The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring, Tra-la

Spring in all it's glory seen here at the Tienie Versveld Wildflower Reserve 

just outside Darling in the Western Cape

If you haven't realised it yet, spring is upon us here in the Southern hemisphere. All around us things are blooming and growing.

Spring is a great time for cult members. It is the perfect time to cultivate the habit to notice the little things and encourage one's feelings of awe and wonder in what one observes. One is so variously and swiftly rewarded from just the tiniest bit of attention to detail.

Spring still making a show even in the middle of non-nature-friendly human construction. Photo credits: Matthew Nagel

Take, for example, a plant which may or may not be known to you, but has recently piqued my interest. It is Ruscus hypoglossum. This plant is often used for hedges and might be described as quite nondescript. It does, however, show up in flower arrangements because the nice, deep green and regularity of it does well as a bit of foliage amongst the flowers. The reason this plant suddenly excited my curiosity is because of the unusual placement of its flowers, Namely, right in the middle of its leaves! for anybody expecting flowers at the end of a stalk it comes as something of a surprise. The little flowers seem to be indiscriminately on the top or bottom of the leaves, but I prefer the little flowers dangling below. It seems a little bit more whimsical than when they rest on the leaves above. 

Ruscus hypoglossum. Photo credits: http://blog.plantdelights.com/ruscus-mr-lonely/

Of course, plants with flowers in the regular places are still spectacular. Anyone who has seen a mass of flowers in a field knows the awe such a sight engenders.

Bugs on a dandelion flower. Ordinarily these pesky little bugs burrow into the flowers on my daisy bush, but here they are looking pretty for the camera. Photo credits: Emma King

More flowers from the Tienie Versveld Wildflower Reserve.

A spring flower miraculously survives being driven over. Photo credits: Matthew Nagel

At this point I feel I should mention that cult members with hay fever find this time of year rather conflicting. On one hand there is so much to glory in, on the other the sneezes and itchy eyes are less than pleasant. The invention of the new style of antihistamines that do away with the drowsy side effects have lessened this conflict, the main problem now being to remember to take the pills...

Spring is not only rewarding visually. With spring also comes smell. Even if one happens to be too focused on one's own thoughts or worries to notice the world around you, the smell of a bed of jasmine or the scent from a Chinaberry tree can break your train of thought with its sweet smell and force you to stop and notice your surroundings. I encourage all cult members to be grateful to those plants that willfully refuse to allow one to ignore them. Remember the couplet from W. H. Davies' Leisure,

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stop and stare.

Flowers in a field, Darling

The Cult of Colourful Neutrality