The shop was closed on Monday for the Bank Holiday, & the weather so rainy that I didn’t spend much time in the garden, or walking my dog by the river, looking at all the lovely wild flowers. So I enjoyed being back at work yesterday, with a fab selection of early summer flowers – digitalis, nigella, alliums, hydrangea, lisianthus, gladioli & roses.
Our first walk in customer of the day was a lovely chap. “Could you make me a bouquet for my wife? Our cat died. I’d like those soft lilacs & mauves, with a hint of stronger colour. I’ll go off & get myself a coffee. See you in ten minutes.”
My head was filled with memories of my cat, Willow, who died at the age of 14. He was huge, furry & beautiful, with a bushy tail. Sean buried him in the garden. The following day, our spaniel Monty dug a grave in the opposite flower bed & buried one of his soft toys.
I related this story to my customer & he told me his cat story. He & his wife had an actor friend who stayed with them when he was performing in London. One night, after too many glasses of wine, the actor fell asleep in the bath. The cat scratched on the bedroom door until he woke his owner, who quickly saved the actor from a dangerous bath situation.
The act was 22 human years old when he died – a good innings, as we say. The photo is not the bouquet I made yesterday, but along the same lines.
Flowers for a cat
