After the Bloom

It's always easy to love flowers when they're at their peak - they demand attention.

However, I've always been interested in what comes afterward and all the changes throughout the season.

Once the petals fall, something else begins—seed pods swell, leaves deepen in color, stems twist and dry, and the architecture of the plant slowly reveals itself. The spectacular gives way to the subtle, and I often find myself looking even more closely than before.

This spring, after the blossoms had fallen from my Genie magnolia, I noticed the soft, velvety seed pods beginning to form among the leaves. They were beautiful in an entirely different way. T heir muted colors and gentle texture invited a kind of quiet appreciation that the brilliant flowers overshadowed.

I realized this wasn't the first time I had been drawn to what comes after.

Last autumn, I found myself collecting black tupelo leaves after they had reached their richest autumn colors and fallen to the ground. They eventually became one of my watercolor paintings, but only after I spent time researching the tree and appreciating their color and pattern.

Even my photographs seem to return to this idea. Ferns while they're still unfurling. Maple leaves resting among stones. Tree roots exposed beneath the soil. Mushrooms pushing up beside a sidewalk. These things are a reminder nature rarely offers just one moment of beauty. We simply tend to notice the most obvious one.

This is one of reasons I enjoy gardening so much. A garden isn't beautiful because of a single bloom. It's beautiful because it's always changing. Every week offers something different to observe, and every stage has its own character.

Paying attention helps us to appreciate the whole story.

Continue exploring:‍ ‍Genie Magnolia Print, After the Bloom Print, Discovering the Black Tupelo, Mixed Eggs Print, Snow Trees