Tag Archives: Flowers

Mature Imagination and Youth

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Wisteria floribunda gently stirs…youthful fragrance…mature strength.

Imagine

late April

Northern hemisphere

Spring moisture

17 degrees centigrade

cloudless sky

mid morning

faint breeze…

…just enough to stir these sweet fragrances

and you will have no doubt…

as you gently and deeply inhale…

A mature spring is about.

About dandelions

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***Warning Hate Inside***

When I was a kid, my dad used to send me out in the front yard lawn, early spring, saying, “Get rid of the dandelions—and get out all the roots, too.”

Never, I never won that battle. Always more dandelions and always more vociferous exhortations from my dad.

Dandelion hate. Part of my childhood.

Well, I’ve grown up and now live in a new neighborhood.

And by golly did I have fun yesterday glorifying in the 500 meters above sea level central Switzerland landscape—dancing with the dandelions.

A sea, waves of dandelions in all their floriferous glory. Dancing away my hate.

Dandelions…no matter how seen,

Glowing with energy,

The light of the field.

I’m sure they have forgiven me.

 

The dandelion landscape…er…seascape.

 

Dancing dandelions

 

Dandelion bounce–it’s fun

 

Dandelion threesome

 

Dandelion dominatrix

 

Spring Snow Showers

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Northern range of the Swiss Alps.

Last third of April–lots of spring flowers–violets going by–winter clothes put away–boom–spring snow showers.

 

Violas, violet, over oak.

 

Snow showers–normal April the locals say.

 

Snow flakes–dancing and jolly as if they are enjoying the joke.

 

Broderies

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The spring wild flowers in homeowners’ lawns speak Easter to my memories.

Between the mountain air and those flowering plants is an aura that feeds and frees my creative synapses. Absolutely amazing.

Some people might call it a ‘natural high’ but no. Whatever it is, it inspires, it energizes and encourages the freedom that is the base of creative thoughts, words and deeds.

The airs are important. On the highest and northernmost massif of the Swiss Alps, the airs flow down, mingled with the airs of the plants and earth, otherwise undisturbed, from 4,000 meters (above sea level) over the surfaces of broad lakes into and among the gardens of the villages at 600 meters.

Springtime rains mix air and earth…life begins to stir.

This diverse mix of wild flowers bloom in that narrow window, just after the grasses green with life but before the grasses spurt with growth.

Veritable glens, even forests of delicate spring flowers invite walks of discovery.

And on the edge of civilisation where village garden meets mountain landscape…

Flowers, forest, animals, children, parents, play, nurture, gardens, landscape…

How can the beauty of spring become black and white and retain its ethereality?

The same but different. We have just to live it.

Pasture Waves

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From a distance, it’s hard to see, but the waves carry it in the air…from that huge bowl of a valley…the pastures.

Closer, pastures rolling up and rolling across the slopes, the fields. My eyes and nose battle to receive their outpouring.

Invisible micro-whisps rising, swirling…they enter my nose, uninvited, confusing my sense of beauty with olfactory complexities; but then my receptors are overtaxed and I can receive no more—so I look and my eyes gradually suffer the same fate.

Why are these pleasures time-stamped? Am I being protected from following some forbidden sensual path into the home of these glorious plants?

Just a question. Because I will visit these pastures again tomorrow and for a brief moment share their waves of ecstasies.

Food Gardens

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The history of the Interlaken landscape before river channel control was one of a swamp as the Lutschine and Lombach emptied huge Alpine catchments into this flat land adjacent to the Aare River.

Up the valleys Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Saxeten and Lombach where swampiness was not a problem, people have for centuries managed arable land to support their families. Particularly in the Grindelwald area, there are seven centuries of written records documenting how they managed the landscape.

So this region has a tradition of agriculture, crop and animal management in family scale over the lands from Alpine heights to valley floors. The following series of images show how the Interlaken neighborhoods now follow that same tradition of small land management and family food gardens today.

Most families dedicate a patch for seasonal vegetables close to their house.

Veg, flowers, and a place to sit outside.

This ‘front yard’ is 80% mixed garden, with little strip of grass–maybe for a pet.

A garden filled with healthy plants speaks of health and commitment to neighbors and passersby.

When the yard is large enough, there will be found a fruit tree. If even larger, a nut tree.

Each homeowner finds unique balance with the plantings of flowers, fruits, herbs and vegetables.

Municipal water supply for allotment gardens for people who have no gardening space at home.

In the allotments, beauty comes from sweat equity. Healthy allotment gardens are the best of public realm commitments–people and plants in harmony–heart warming it is.

Past the edge of town is a rural landscape with small scale patches of crops.

Small scale farming climbs up the slopes becoming pastures which are grazed and/or cut for animals.

Villages are densely built in the foreground. Pastures in the middle ground with barns for storing hay.

I just can’t stop including more images of healthy veg gardens next to homes–such a fulfilling feeling.

In this image is a public path on the right–and one heck of a healthy veg garden to the left. Tell me that is not a beautiful and inspiring landscape?!

Pasture in the foreground, veg in middle ground, flowers and home in the background. Nuf said.

Fruit trees and crops right up to the edge of town, then each home with its own veg and flower garden. It is not ideology, not theory. It is fact. It is the result of people understanding plants, gardens and landscapes through their own hard work and intelligence.

Petal Mirror

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Petal Mirror–is the universe in that petal mirror? Are those stars?
And if those are stars…what is the reverse mirror?

Mirrors, look into yourself? Or, mirrors, look into the clear night sky?

I was looking into this African violet petal mirror and saw everything about the night sky that I could not understand…and…everything about myself I could not understand.

Before I collapsed from dizziness, I asked how can a plant do this?

…and today, I’m happy just to enjoy this flower’s beauty. Really, I’m just fine. 🙂