I feel my shoulders drop when I type that hashtag to accompany my retweet of any calm, peaceful, downright tranquil photo on Twitter, a medium known more for inducing rage than tranquility.
Puffins, sunsets, sunrises, paths through valleys, paths through hills, flat-calm ponds, deserted-beach overlooks, striking skies. You get the idea. In an undeniably crazy world, there are still oodles of ways to retrieve peace, at least at the personal level.
In that spirit, today I offer my neighbour’s coneflowers. I think that’s what they are. Hey, I didn’t plant them, I just enjoy them. And so can you.
Just. Breathe.
I have regretted that I did not stop to thank a woman I often saw tending her beautiful garden. I passed her house on a hill (with a very steep driveway) twice every time I drove to the village. Year after year, I reaped some of the benefit of her labour. When her son inherited her property, he made improvements to the house structure that seemed almost beside the point because the gardens disappeared, even the perennials, in a couple of years. Thank you for borrowing from your neighbour and for sharing in glorious detail these beauties.
Laurna – I know what you mean. Imagine a world in which we *could* share our appreciation (for gardens we pass by, for example) without having to handle any of the logistical and interpersonal challenges! As it is, we each cast our bread upon the waters . . . . That’s one of the benefits of online interactions – it reduces the cost of expressing that appreciation so creators can benefit (as I do, here). Sadly, in some venues it reduces the cost of expressing anything!
Beautiful, peaceful photos of cone flowers.
Plus, I saw those at the zoo some days ago and wondered what they were called. Thanks!
Judith – You’re welcome, although I am not an entirely reliable source on flower names.
John’s mother, if asked the name of any plant, she would always say “Stitchwort” then explained to me, “People don’t want THE answer, they want AN answer.”
Barbara – Hahaha. There’s something to that. Stitchwort it is. Forget everything said here about coneflowers.
Isabel
Those are beautiful. I didn’t know they were called coneflowers.
Tom
Tom – I think that’s their name, but wouldn’t advise anyone to put big money on it. Glad you liked them.
Hi Isabel,
Genus: Coneflowers (yup, you got it)
Botanical Name: Rudbeckia hirta (no kidding!)
Common Name: Black-eyed Susan (surely you all knew that one, or is it an Eastern Canada thing?); Yellow ox-eye daisy; English bull’s eye (must be after a night of darts at the pub).
Black-eyed Susan. The name comes from a poem by John Gay, who portrayed black-eyed Susan and Sweet William as humans to tell a love story, and the name Black-eyed Susan is still in use today.
One of the favourite wildflowers in the United States, black-eyed Susan is a symbol of encouragement and motivation; since 1918 has been the state flower of Maryland.
Symbolism: Justice (methinks the USA could use some of that), Impartiality (oh, another winner, badly needed), Strength, Encouragement (we could use some), and breaking bad habits (listen up NRA).
All information compliments of one of the few phone apps I possess: “PictureThis”. Don’t leave home without it.
Finally I’m able to make a learned contribution to your postings (at least indirectly).
Cheers from Mader’s Cove NS
Sir – Very impressive! And yes, I “know” Black-eyed Susans in theory but always forget about them in practice. Contributions always welcome, learned or otherwise.
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