A local flower shop
"Florals for spring, groundbreaking." A flower shop on York Street surviving the arrival of winter in the Southern hemisphere.
These are not spring flowers in my photographs, but they are just as beautiful.
Winter is coming on quickly here in the city of George, South Africa, but I cannot help thinking of all my friends in the Northern hemisphere enjoying the warmth of spring. I already miss the warmer weather as we head into the cold (and most of all I miss being in India), but I want to take this last opportunity to talk about flowers before we leave summer behind completely.
A dying way of life
You cannot program AI to cut flowers for you. Some people might be satisfied with a virtual experience of nature but I am not, I want to pick up a bouquet of flowers out of a bucket of water and worry about it dripping on my shoes. I want to carefully hold a bunch of roses to check for any left over thorns before holding it more firmly. And I am afraid the opportunity to do these things is becoming more and more scarce in our technology-driven world.
Flower arranging is so much more complicated than you might expect, and it is truly a beautiful art which I admire, I also think that in many ways it is an art in danger of dying off. The number of flower shops which I have seen close in my home town over the years is truly sad. Most people’s options have been limited to buying “grocery store flowers” rather than having the opportunity of visiting a dedicated flower arranging shop for a casual bouquet.
Places which I used to love and as a little girl I would even dream of visiting them so I could look at all the different types of flowers for which I didn’t know the names, and tools they used for cutting, trimming, and arranging beautiful bouquets.
Suraya’s Freshcut Flowers
Suraya has been selling flowers on York St. for over 30 years, and all year long you will find her sitting amongst the most wonderful bouquets waiting for those who still appreciate the art of her every day. These flowers will change from season to season, with some flowers more readily available in summer or spring. Some days the weather might prevent her from coming out to this beloved stall, a living part of the heartbeat which flows through the streets and buildings of George.
It might seem romantic, an idealized life. Spending your days among flowers, cutting, arranging, and selling bouquets to passer-bys, and that is beautifully romantic. What must not be forgotten however is the effort and dedication required to maintain such an operation for decades. No matter the weather, heat that seems unbearable, or winter cold that numbs your fingers and limbs. Regardless of your feelings or how many customers have decided to stop and take a look, you must show up and smile, and put in the work every day.
The romantic
Sadly in the midst of a struggling economy, with various aspects of failing infrastructures, there are many dying institutions, such as flower shops which used to be commonly found. A couple blocks away, also in the center of town, sits the beautiful, historic, post office building. An institution in danger of dying out completely, the nearly 80 year old building is only operational three days of the week, and badly in need of repair. (The postcards which I sent from India 2.5 months ago, are yet to arrive at any of the addresses in South Africa where I sent them to.)
The George museum, standing to the other side of the flower shop, shows the history of a thriving town grown into a city, which though still expanding struggles to hold on to the things of old.
My childhood
Only when I sat down to actually write this article did I realize the significant role which flowers have played in my childhood. I was a flower-girl at three different weddings, on two continents, I grew up living in the Garden Route of South Africa, my mother used to regularly do flower arranging, and so much more. Or maybe it is just that flowers are significant in all our lives, but most of us never really notice them, except at funerals or weddings.
Despite all of this I never thought of myself as loving flowers, that was my little sister, she embodied her love of flowers, and still does. To me flowers always wilt too soon, and keeping their water fresh simply seems like way to much effort if all they do in the end is die. But, living in a world without flowers would be far too tragic even for me, and any time I see a field of flowers, or a tree by the side of the road covered in colours, I am the first to stop and take a photo.
Flower girl
I was a flower girl twice in one year, and then two years later I was a ring bearer for a wedding in India. Because I thought it was boring to be left out of the best part (throwing flower petals as we walked down the isle), I was allowed to also carry a basket alongside of the flower-girls, collecting the rings later on. All three occasions I had to be told not to go play outside on the swings until after the ceremony, because I was a tom-boy who might ruin her dress, and would definitely mess up her hair.
To know more about the time I have spent in India as a child you can read this article right here.
My mother used to cut flowers.
The simple art of flower-cutting, it is something which I have always admired. Flowers are something I think in my life I have taken for granted. I have whatever the opposite of green thumbs are, and I rarely, if ever, would buy a bunch of flowers for myself or someone else. However, on a deeper level I truly love flowers, and I always have.
My mother was an incredible, multi-talented, woman. Among her many talents was flower arranging, and I have many memories not only of her doing this but of my helping. She was not only a creative, but also a deeply artistic woman. Much of my own artistry I owe to her.
My father would buy us flowers
I don’t remember if this was once a month, or more often. Maybe it wasn’t even timed to any kind of schedule it just happened when he felt like it, it might have been only a few times per year but it felt more significant than that. Everyone deserves their flowers once in a while.
This week we have had some very stormy weather in my home town, and along most of the coast. From non stop torrents of rain, to flooding and washing away of roads, high tides, and waves breaking over barricades covering houses in foam. We desperately needed this rain, and after severe flooding in 2021 the city has made several improvements to our drainage and other flood prevention methods. But before all of this, in April when the weather was still milder, I went and took some photos of a local flower stand, and I am so glad that I did.
I am writing this while there are thundering torrents of rain showering down outside (no actual thunder or lightening), while sitting in bed (if you saw my IG story earlier this week you know already). I write this knowing rain or shine, hot or cold, the flowers will be sold.