Why It Was so Exciting to See Parks and Rec’s Wildflower Mural in Amy Poehler’s House

I love Amy Poehler a lot. I’m a short girl with a potty mouth who did improv comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade, so … she’s my hero. But, more importantly, I love Leslie Knope and proudly call myself a Leslie. While watching Parks and Recreation, I was in love with Ben Wyatt (played by Adam Scott), and much like Leslie Knope, I cared most about my friends, my work, and waffles—in no particular order, but work was definitely last.

So when Amy Poehler talked about her new show, Three Busy Debras, she filmed herself in her home in the midst of quarantine. That’s exciting on its own, but something else in the background of her home really jumped out at viewers: the iconic wildflower mural from Parks and Recreation.

For fans of the show (and particularly Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope), the wildflower mural is important. First, it’s Leslie Knope’s favorite place in Pawnee City Hall. Second, it became her place where she could go sit with Ben Wyatt. It started simple enough: Ben mentioned it to her.

(NBC)

And, because it was Leslie’s favorite and Ben had no idea beforehand, she looked at him like this.

(NBC)

I want nothing more than to find the love that Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope had. After he asked her to join him at the mural, when they couldn’t even date because he was technically her boss, Leslie and Ben shared burgers up there together, and thus, our love for them blossomed as did their feelings for each other.

(NBC)

It became a source of their big announcements. When Ben and Leslie got engaged, the first place they went together was the mural, to talk to the camera about it.

(NBC)

They would go and share romantic moments there even when nothing big was happening, just to be together and talk and kiss one another, because it was their place. In all of city hall, it was their place and no one else’s, and with the rest of the murals (many of them offensive) that seemed to litter the halls of Pawnee’s City Hall, they easily found the best and most perfect one of all to share together.

(NBC)

But while they shared many a moment before it, there was one that stuck out to fans: the most iconic moment of all, from the night of their wedding.

(NBC)

Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt were the type of people to plan everything out before doing anything, so when they suddenly wanted to get married because it just felt right, they did their best to make the wedding of Leslie’s dreams. Obviously, Jeremy Jamm ruined their first take, but then, in “Leslie and Ben,” Leslie is surprised by her coworkers as they pull together a wedding for her in the Parks department, with Ron Swanson walking her down the aisle.

“I love you and I like you” rang out, the Parks department sang “5,000 Candles in the Wind,” and everyone got drunk except for Ben and Leslie. And as they were leaving, ready to go home, they made one final stop at the wildflower mural that had become their constant throughout their relationship.

So, to see Amy Poehler with it hit us all right in the feels.

(NBC)

I don’t know, maybe I’m the type of person who will have a wildflower mural at my wedding so whoever I marry can be my Ben Wyatt, but right now, seeing that mural in Amy Poehler’s home made me cry for much too long a time. No … really, I cried for like an hour over this. Look, we’re all getting through this our own way, okay?

(image: NBC)

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Rachel Leishman

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.

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