It has been a very interesting experience putting together my first Bloom Day post. My rationale? That it's always such fun looking at other people's efforts that I felt duty-bound (enjoying the high bounty of June) to actually take part this month.
But what a learning curve. Aside from the almost-satisfying question of mastering a whole new lot of software (thanks to BBC TV's new star'
Veg Plotting), there's the soul-searching which occurred after I got all my flowering pics together, and then thought
"is that all I've got to show?"
Many sorts of meditation urge the practitioner to see themselves through the eyes of others in order to practice a connecting loving kindness, allowing people to become aware of where they are going wrong in life. Well, putting all the photos of my garden on the internet has definitely achieved that.
I think this might be one of those things like opening your garden to the public, which lets you see what you are doing through the eyes of others - and then feel fairly disappointed. Hopefully to improve in future. (Please, Lord, hopefully.)
I look at my selection of blooms and feel total envy of
Zanthan Gardens and
Savannah Gardens, for example. I am at a disadvantage in that my garden is mainly foliage this time of year, with dahlias, cannas and gingers, as well as other more intriguing bulbs like Eucomis and Galtonias, all on the way but not yet there.
Yet I can't help feeling that I'd have liked to have more to show off - even in my tiny weeeeeeennnnny 4m x 15m plot. And I'm really shocked to find out that almost all the flowers I grow are pink! I didn't know I was so girly. I really had to laugh when I collated all the images.
So it's been a really interesting process, and I really recommend it for a steep learning curve about what you are actually doing in your garden, as opposed to what you think you are doing. A fairly important distinction. "Seeing through the eyes of others" - a short cut to enlightenment.
