Spring flowers

We have been waking in the mornings to freezing fog, but for a short while each day the sun manages to break through the mist and encourage the spring flowers, in spite of the bitter cold, to push a little further out of the earth.

Yesterday we went to a friend's house for lunch. I bought some flowers from a pavement stall and spent a happy time studying the display, dithering as to which would be the nicer selection. The paper whites had a label stating, 'very fragrant' but I couldn't decide whether to put them with hyacinths, pink or blue, or various other options. In the end I chose tulips as they would give no conflicting perfume in the  company of the paper whites.

My friend moved into her new home last autumn and redecorated throughout, with a new colour chosen for the sitting room walls. When all the work had been completed I bought a white orchid to celebrate. The first flower stem is still looking good almost five months later!
Now that's what I call a really good doer!