Our Need for Beauty

It’s surprising to me how many people will tell me that they think flowers are a waste. They say flowers aren’t functional, utilitarian, or “they’re just gonna die anyways.”

These people tend to think flowers are frivolous or superficial. And I can see where they are coming from. Flowers can’t fix drywall or be made into a meal or be used to clean your kitchen. Flowers just aren’t “useful” in their eyes. So why would anyone spend any time or resources on flowers?

But the function of flowers, their “utilitarian” value, isn’t if they can be used as a tool or as food. Their function and value is that we need them because they are not a tool. 

Humans need beauty. We have always created beauty, fostered it, sought it out. We need more than our physical needs met. We need comfort, warmth, caring hands, a place to put our worries, and a place to be filled with awe.

And so humans have painted, sculpted, written poetry and song, and bred flowers since we first had the knowledge to do so.

We are more than the food we eat, the tools we use, or our utilitarian value. We are beauty and art and song. To limit ourselves or our surroundings to only function will only deny ourselves our full human experience.

And it’s true, flowers are “just gonna die anyways.” But so am I. So I might as well live a fully human life and enjoy their beauty while I can.

Your Flower Farmer,

Heather Griffiths