Photo by Ian Gleadle
Paula Rogers’ “Starfighter” lilies radiate bold and brassy crimson-red blooms with white margins. “This is my absolute favorite lily,” said Paula.

I wonder what the world would be like if we didn’t have flowers? Would we celebrate special occasions with bouquets of fruits and vegetables instead?

Would a nationwide produce business advertise the slogan “Say it with artichokes”?

Would poet Robert Burns have written “My love is like a red, red hot chili pepper”? Would brides toss cantaloupes backward over their heads?

I can just imagine the mad scramble of bridesmaids rushing to catch the bridal melon.

I know my husband would be perfectly happy to live in a world without flower bouquets. If he had to receive a bouquet at all, I’m sure he’d prefer one made of car parts. Maybe a spark plug bouquet with a few dip stick sprigs? Don’t get me wrong, Jerry is a giving and thoughtful person, but he doesn’t believe in spending money on cut flowers.

“Why pay money for flowers that you’ll throw out in a week?” he asked with a wild-eyed expression. He said he’d rather buy a potted flower, one that has roots attached and could be planted and enjoyed for years — not one week.

I tried reasoning with him and said that cut flowers may lose their beauty after a week, but just think: They bring joy for a “whole entire” week. He shook his head in dismay and said, “If they make you happy.”

Yes they do. I buy cut flowers often and especially during the bleak winter months. I place the flowers inside a crystal vase and set them on the dining room table. On sunny days, sunlight spills through the window and casts a rainbow glow over the flowers.

The light captures delicate, intricate petals in a variety of hues ranging from scarlet orange to crimson and deep purple. The striking sight reminds me that miracles exist in our world and it offers a hint at what heaven must be like.

Research has documented that the mere presence of flowers enhances happiness, self-esteem and a sense of well-being.

Also, a flower’s affect can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and decrease pulse rates. In my mind, a week’s worth of these benefits more than compensates for the cost.

Last week, I visited Paula Rogers in Duvall. She not only shares my love of cut flowers, she actually shares her cut flowers, mostly with strangers.

Paula grows gorgeous lilies with huge, elegant blossoms. Each lily bloom, whether dark and light pink or pristine white with yellow, looks like an exquisite work of art.

When her lilies bloomed this summer, Paula cut some of the flowers and took them to a local sandwich shop in Duvall. She took the three young girls she takes care of along with her.

After they arrived, Paula and the girls spotted a woman sitting in her car alone. One of the girls walked up to the woman and asked if she’d like to have one of their beautiful lilies. The woman began rolling her car window up, stating flatly, “No, I don’t have any money.” The girl said, “We don’t want money. We want you to have the flower and have a nice day.”

Paula recalled the moment, explaining, “The expression on the woman’s face totally changed. People can’t believe we’re giving the flowers to them. They’ll say, ‘why are you giving me this?’ Some of the people are reserved at first, but they become more receptive when they realize we don’t want anything in return.

”No one’s turned a flower down yet. One man said, ‘I’m going to enjoy this the whole day.’The smell of flowers makes me feel better and this is my way of putting out that kind of positive energy to others.”

Paula explained that her mom’s lengthy stay at Evergreen Hospital in 2000 prompted the beginning of the flower give-aways. “Mom and I decided to plant some lily bulbs to grow and cut for the ‘angels’ - the nurses and staff who took such good care of her. We planted 200 Paula de Costa bulbs on a beautiful April day.

Unfortunately, mom passed away in July before our lilies opened. In August my husband, Brian, helped me deliver lilies to Evergreen Hospital and to the others who showed kindness to my mom, Cuba Lee. We had 150 flowers in the car and it was too depressing for me to go inside. So, we started handing the flowers to people going in and out of the hospital.”

In 2001, Paula and Brian continued their random acts of kindness, which Paula refers to as “Flower drive-bys and random flowerings.”

“I know if someone had stopped me and given me a flower when I was visiting my mom in the hospital, it would have been a breath of fresh air,” she said.

As Paula talks of her desire to brighten the lives of others, you’d never know that she lives each day with multiple sclerosis.

“I think having a garden has given me a better quality of life as I live with this disease,” she said. “It has also given me a positive outlook and an opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people.”

She continued, “If I can give someone a flower from my garden and it makes them have a little nicer day and causes them to do something nice for someone else — well, you wouldn’t believe how far a flower stem will take a person.”

To learn more about lilies or to obtain lily bulbs, contact Paula at bean.valley@verizon.net.