Wow.
I am in awe of the response to the last post. Thank you to everyone who has read and commented and e-mailed. I am going to respond to you all as soon as I can.
So much wisdom and depth, kindness and wonder and peace out there, and much of it thanks to traversing those dark nights of the soul. I feel a little bit like I’m holding hands with all of you, in a circle, as I hear your stories. Over and over, what I’m hearing is lives that are pure Beauty, as transcendent and moving as any scene in Nature.
And I’d like to give back a little bit of Beauty today.
Back in the winter, I published a series of macro photos called “stamen love,” just when I thought it was the last chance for the hellebores and camellias to show off their stuff. (I was totally wrong about the hellebores, who were still braving the heat and churning out flowers in late April.) Since then, I’ve noticed that, hey, I just like to photograph stamens. It wasn’t a case of being drawn to these in winter simply because there wasn’t much to photograph in the garden, as I’d assumed.
Stamens are eerily beautiful to me, whether rising triumphantly, stuffed with golden pollen, or fading to sepia and curling in upon themselves. I’m sure Freud would have had a field day with that, because these are, after all, the male parts of the flower. But whatever the reason for my attraction, it’s resulted in an accumulation of lovely stamen shots, just perfect to share with you today.
I hope you enjoy them.
Oh, and don’t forget you can click on any picture to enlarge it.
Without further ado:
Beautyberry stamens. Photo taken at SC Botanical Garden.
Mimosa stamens. Photo taken at Lake Keowee.
Single-flowered rose 'Knockout," with fading stamens and dew. Photo taken in a neighbor's yard. (Thanks, neighbor!)
Lacecap hydrangea in bloom. Photo taken in a suburban backyard.
Detail of lacecap hydrangea stamens, plus textures from Kim at kimklassencafe.com.
Daylily stamens. Photo taken at the SC Botanical Garden.
Wild rose stamens. Photo taken one spring morning just before dawn, at the edge of the woods, only a few feet from where I sit and write to you now.
Stamen impression, crepe myrtle stamens blowing in the wind. Photo taken in a Chinese restaurant parking lot.
Namasté, y’all.
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