We all know the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” Well, April might not have been particularly rainy, but May’s flowers have still shown up in full bloom. As I’ve walked around my Mt. Tabor neighborhood, I’ve seen flowers everywhere, and I think it’s important that you know what I think about them.
First off, a springtime classic: tulips. I have not seen any of them this month. Now, I know that I said I’ve been seeing lots of flowers, but the absence of these blooms from my neighborhood is possibly more noteworthy than their presence would have been. I’ve given a lot of thought to the situation, and I am understandably suspicious about the rise of popularity in the new Animal Crossing game, in which tulips are planted, and the utter lack of such classic flowers in my neighborhood. Now, I’m not saying that Animal Crossing stole my tulips, but I have my suspicions. Usually a favorite, I am upset and disappointed that I haven’t seen them recently, and if any tulips are seen, I would like to know if I did anything wrong.
The next springtime flower that I love is the daffodil. Sadly, it appears that this lovely yellow classic is also upset with me, as I have yet to see any of them around my neighborhood. If I had seen any recently, I would say that all daffodils are lovely, but I am particularly partial to those that boast a mixture of white and yellow colors. However, since they seem to be avoiding me, I will decline to comment.
Instead of daffodils or tulips, my neighborhood recently has been chock-full of irises of all colors. These delightful flowers have lots of variety, and each one is unique. Quincy Elliott (10) says that they all smell differently, and that “the purple ones smell like grapes.” This is high praise, and I would recommend a walk around your block to smell the irises if you’re feeling like you haven’t experienced enough grape-like scents recently.
The next flower that reminds me of springtime is the lovely California poppy. These flowers are bright and cheerful; a perfect representation of spring itself. They can be found around my neighborhood in groups of vibrant colors. Rick Hugo, resident dad in the Hugo household, says, “We love California poppies!” My sentiments could not be summed up more perfectly; we do love California poppies.
Now, the vibrant orange color of the California poppies is charming, but the original poppy does not disappoint either. The brilliant red of the bloom is striking and eye-catching, a wonderful flower to look at whilst walking. If this flower were a zodiac sign, they would be an Aries for sure. I don’t know what exactly that means, as I am no astrology expert; I just get that vibe.
Often overlooked and taken for granted, daisies are another flower that can be found in abundance, not only in my neighborhood, but probably in yours as well. While admittedly a quite simple flower that does not have that much to offer, when pressed or turned into a daisy crown, these blooms can be lovely and quaint. Making daisy chains is also a soothing and fairly mindless pastime, and it’s a good way to distract yourself, with a charming end result.
Lastly, my least favorite flower on this list is the rhododendron. Not only does it have an unnecessarily long and confusing name, the flower itself seems to have a very basic design. The way the flowers tend to grow all together makes the overall presentation of a rhododendron bush simply a wall of color. If I wanted a wall of color, I would paint one. Now, don’t get me wrong, they’re not terrible flowers, and they tend to add color to an otherwise dull walk, but they could be better, design- and name-wise. C’mon, rhododendrons. Step up your game.
Now, this is not a definitive list of all flowers that grow in the springtime. I’m no botanist, but I sure do appreciate a good flower (even if it’s a rhododendron). Going outside and taking some time to look at the flowers is a lovely way to pass the time and reset after a long day of staring at the computer, and especially now, when we’re quarantined with nothing better to do, I highly recommend stopping to smell the grape-scented irises.
