On a blustery December day, Amy and Nathan entered Green’s Florist to order their wedding bouquet. A door harp chimed announcing them. The aroma of blooming plants filled the store, which was awash in greenery. The lady at the desk smiled a gentle welcome. She listened to their story of love and youthful hope.

“Your options for a February wedding are not as large as for the spring or summer,” she warned them. “Of course, we can get roses at any time of year, but they are the most expensive flowers. What is your budget?”

Amy looked at Nathan and Nathan looked at Amy. He spoke first. “Well, we are only doing this once in our lives, so the flowers should be special. But we are on a student budget.”

Amy had always imagined carrying roses. Now that felt impossible. With an anxious voice she asked, “What else do you have in white in February?”

“Do you like lilies? Or how about tulips? They are in your price range.”

“Lilies are for funerals. Tulips are too casual,” sighed Amy. “I was hoping for something magical.”

Together they slowly scanned the florist’s catalog, page after page. Suddenly they spied gardenias. “Delicate white blooms, perfectly simple and pure,” Amy read aloud. “That sounds like a wedding. Can we afford these?”

The shopkeeper fingered her calculator and made a few entries. “Yes, I can make you a bouquet using gardenias as the center flowers. What if I surround them with white hyacinth blooms and ivy tendrils? That might fit both your fancy and your budget.”

“Do you have any gardenias here now?” asked Nathan.

“Yes two, I think,” said the shopkeeper. She turned and rearranged the pots in the side atrium until she found what she was looking for. “Here you go. Take a whiff,” she urged.

Amy and Nathan leaned their noses down close to the smooth white blooms. “Whew! That’s heady stuff!” said Nathan.

“Now we’ll have gardenia dreams,” said Amy and they both laughed.