"A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just Blooms" - Zen Shin

Peonies are almost here! The peony season being so short, I always excitedly anticipate their return. Exotic and densely packed, what a joy to watch these beauties open their lollipop buds and develop theatrically, bringing instant romance to a room and to the heart.

If anyone asked me what my favourite flower was, that would be easy; it would have to be the peony.

“Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Or so I thought. Until I went for a stroll at the weekend. I walked along the river near my flat and found myself detouring towards Chelsea. There's a street of pristine house fronts decorated by the most gorgeous trees—winding trunks of wisteria as captivating as the fronds hanging from them like lavender grapes.

Wisteria season seems as brief as the peonies'; there's a short window to enjoy the fullness of the bloom until the bark becomes bare again. I'm glad I remembered to stop by.

Wistfully watching wisteria, I wondered if this might, in fact, be my favourite blooming moment of the year. Yes, maybe.

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope” - Lady Bird Johnson

Until that is, I happened upon a windowsill with the most arresting tulips. Tulips are as abundant in gardens as they are in supermarkets, but their vibrant generosity blows me away. They cause disproportionate cheerfulness with their easy accessibility and intense pops of colour—from T-shirt white to gothic black and every imaginable hue in between.

These variegated ones by the window were rippled with streaks of burning red. They literally stopped me in my tracks as I walked home. I almost applauded them as I stood there admiring. Bravo.

“Flowers make me irrationally happy” - Alexa Von Tobel

As I made my way home, between impossibly perfect wisteria and flashy tulips, I was also treated to pale primroses, clusters of tall irises, lawns daisies and delicate wallflowers sprouting skyward from brick and concrete.

While waiting for the peonies to arrive (still super excited for them), I realised on a simple walk that I'd been surrounded by a living spring bouquet of sheer delight.

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" - Lao Tzu

April is ending soon, and while this month is best known for rain showers, I'd like to remember and thank it for its steady parade of stunning blooms. As the season moves on, clouds of pale blossom disappear as quickly as they arrived, while bluebells start to carpet the woods like a fairytale.

How wonderfully nature feeds the soul and nurtures our hearts.

I hope you, too, are finding unhurried moments to enjoy the abundance, colour and fragrance of the natural world wherever you are.

Let's practise.