Growing Up

by Connie Handscomb

Title

Growing Up

Artist

Connie Handscomb

Medium

Photograph - Photography - Fine Art

Description

Our stalks are very straight and tall,
Our colours clear and bright;
Too many-hued to name them all --
Red, yellow, pink, or white.

And some are splashed, and some, maybe,
As dark as any plum .............
~ Cicely Mary Barker [Flower Fairies Of The Garden]

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In the 17th c., 'Tulipmania' was in full swing: a single bulb was worth the equivalent price today of a house and a garden. The Dutch created formal geometrically shaped gardens and fountains in the Italian fashion, and the plants became "botanized" (grown for decorative qualities) whereas previously they had been kept by physicians and cooks.

Initially the blooms were simple, with limited range of colours; then doubles began appearing, and the 'broken' tulips - much prized - those with intricately flamed, striped or feathered petals. No one knew then that their beauty was caused by a virus brought on by aphids, and even though the plant was inevitably weakened by it, the blooms became the most popular. It became known as the world's florists' flower, and the more brilliant and lively it was, the more it was loved.

Sources:
Fifty Plants that changed the Course of History (Bill Laws)
Four Chefs, One Garden : Seasons Of West Coast Living [Roy]
Painterly Plants [Clare Foster; Photog.Ruber]
The Romantic Language Of Flowers [Davies; Saunders]

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Somewhere .... this beauty caught my eye (I don't remember if it was mine, or someone else's) ... captured in natural light; unedited; uncropped .... nature in all its natural splendour .. :))

* -------------------------------------- *

♥ Heartfelt Gratitude to FAA groups for featuring this image :

Roses And Tulips
This Way Arts
Tulip Macros

Uploaded

April 1st, 2016

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