You just have to look for it. And the flower that you find attractive may not be someone else's favorite.

Hydrangeas are one of my favorites, mostly because I remember them from my granny's house, and partly because they are huge pools of lushness-- but I have a friend who just cannot abide hydrangeas in his arrangements-- he called up and let us know he did not care for them the first and only time we delivered them to his office. Whatever form you find pleasing, there's a flower for you. Whichever color you find most attractive, there's a bloom for you. You just have to keep looking, and notice what's out there. Pay attention to the colors that make you feel good. Does your heart jump a little when you look at a rose, or does that watermelon gerbera daisy just make you smile? If you look at something and think you could take it or leave it, keep looking.

The advantage of buying your flowers from the same place is that the florist can get to know your tastes over time, and help you choose flowers that evoke your personal style. Sometimes that just takes practice. Try to remember what you liked when you were in grade school. Most of the kids who come into our store know exactly what they like. One girl came in with her mother, and chose Garnet Kings, a burgundy chrysanthemum. She was deciding what to put with them, and chose a bi-colored carnation that had a yellow eye, and the same burgundy tone around the rim of the petals. Her mother didn't want her to get the carnations simply because they were carnations. We told the girl that her choice was perfect, and to keep developing her eye for color and form and in this instance to not listen to her mother.

You, too, will figure out which flowers please you. It's just a matter of practice, and this skill can be learned. This is one country in the world where the arts are taught only if you already show an aptitude for it-- people are labelled as "creative" or "not creative," and we allow that label to stick. What if only the people who showed an aptitude for numbers were taught math, or only the ones who showed an aptitude for letters were taught to read? Work on developing your eye for flowers-- when you see them in gardens, or vases in hotels, or in buckets at the florists, stop and really look at them. Notice what shapes please you, what colors make your heart sing. Do you like sweet scents, or spicy? Your life will be the richer for it.