Sunday, July 26, 2015

flowers everywhere



Imagine my delight when I came upon a farm that has a pick your own flower plot.



 They handed me scissors and I came home with a glorious bundle of
sweet peas, stocks and snapdragons.



 My painting studio is in an old textile mill, next to freight train tracks, where a train passes through daily. I've found a delightful variety of wildflowers thriving along the tracks.

I've noticed that if I pay attention, there are flowers everywhere. Popping up through a crack in the pavement, in a pot on a city windowsill, behind a gas station...


and in my garden.

 Peonies opened my eyes to how varied flower buds are. I'm trying to look, not just at the bloom, but at stem, leaves and buds. Every evening when I visit my flowers I have to remind myself to slow down, pay attention.



 The bud of the black-eyed Susan is particularly enchanting.


                                  The dog days of summer are upon us, and I hope to pay attention
                                  to where the flowers are, especially the unexpected places.








14 comments:

  1. I love your flower views, Jen ! I see that your garden is beautiful !!
    Happy Sunday !

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Jen, What a treat to be able to clip your choice of flowers. How ingenious
    Sounds like you are having a great summer full of variety and creativity
    Helenx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't is a wonderful idea? I've seen lots of pick your own berries, apples, pumpkins...but never flowers. Hope you are having a good summer, Helen.

      Delete
  3. wonderful. I love sweet peas. and snap dragons. neither sophisticated enough to make it into a Parisian flower shop, unfortunately...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can't wait to see what you find in Corsica!

      Delete
  4. What a great PYO idea ... I have never seen that here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it??? I've never seen it before either.

      Delete
  5. I remember arriving to New England in May and being enchanted by that blue daisy flower growing everywhere along the streets and highways. Alas, they don't last long in a vase!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Somebody told me it's chicory. Such a perfect blue.

      Delete
  6. That's a very good plan! Someone once told me to "live with my eyes wide open." To notice everything, to look around and really see things. That has stuck with me for 25 years. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suppose we're talking about mindfulness in a way. I tend to look at things too generally, I'd like to focus more on specifics, especially in nature. I'm going to start sketching some individual flowers, maybe that will help.

      Delete
  7. Oh I'm so envious of you carrying away armloads of sweet peas! What a wonderful idea, pick your own flowers :):):) I'm smiling from ear to ear just imagining the fun you had.I plant nasturtium seeds in little corners and edges of pots with hostas in them and then just love to watch them as they open in that delicate crepe papery way of theirs. Isn't it something the joy that such simple beauty brings, my eyes are smiling :) :) :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nasturtiums and hostas must me beautiful together. The warm oranges and those deep greens, sounds lovely. I am all over this pick your own flower idea. More people should be doing it! They charge 50 cents a stem which I think is very reasonable.

      Delete