My Love For Flowers

Flowers unify us all over the world. The message from a rose is readable beyond language and borders. A flower gets to blossoms when the soil is rich and the sun shines on her. In between heaven and earth, she is being beauty.

Since I was a kid I have been picking wildflowers, slowly wandering around, looking at what is growing at the moment. As born in Sweden I am brought up with flower fields filled with sheer summer flowers. My bouquets included everything from grass to as many different kinds of flowers as I could find.

Now I have sailed to New Zealand where it is a subtropical climate with flowers all the year around. I have plenty of time to wander around and immerse myself in the world of flowers. Welcome to joining me!

Unique Expressions

Flowers have their own unique expression. Like animals, birds and humans. David Attenborough and many others are doing fantastic work by sharing the strength and usefulness of all the differences, even when they seem weird. I like to think about that when I approach a flower. What is her unique expression?

For example, the Christmas rose below. The flower bells are turned downwards, as they are shy of showing themselves. I have to kneel and come close to see her inner beauty. Very subtle. A Sunflower is the other way around, rising high to the sky and really turning herself towards the sun.

But look at this one I found the other day. What a special flower! A Gievillia, I have learned. I wonder what she attracts with that plume of stamens? Maybe butterflies or bees?

The queen of expressions is Bird of Paradise, the Strelitzia. Here in New Zealand, they flower all year round. It is said they are a sign of joy.
They are really raising their head and nose high. Look at me!

Flowers That Do Not Allow Being Picked

Some flowers wilt immediately when you take them in. Just to accept. This one, Abutilon, was my absolute favorite in Sweden, there in pots. I had her in many colors — white, yellow, orange, rose, red, and dark red.

Same thing with the Poinsettia. Indoors, they require a pot of soil to survive.
As if they guard their freedom and show how much bigger they can grow outdoors.

Others are much tougher, like Bromeliads. They protect themselves from being picked with other tricks.

Flowers with Fragrance

Who hasn’t stuck her nose down to smell a rose? It must be the most lovable fragrance in the world. Oddly enough, there are fragrance-free roses. I am seeing Sweet violets now and then, I sense their fragrance just by passing by. It is a small flower with a big scent.

With springtime comes Fresia, growing wild, a bit smaller than the ones one can see in flower shops. A lovely fragrance as well. At the same time flowers Jasmin. I use to combine them. The pink buds get small white flowers when they break out.

Another fantastic fragrance, like honey, is coming from the wild ginger. One flower is enough to fill the saloon with a lovely scent.

Flowers That Is Weed

I had never heard the word weed before I came here. Weed is a big thing in New Zealand. Weed means a garden plant that is now growing wild in an unwanted place. The government is required to combat them. The wild ginger above is just one example. People know what weed is and not. And when they talk about weed it is obvious is not a good thing.
We don’t have that distinction in Sweden. We have wildflowers and garden flowers. For me, it is like coming to heaven and finding out that for example, Agapanthus (Africa’s blue Lilly) is a weed, growing wild, free to pick. In Sweden, they are sold piecemeal in the flower shops at an expensive price.

The Perfect Ones

There are a lot of Camelias growing here on big bushes or small trees. Like the Orchids, that also grow outside here, they are so perfect and very still in their essence.

Flowers to Study

Some flowers age very interestingly. Protea is such an example. She is South Africa’s national flower. Here they sometimes have them at the local Farmer’s market. I mostly keep them for very long.

The Colors of The Flowers

And all the colors! The full spectrum of all nuances possible.

Flowers Galore

For me, this is a world of wonder. The slower I walk the more I see. It is so much more here — all the ferns, the greens, the trees, even the palms have flowers!

Thank you for being with me for a little while.

Enjoy your day!