Floral

White and Gold Foxgloves

Posted January 8, 2022 by Ellie

White and Gold Foxgloves

By contrast to our little wild poppy of yesterday, today’s display is a cultivated and gorgeous white and gold spray of foxgloves, grown by my green-fingered friend, Jane. This girl grows the most beautiful flowers in every corner of her garden and tends them as if they were her children. As a result they flourish as if they were ‘weeds’. I have an open invitation to photograph them, which is kind of her, and she loves to photograph them herself. These particular blooms have such lovely gold dots on them that I almost didn’t recognise them as the foxgloves I am used to seeing and wrote to ask her to be sure. I didn’t actually realise that they are dangerous to touch as they can transfer toxins to the eyes or mouth. In this case a photograph is a safe way to admire them. Enjoy your day, my friends, whatever you are doing. Flower a Day #483 View all posts on the Home page.  

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Crumpled Poppy

Posted January 7, 2022 by Ellie

Crumpled Poppy

  This beautiful little wild poppy was in one of my less successful wilded flower gardens this past summer. There was something about it that really appealed to me, as it looked as if it had slept in its fragile red silk dress, crumpling it beyond any smoothing. Poppies often look unpressed when they first emerge, but it seems that the deceptive force of their growth makes the petals strong and smooth very quickly. This one somehow just didn’t manage the strength to do that, or perhaps it’s a crumpled variety, meant to remain forever wrinkled. Even so, the centre glows with life and light. Whether you feel wrinkled and fragile or strong and smooth today, enjoy the day as much as you can. I send a warm hug to you all, crumpled or strong. Flower a Day #482 View all posts on the Home page.  

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Zinnia and Friends

Posted January 6, 2022 by Ellie

Zinnia and Friends

I’m staying in those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, when zinnias were two a penny and they each had as many visitors as they wanted. I know that frustrations in our lives can seem overwhelming, but when I look at the simple beauty in this flower which is at its best for only a few days at most, as well as its busy, short-lived insect life, somehow all of those stresses and worries seem to melt away. I am reminded that each day comes only once and if we fail to make what we can of it, tomorrow will crowd today out and today will be yesterday. So let us make sure that looking back at today we have a smile, remembering something good that happened, even if it’s only a flower with a couple of bugs wandering over it. Flower a Day #481 View all posts on the Home page.

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Sunny

Posted January 5, 2022 by Ellie

Sunny

I really needed a memory of summer that was iconic, where I could feel the heat, see the sun and appreciate all the activities that we can do when the weather is milder. Here was one photograph that summed that up for me. It was a bunch of these lovely sunflowers (= sun), in a jar on a farm stand step (= activities) in the shade so they didn’t wilt (= heat). Despite that, we can see that the sun has crept around to start shining on these, so one side is lit nicely. As I was putting on my heavy coat, boots and scarf to go for a short walk up the road, I remembered days like those, when you walk straight out of the cool house into the heat of the day, wearing light shoes and a tee-shirt. Those days when it’s too hot to wear a watch! These will return, so all I have to do is remember to appreciate the freshness of the winter, and days when the temperature is so low that the moisture in the air is like tiny diamonds, sparkling everywhere. With that strict reminder to myself to think positively of the beauty of this day, I take another little glance at this reminder of that lovely summer day. And know that the summer will return. I hope you all enjoy both thoughts today, friends. Flower a Day #480 View all posts on the Home page.

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