Friday, February 15, 2013

Focus on life: Week 7 - The beauty of Flowers

Happy Valentine's Day - and remember, there is a giveaway going on, enter here!

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime is hosting a year long challenge which is... sublime... as you'd expect with such a studio name. The challenge is named 'Focusing on Life' and every week Sally is sending a prompt on what should we focus the following week.

This weeks's prompt is one after my soul:

This week take a moment to bring a little happiness to your soul and enhance your well being. Take a moment to enjoy the beauty of flowers.

It is truly no challenge at all - I have discovered a few years back that I was getting the blues during this shortest month of the year, which seems the longest and dullest. In searching for an answer to my problem, I found it in flowers! Since then I made it a point to have blooming flowers on my desk and in other rooms of the house every single day of the year. Not only plants - which I always have... but blooms: colourful, beautiful blooms.

Believe it or not, this is what you can currently find on my desk:

Focus on life: The beauty of flowers: The Hyacinth :: All Pretty Things Focus on life: The beauty of flowers: The daffodils :: All Pretty Things Focus on life: The beauty of flowers: The tulips :: All Pretty Things
The spring blooms: they bring me memories and they smell divine, not to mention the colours. I buy them every year, a few times a year, and in the fall I put them in the garden, hoping they'll come back next spring (they mostly do)

Then - the usual suspect, my beloved African Violet. I learned to care for them as a child: my mom has the house full of them and she's the type she will talk and even sing to the flowers. She thinks people think she's crazy - but I love the idea of having a relationship with the flowers. While I don't hold lengthy conversations with my African Violets, I know they are surely happy when I touch them and visit every day and check on their foliage. For years I would buy the pots from the store, bring them home and watch helplessly how the flowers will fade and never come back. Until 2 or 3 years ago when something changed (probably with me - I wish I could say what it is, but I don't) and they started taking turns and bloom almost continuously. There is hardly a week when one of them is not in full bloom - and I love it that way :)

Focus on life: The beauty of flowers: The African Violet :: All Pretty Things

Last, but surely not least, my most recent love:

Focus on life: The beauty of flowers: The deep purple orchid :: All Pretty Things
The deep purple orchid

Focus on life: The beauty of flowers: The white orchid :: All Pretty Things
 The white orchid

Focus on life: The beauty of flowers: The large pink orchid :: All Pretty Things
The large pink orchid

Focus on life: The beauty of flowers: The pink orchid :: All Pretty Things
The other pink and most unique orchid
Yes - the orchids. Before coming to Canada I have seen orchids only at the Botanical Garden: as a student I spent long summer days in the Gardens, the campus was located close to the Botanical Gardens and I used to do my homework on the grass in the park, under huge blooming Magnolia trees (that would have been something to photograph back then! as it is, I only have the vivid memory of those moments).

I still remember my first orchid - I have either received it as a gift or bought it myself and it was living in our bathroom, one that had a window and lots of sun. She liked it there - but I didn't know how to care for it back then... after the blooms faded, it never bloomed again.

Then 3 years ago I received one for my birthday, then 2 at Christmas, then another one for my next birthday. Only this time - I read the instructions and followed them. What do you think?! They bloom every few months: all 4 of them at the same time. Two of them have even 2 branches this year!

I am amazed and I feel blessed every time I see their blooms: delicate, unique and so completely exotic!

I am offering you my flowers this week and I hope you'll visit the other participants gathered in Sally's virtual Botanical Gardens this week :)

Thank you, again, Sally for the opportunity to search for my soul every week: it is an interesting experience, and one I love and enjoy enormously!


24 comments:

  1. I love having fresh flowers in the house as often as I can. It's so easy to pick up an inexpensive bouquet at the grocery store. Your orchids are just beautiful!

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  2. Love all the flowers, your photos are great!

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  3. Oh so many beautiful flowers! I love the look of hyacinth but I just can't handle their strong fragrance, I'm very sensitive to smells, and much as I love them it's just too much of a good thing. Fact: your mum is a smast gardener. We expell CO2 when we sing and talk, leaves bring that in and turn it into energy to grow. So singing and talking to your plants should be encouraged!

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  4. The daffodils, remind me so much of my mom. Even though roses where her favorite, my allowance couldn't cover that, so each spring I would buy the first bunch I saw and bring them to her. Your orchids are beauties, not that I am that familiar with them (LOL)!

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  5. I am envious of your beautiful flowers and delightfully green thumbs! Gorgeous!

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  6. Wow!!! You are all over green!
    I must try to talk to my plants. Hubby is like you, green, and I kill everything I even look at :(

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  7. gorgeous, gorgeous pics - wish we could scratch n sniff, i bet they smell divine!!

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  8. What a lovely display! I only have a few foliage plants at the moment, but they bring some comfort!

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  9. What a wonderful way to keep yourself cheerful in winter! Very nice display of flowers.

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  10. Wow! You must really have a green thumb, I have tried orchids and haven't had much luck. Like you, I also try to have flowers in my kitchen all the time - I love the colors and life.

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  11. beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

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  12. WOW!! I'm impressed. My houseplants are not doing very well right now. I guess they need more attention.

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  13. What a lovely and colorful assortment!

    (no. 45 this week)

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  14. I love all your photos!! Those orchids are to die for! I'm having so much fun seeing such beautiful flowers this weekend on the challenge - especially loving all the orchids!

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  15. Wow - you do have some gorgeous house flowers! I didn't think to photography my African violets - but they are my favorite houseplants. Those bulbs on your desk..sigh.

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  16. Oh the African violets take me back to my happy grandmothers house. And orchids, how I love them but alas my thumb is black when it comes to indoor plants. Yours are just lovely.

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  17. I ADORE the scent of hyacinth! Spring in one inhalation.
    Tulips are my favorite flower.
    And orchids....aaaaaah

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  18. To surround yourself with such beauty all the time. How heavenly. All so beautiful!

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  19. You are certainly surrounded with beauty. I envy your green thumb. The orchids are amazing and the colors so inspiring at this time of year.

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  20. Ha! We're going to have to call you the 'flower lady' LOL What beautiful flowers ... and all over the house this time of year?! how wonderful!

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  21. Your orchids are beautiful. Thanks for sharing them.

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate and love to read your comments!