The Simple Reason $5 Trader Joe’s Flowers Are Worth Buying

I have a longstanding history of having a take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward flowers. I didn’t like receiving them on dates because I knew I’d likely forget them on the dinner table. I wasn’t the biggest fan of holding them as a bridesmaid, since I was never quite sure if I was doing so at the right height. And when in came to displaying flowers in my home, well, I considered that to be a luxury of someone who didn’t make their living as a writer. 

It turns out, I was wrong. 

It’s not that I’m against flowers — who’s against flowers? They’re colorful and fragrant and fun, almost like having a loveable guest in your home for a few days, except a bouquet won’t ask to be entertained or dropped off at the airport. I enjoy flowers. And for a long time, I admired them elsewhere, beyond the flat surfaces of my home. That was until I did something outside of my routine and bought a $5 option at Trader Joe’s. 

I’ve been looking for more simplicity lately, or really, I’ve been seeking out activities that aren’t confined to a screen. For a while there, this past winter, it seemed like everything I was doing was at least in part tied to my phone. My social life, my career. My education and entertainment. I don’t think I’m alone in this, because just as it’s rare for someone to be against flowers, it’s also common to be chained to the internet. I noticed the habit of checking my phone was particularly sharp as it started to get dark at 4 p.m., and I often lost the fight of finding something better to do even as I yearned for it. So without even mulling it over, I bought a bouquet that caught my eye and spent a rare, screenless 20 minutes cutting flower stems to fit into a vase. It was quiet. It was boring. It was perfect. 

There’s a corner in my home that’s ideal for flowers, and it hasn’t been without them since the start of the year. This nook is nearly never without sunlight that streams in confidently, illuminating a verdant fiddle leaf fig and the books and magazines I should be reading more. For now, spending a few bucks on flowers is worth it. In fact, it might be the best little thing I’ve done for myself lately. 

Let me know in the comments: What are some of your favorite flowers?

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