Flowers? For spring?

I bought a bouquet of flowers from my grocery store over a month ago. One man makes the arrangements and minds the outdoor stall. Even on days when I don’t buy any, I like walking by and seeing the burst of colors, a small and consistent joy in a time that’s had few. This particular bouquet, heavy on eucalyptus and some little yellow buds whose name I don’t know, has dried so beautifully that it just felt worth hanging onto, so they sit on my boyfriend’s desk (neé the dining table) and are likely to remain there for a while. Eliza Brooke wrote meditatively about [the particular appeal of flowers]( in this moment, as symbols of renewal and connection and just plain beauty. Spring this year, as she notes, feels so different than the last one, which felt unrecognizable from the one before. Here’s hoping the next is even brighter. —[Alanna Okun](, deputy editor for The Goods Why you’re noticing flowers now more than ever [A magnolia tree in bloom.]( Stephan Schulz/picture alliance/Getty Images New York went into lockdown just as the city was blooming. Many of us are now familiar with the way one week smears into the next when you rarely leave your home, but I still find it alarming how muddy my memories of those early days in quarantine are. What I do remember, vividly, is taking anxious early morning walks around my neighborhood in Brooklyn and feeling utterly disoriented by the magnolia trees that had blossomed along the sidewalk. Magnolias are a parody of a flowering tree. They’re gorgeous and excessive, dripping large pink petals everywhere. They make me think of the girl who upstages everyone at a house party by bringing a homemade cake for the host even though it’s no one’s birthday. (You resent her for it, then you realize this means there’s cake.) Last spring, I was grateful for the blush-hued flowers on my block, but they seemed surreal against the backdrop of [fear and loss]( gripping the city. Spring is a feeling as much as anything, and I couldn’t find it anywhere in my body. A year later, things are different here. More and more people are getting vaccinated (though [not enough](, and [not in all parts of the world]() and socializing with friends and family is starting to be less fraught. When I came across a patch of snowdrops in Prospect Park in March — some of the first flowers of the year, fresh and green among the dead leaves and bare trees — it felt like we were moving in the same direction. [Read the full story >>]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Buy now, pay later changed retail. Health care and rent are next. Thanks to Afterpay and Klarna, it’s easier than ever to buy in installments. Now, the model is coming for necessities. [Read the full story >>]( The delay-ridden agony of shopping at West Elm We asked shoppers about pandemic furniture delays. One name kept coming up. [Read the full story >>]( More good stuff to read today - [What American kids need this summer]( - [Beers, doughnuts, and discounts: The growing list of vaccine freebies]( - [The great American chicken wing shortage is upon us]( - [Why are used cars so expensive right now?]( - [Your least favorite gross viral food videos are all connected to this guy]( - [The real story behind TikTok]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences](, or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving all emails from Vox. If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved.