love to smell them and above everything else, how they look. Their aesthetic brings me so much joy, I could just stare at them for hours at a time. So when my boyfriend's dad invited me to join him and his mother (my boyfriend's grandma) on a journey to a flower market I didn't hesitate to say yes. I had never been to one before today, but for the life of me I cannot understand why. I loved being there, surrounded by beautiful, colorful, vibrant flowers everywhere I looked. The experience in itself was lovely, but it was especially hilarious to see my boyfriend's grandma show a new side of herself in what can only be described as her element (someone who is usually very calm, kind and collected, bear in mind). She loves flowers, they're one of her greatest passions in life. She (actually) knows their names and what each one in particular needs to thrive better. She plants them every year (in her garden and ours), she protects them, nourishes them and watches them grow. Which in the market translated as her being kind of...ruthless in a way, very frantic, excited, slightly aggressive and quick like a feral cat. As my boyfriend's dad described: like a kid in a candy store. She wanted all of them at the same time and it was beyond amusing to watch her try and make up her mind about it. In the end, we managed to narrow it down enough that they could all actually fit in the trunk of the car. 

I feel as if I was welcomed into an unspoken Swedish tradition, the yearly ritual of carefully selecting and buying the most stunning and diverse flowers a person could dream of in the hopes of creating a magnificent garden (one that will secretly trump all the other gardens) and it feels great. I'm very excited to plant these and see how they all look together outside our house. So here are a few pictures to show you the beginning of my radiant Sunday morning. I hope you'll be dazzled by their beauty, just as I was in awe when I walked in and was faced with a sea of infinite different colors. My absolute favorites are the white daisies right here! Enjoy!