Wildflowers and Not so Wild Flowers
The beauty of nature on my doorstep
What is anyway the difference between a wildflower and a, how should I say “normal” flower? Aren’t they all just flowers? Plants that bloom. Plants that blossom in their brightest colors and fullest strength.
It’s us humans who gave them names. Put them in categories. And placed them into boxes. Because we need to put everything into boxes. In a literal way. We need to categorize things into species. So we can understand them. And know their behavior. We think.
But for nature, they are all just flowers. Beautiful flowers that serve their part in the environment. Blossoms that attract insects. Plants that serve as food for wildlife.
This lovely golden poppy from the title image pulled my attention when starting the fire this Sunday afternoon. My landlord had cleaned up the garden these last few days and had pulled lots of weeds out of every corner.
And now this lonely flower is sticking out of the soil in one of the flower pots. A rose bush is what is actually growing in the pot but this poppy too wanted to live. And shine. Which she does in an impressive way.
Only after taking the shot and when editing my photographs I saw the walnut. Sticking out of the soil right next to the flower. What an amazing shot. I’m glad I got the walnut in. Now, afterward.
I wonder if this is a treasure of one of the many squirrels living in the forest.
These pictures are in no particular order. As I said. I don’t categorize them into flowers and wildflowers. They are just flowers for me. Wild in their beauty.
These are two different versions of the viola tricolor. I’ve seen them this year for the first time consciously. Isn’t it amazing how different they look? The one with a tiny patch of yellow in the middle and the other one shining in gold.
Tulips. They remind me of those massive tulip fields in the Netherlands which are now all being unvisited due to the travel restrictions. I should go explore the countryside one day in spring. It must be amazing with all those tulips.
The meadows are shining in the brightest green. Lush green grass is covering the fields. And in between, I found these yellow blossoms.
More tiny flowers are to be seen on the forest floor. Growing in between rocks, branches, and leaves from last fall.
These white flowers remind me of a German children’s book where they were referred to as “Schnee am Stengel”. Which means translated “snow on the stem”. I just love this description.
When the forest floor is full of these flowers it does look like it’s snow. On a stem.
These beauties I found in a flower pot in someone’s garden. They were lit up in the last rays of sunshine during sunset.
And then I stumbled onto this bush of flowers growing on a parking lot in the next street. There were a few of these batches all across the empty space. I’m happy to see the owner didn’t decide to pull them out since they are “weeds”.
At the very end, I saw these stunning beauties. I immediately thought about my grandpa. They were his favorite flowers. He asked me to bring him some just before he died.
I could only deliver them to the grave.
I was 16 back then and it was my first time really getting in contact with death. I held this against me for quite a while. For not having brought him these flowers when he asked me to.
They were the first flowers I planted in my dad’s garden when I set up a rock garden.
And still today I always have to think of my grandpa when seeing a Gentian.
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Anne Bonfert is a traveler. Photographer. Writer. Teacher. Skydiving instructor. Adventure enthusiast. Nature lover. And fell in love with the African continent.
