The art of Canadian wild flowers

Irises and Lady slipper orchids

“Canadian Wild Flowers” (1868) was one of the first serious botanical works about nature and plant species in Canada 🇨🇦

Offering many beautiful lithographs of the wildflowers found in this country, this pictorial work written by Catharine Parr Traill & illustrated by Agnes Chamberlin, was a notable accomplishment for women at a time when we were largely unwelcome in a male-dominated scientific world. – The entire book is in the Public Domain and free to view online through the BHL digital library portal, with thanks to the Canadian Museum of Nature: HERE

A dose of art and the beauty of nature might help take our minds off the chaos currently taking hold of our world, if only for a little while. Stay safe, everyone.

Flower Language – the art of communication in a time of social distancing

Lily-of-the-valley

Within the context of the current chaos we face around the world, social distancing will likely be the way we communicate, at least for now, until this virus abates and is eradicated.

There are many ways we communicate. Along with speaking directly to one another, we have email, texting, social media, and even photography. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Hellebore

With respect to the thought of being isolated for the next while, I’d like to point out how nature and gardens have been a refuge for many in anxious times. Certainly they have been for me.

Further to the point of communicating, I’d like to touch on the language of flowers.

This form of connecting with one another was popular during the Victorian era, but actually goes back much further in time.

People have been using flowers as a way to convey an idea or a message for thousands of years.

Through a gift of single blossom, the person on the receiving end of that floral gift would know exactly what the sender was trying convey. Flowers have a vocabulary all their own.

Tulip – Friendship & Gratitude

Every flower has its own distinct meaning, so any requirement of a verbal or written message would not be required.

So, I’m sharing some of my favourite flowers and their meanings here that relate to the times we currently find ourselves in.

Daffodil – Rebirth & New beginnings

It’s my hope to offer a little optimism, and encourage some positive thinking, and perhaps even a little less anxiety for the near future.

We’ll get through it together, only separately! 😉

Stay well everyone and keep in touch.

Rosemary for remembrance – Illustration by Walter Crane, Public domain

A nest waiting for Robins

We still have a lot of snow, but it’s almost mid-March, and thankfully it’s starting to melt. 🙂

With the glorious weather we’re experiencing, I thought I’d snap a few photos of a nest a pair of Robins built last year.

It’s in the hydrangea bush along our front porch, and once the foliage grows, you can’t even tell the nest or the robins are there, except when they fly back and forth with food for their babies.

I do hope when the Robins return, which should be in a few weeks depending on the weather, they’ll reclaim the nest and take up residence so I can enjoy watching them once again.

An Owl on the prowl – Bird watching on #WildlifeWednesday

We were lucky to see this magnificent Barred Owl, yesterday.

It was sitting on the fence, keeping a keen eye on several Ravens, Crows, and Blue Jays who began to gather in the tree above. They were all squawking furiously at him!🦉

Apparently, Corvids don’t like Owls very much, and after witnessing this, I imagine the feeling is mutual.

It’s lucky for me they don’t like one another!

If they weren’t squawking at the owl, I wouldn’t have known it was there. 🙂

Barred Owl

Won’t you #bee mine? Vintage Valentine’s Day kitsch :)

Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14.

Originating as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus, Valentine’s Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world.

According to Jack B. Oruch, the first recorded association of Valentine’s Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer who wrote:

“For this was on seynt Volantynys day, Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make”.

Which means, “For this was on St. Valentine’s Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate.” – Very sweet!

In light of all this lovey stuff, and as a person who looks for and enjoys life’s absurdities, Valentine’s Day ranks pretty high on that list, especially if you take into account some of the vintage cards out there. And, with a message to suit every kind of lover, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favourites that all include bees.

Sure, maybe I’m not one of the last of the great romantics, but life would be pretty boring if we couldn’t laugh at ourselves and our basic human conditioning from time to time.