Friends, flowers

We all need friends and flowers, especially in the dim dark depths of winter. In Vancouver, the gardens are still asleep except for a few snowdrops and flowering bushes, but luckily, friendships continue year-round. A couple of times recently, though, I've been able to combine both of my key elements for winter survival. First, coffee with friends, and then out on the street, displays of beautiful flowers. The flowers may be from hothouses or from far away, but they're something to remember while we wait for our local gardens to wake up. 

After coffee with my friend Linda, what could be better than spending time admiring the flowers for sale in front of this Kitsilano store?

When local flowers aren't blooming, just the sight of these is a pick-me-up.

After we'd had coffee a couple of weeks ago, my friend Georgeann posed in front of congratulatory flower bouquets for a store opening on Main Street. 

Lilies, roses, gerberas, orchids -- no expense was spared in the Main Street bouquets.

The bouquets were all on decorated stands, with congratulatory cards poking out the top.

The legs of the stands got almost as much attention as the bouquets.

Back in Kitsilano on Wednesday, there were buckets of spring flowers like daffodils and tulips.

As well as plenty of roses in bountiful mixed bouquets. The prices here seem excellent.

A cheerful bunch of orange roses would spice up any room. 

If you wanted to cheat a bit and plunk these tulips and hyacinths in your own garden (as if you'd planted them last fall), they would  bloom as soon as the temperatures heat up a bit.

Seeing me photograph Linda in front of the flowers, a man wondered if we would like to both be in the picture. A little unexpected act of  thoughtfulness that gave us both a lift. 

Earlier, in the cafe, Linda explained the technique and ingredients of the home-made goodies she had brought. I am her taste-tester; everything was delicious, as usual.

A thimble cookie and a biscotti with a sunflower-seed base. Linda is an excellent cook, even though she does not use gluten, butter, or sugar in her baking.