Letter: Gratitude for floral grace

I admit it. When you live in a place such as Aspen surrounded by beauty, it’s hard to appreciate every little thing that adds to the visual lushness that you experience daily. But I want to acknowledge the floral geniuses of the city of Aspen “flowers on the mall” department who have lavished us all summer with original, wonderful floral beds that match the Tuileries Gardens in Paris or the Keukenhof Gardens of Amsterdam.

These wonderful creations could easily put us in an Impressionist painting. But here they are, in our own genteel little brick-lined Aspen mall. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been dining outdoors and friends from New York or Los Angeles have asked, “Who designed these flowers? Who does that? Amazing!” I always made a mental note to find out and to thank them for adding such aesthetic grace to our lives (still haven’t).

They’re a gift. You can’t quantify a gift like that — it’s like having the Aspen symphony wash over you while you picnic outside the music tent — it is truly priceless. But while I can’t quantify it, I can be grateful. So, flora gurus, thank you for the grace and beauty your creative floral extravagances add to our already rich lives. (And those flowers down by Clark’s Market? Don’t get me started!)

Kevin P Ward

Old Snowmass