The Wildflowers Around Us
I love to camp, and I got to go camping last weekend! The last time I went camping was long before I started working at Fantasy Floral. As I crawled out of the tent Sunday morning, the first thing I saw was a wall of yellow on the other side of the meadow. Clusters of golden ragwort lined that side of the meadow. I grabbed my phone to take a photo of the cheerful yellow flowers. As I walked, I saw all sorts of wildflowers. I don’t remember being so keenly aware of them when I used to camp. Working at the flower shop has caused me to be more observant of the wildflowers around us.
I had so much fun wandering the meadow and the tree line and taking pictures of the flowers I found. When I returned to the campsite, my fiancé, PT, asked me where I had gone. I showed him the photos I had taken. “Where did you find all those flowers?” I laughed! Like I was before working at the flower shop, PT was unaware of the wildflowers surrounding him at that very moment. Once I started pointing them out to him, of course they were obvious.
If you follow this blog, you know I’ve made it a priority to fill our yard with pollinator friendly flowers. I’ve also tried to focus on perennials so our flower beds grow fuller each year. As I’ve been buying pollinator friendly perennials, I discovered most of the plants I’m buying are yellow or purple. Initially I put it down to my love of the color purple. Once you start to notice the wildflowers around us, you might also start to notice that most of them are in shades of yellow and purple. Coincidence?
It turns out it’s not a coincidence! Bees can’t see red. Red looks black to bees. They can see yellows and oranges. But according to scientists, the most likely colors to attract bees are purple, violet and blue. My photo shoot around the meadow resulted in pictures of yellow and purple flowers, and when I researched them, of course they are all favorites of pollinators.
There’s something really peaceful about taking photos of wildflowers. First, you have to slow down enough to notice the wildflowers around us. Then you have to break away from what you’re doing to get close and focus on the unique beauty of each blossom. I have seen details of flowers through the lens of my camera that I’ve never noticed before.
As we head into Memorial Day weekend, maybe you’ll take a hike through the woods. Maybe you’ll notice the wildflowers around you. Maybe you’ll even stop and take some photos. I hope so! It’s guaranteed to feed your soul and bring a smile to your face!