In the garden of the house where I live now there is a quite a lot of “grass” to mow. I put “grass” in inverted commas because there is a lot growing there that sure isn’t botanically grass. I suppose some people like to have a “lawn” which really is all “grass” – a monoculture of grass.
I like diversity. I find it beautiful and I think it is a fundamental characteristic of healthy, sustainable ecosystems. It’s even a good principle to have in your own life. T S Eliot said “human kind cannot bear very much reality” but I think he could have said “human kind cannot bear very much same-y-ness” (OK, Eliot wouldn’t have actually used such a word but you get my point)
The other day I decided to take my camera and get down to grass level to really see what was there. The photo above is the first one I took. Here are some of the others –
The thing to remember is that ALL of these flowers are tiny – the daisy is probably about the biggest of them.
Aren’t they just beautiful?
Isn’t diversity compellingly attractive?
Heroes Not Zombies 
Very cool perspective! Honey I Shrunk The Kids!!! lol
Ha! Ha! Funnily enough, that’s what I thought too once I saw these photos together!
I was afraid my corny comment would seem like I was trivializing such beautiful photographs. Glad you saw the same idea!
well you know there is a well established practice from philosophers about taking the “view from above” (sometimes called “the view from Sirius” in France), and whilst I am a big fan of that practice, I do think there is another great practice which is to get “up close and personal” – and what better way to get up close to grass than to lie down in it and take the photos of what you see? I recommend it. Life, after all, isn’t just amazing, it’s fun too!
Occasionally, I will sit in a corner of a room or in a place I have never sat. It is strange how the same room or place can look very different from a new angle.
great point – the thing is if we want to change our perspective of the world it helps to physically change our perspective! I think one reason I get such lovely photos is that I virtually never take a photo by standing upright, holding a camera to eye level and pressing click…..I move myself and my camera into different positions to see things from different angles (that’s why I like my Nikon p520 so much – it’s got a very, very flexible LCD screen)
Great post – fantastic shots!!
This is so synchronistic Bob! The other day, my honey and I went on a hike and ran into a plant with tons of orange flowers and it went right back to my childhood of seeing them on our lawn (yes, even in San Diego). Because I am an herbalist and flower essence creator/practitioner, if I run into a plant I do not know, I attempt to identify it. While I was google-image searching, I discovered these are called Scarlet Pimpernels! I never knew that! I also looked up the herbal, medicinal, homeopathic and flower essence use. I go to my email box – and here is your post! I believe I can identify your other flowers as well – Violets and Black Medic (which describes the seed color, not the yellow flower). If you need Latin names:
Scarlet Pimpernel: Anagallis arvensis – http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/pimper33.html
(Common) Violet: – Viola spp (see odorata if they have a smell – http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/vioswe12.html
English Daisy – Bellis perennis – http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/d/daisyc03.html
Black Medick (aka Nonesuch) – Medicago lupulina – http://montana.plant-life.org/species/medica_lupu.htm – more culinary than medicinal but don’t overdo – http://www.eattheweeds.com/black-medic/ 🙂
Oh thank you SO much for this. I really appreciate it x
You are welcome! And, I wondered if your first flower is Bindweed (Convolvulus arvens)? Can’t tell fro the photo hehe!
ooh, I’d better get out there tomorrow and take another one! Mind you, you can never take a photo of the same flower twice I find!
I meant from the photo, but you know that, snappy iPad, right? Yes I can understand but hopefully it can send up not only another flower but also to see some foliage. I realize mowing can greatly affect that though, as weedy types will bloom and make seeds to survive and thrive (usually too well for the monoculture grass lawn connoseurs hehe!). I enjoy all your photos in any case!