Around here, the media is buzzing about a popular, current, Philadelphia event: The Philadelphia Flower Show.
People who are tired of looking at this…
are ready to see some of this:
Photo courtesy of Aileen’s Pictures on Flickr, shared under a Creative Commons license.
I’ve never been to the show. I dislike being in crowds at such events; I forever feel in the way, no matter where I stand. Plus, I’m not interested in seeing nature manipulated into creations that have no place in my garden.
I do, however, see the attraction. Inspiration. Beauty. Information. Ideas. And among the super-fertilized, artificial-color-added exhibitors there are a wide range of native-planting, water-saving, ecologically focused educators. There are designers and growers and attendees who understand that a flower is a product of nature, not man.
In his essay, “How Flowers Changed the World,” Loren Eisely looked at the evolution of the earth and boldly explains that, were it not for the formation of flowers, man would not exist. Within the complexity of life is the “encased seed,” the prerequisite to diversity and fruit. Behold the flowers for their beauty, their fragrance, their mood-lifting style, and remember: they mean more to life than most of us realize.
