In The Chrysanthemums, how are Elisa and the chrysanthemums similar?

Like Elisa, the chrysanthemums are currently dormant and bare, not in bloom. They are confined to a narrow environment (the garden), with no way to escape. They are beautiful, decorative flowers, but serve no useful function beyond this ornamental one - in the same way, as a woman, Elisa is unable to do more than a limited range of tasks, and certainly none that would allow her to be independent or provide for herself.