Sunday, April 28, 2013

Let there be blooms



From this article about the history of flowers:

"Before flowering plants appeared," says Dale Russell, a paleontologist with North Carolina State University and the State Museum of Natural Sciences, "the world was like a Japanese garden: peaceful, somber, green; inhabited by fish, turtles, and dragonflies. After flowering plants, the world became like an English garden, full of bright color and variety, visited by butterflies and honeybees. Flowers of all shapes and colors bloomed among the greenery."

It took awhile of course, way back in the Cretaceous period, for flowers to arise, but they surely did. We would not be if not for them, and the world would no doubt be less colorful, though of course I have a quibble with the person who decided the earth was somber prior to flowers. How does he know?

The citizens of the District tend to always be somber, even when everything is in bloom - though - at this moment in the season, it's a pretty hard to stay somber if you're outside in the colorful riot of cheer that marks our midatlantic spring.

No one know exactly how - or why - the green world began wrapping its seeds in fruit, but it did, thank goodness! Complain as I sometimes do about being overwhelmed by all the colors and shapes, because seriously it is overwhelming, I am enchanted, drawn in, and every year freshly amazed at the beauty that pops up then spirals open here in this fertile swamp.

Bless the flowers, bless the bees, bless the trees. Cheers!




6 comments:

Christine said...

Let us bless
The imagination of the Earth,
That knew early the patience
To harness the mind of time,
Waited for the seas to warm,
Ready to welcome the emergence
Of things dreaming of voyaging
Among the stillness of land.

John O'Donohue "In Praise of the Earth"

Pretty sure its not Mark Twain anyway what do you think?

Reya Mellicker said...

Who cares who said it?

I love John O'Donohue

Anonymous said...

Flowers are always a reminder that beauty is fleeting, cyclical, yet always returns. Unless humanity totally screws things up.

It reminds me of the quote from the BIll Cunnigham documentary "He who seeks beauty shall find it." So simple, but it's one of the most moving quotes I've heard in a long time.

Steve Reed said...

Beautiful photos. And you said irises were hard to photograph! (That IS an iris at the top, right?!)

It's hard to imagine there was ever a time "pre-flowers." The world must have looked so strange. I would love to be able to zip back and take a look, as long as I could zip forward again promptly without being eaten.

Reya Mellicker said...

Until 130 million years ago, there were no flowers. Most of earth's history was flowerless. Interesting to think about.

Junk thief! YES!! Love the quote.

Linda Sue said...

flowers, so sexy! gorgeous shots, Ms. Reya!