Flowers

Purple flowers are like nature’s glitter., I said to myself. The season of flowering and growth is here. Where there were buds, there is now colour. I noticed on my walk home today that there are many purple flowers. There is one flower, tall with lots of purple petals, whose name I do not know, but that I love.

I seldom try to find the names of flowers. It is enough to be able to experience and appreciate their details. Every time I think about not knowing the names of a flower, I think of my family, whose knowledge of plants extends far and wide. Those memories are more valuable than knowing the name of the flower.

Thistles, Scotland’s flower, are growing too. I stopped for a moment to look at a growth of thistles. The flowers were at many stages of growth: some had not yet blossomed. Some flowers were a light lavender colour as they started to bloom; others had dark, rich purple spikes, the hallmark of the fully-grown flower.

As I walked forth on my journey, a thought came to the back of my mind: in winter, the purple all around me will be gone. I paused for a moment in stoic reflection. The flowers had not yet grown yet and I was worrying about the next season.

I reminded myself of the seasons. Flowers grow in spring, bringing joy as buds start to form. The cool of winter recedes. Every day brings emerging growth, and the opportunity to notice it. In summer, the flowers are in bloom. Reds, purples, blues, greens coat the landscape. In autumn, the leaves fade with splenour. The skies are coated in orange hues as you look up at the tall trees.

In winter, there are other beauties to see, like the wonder of the blue sky on the crisp morning when you can see your breath and you smile. We come together, warmed by the memories of the year – the emergence of the buds, the growth of the purple flowers, the leaves that faded, and the opportunity to now enjoy the heat radiating from a cup of tea. All flora leave an imprint. The memories of colour reverberate through all seasons.

As I grounded myself back in the present, I realised that is the best time: the transition from blossom to bloom. I appreciate seeing the changes of growth and noticing in as flowers reach full bloom.

What a joy it is to notice the growth as it happens, I said to myself, noticing a small purple flower unlike all the others. There are so many joys to see in this season. I look forward to noticing more purple flowers.