Yesterday, as Spencer and I walked through the Pike Place Market enjoying all the beautiful blossoms that the farmers displayed as part of the second annual Flower Festival, I couldn’t help but think how much my mother, Julia Looper Rex, would have loved seeing them.

Mom grew orchids, fruit trees, peonies, and dahlias when I was a kid and truly had a huge green thumb. People used to laugh that she was the only person who could sweet talk a magnolia tree (which she’d imported from Georgia, the state where she grew up) to survive and flourish in the harsh winters of suburban Philadelphia.

At brunch, when I saw the mothers and daughters happily chatting, eating, and enjoying a glass of wine, my heart ached knowing that today is Mother’s Day and my mother is no longer here.

So here’s a shot of my favorite flowers from yesterday, along with a huge thank you to you, dear Mom, for always being there and loving me.