July 24, 2010

Bloom Of The Meadows.

My favourite summer flowers are the wild ones, which cover the wide meadows and plains, like precious gems adoring the fields of green. Those that grow unrestricted and free, in need of no care or attention, soaking up the sun, bursting with colours and gentle beauty.

Behind my house, within my views is a grassy, shared but secluded area that we consider our backyard. Park like and tranquil, it offers so much beauty in the different seasons. In autumn, it is painted with fiery shades of the turning foliage of birch trees and ripen berries. In winter, serene, sleeping quietly under the blanket of pristine snow, invoking the sense of rest. And in spring, sprinkled with dandelions and blooming shrubs and trees, it becomes an oases in colour and light.
Finally, during the time of the subtle summer months, it is lush and inviting. Full of wild flowers and sweet summer berries, buzzing with the sound of insects and the elegance of butterflies. Birch trees offer soothing shade away from the sun, while their full crowns sway in the breeze, creating that melodic sound that instigates the feel of content.

I took a short walk with my camera in our backyard yesterday in the late morning, documenting its July splendor, reflected in the bloom of wild flowers and the richness of insect life. The sun was already high in the sky, enveloping the trees in a gentle white light. The neighborhood was quiet and still and occasionally, the sweet singing of the lark, that very significant sound of the Scandinavian summer, played softly in the balmy air above me.

Closing my eyes, I laid down in the warm grass as I tried to capture this moment with all my senses, locking it firmly in my perception. It is mental snapshots such as these that I will revisit in my mind in a few months, when darkness and cold will rule my world.

(Please click image for larger view.)

33 comments:

A Bit of the Blarney said...

You pictures of the wild flowers and berries are so very beautiful. A palate from which the creator paints our world! Wishing you a grand weekend in your meadow! Cathy

Brian Miller said...

oo...lov the collage and the moment of laying in the grass...love to do that as well...the wild ones are my favs too...hope you have a marvlous weekend!

Elisabeth said...

This is such a beautiful floral quilt. Thanks Zuzana.

Unknown said...

you have a beautiful back yard to get lost in. sometimes I think about all the different plants, trees, animals here on Earth and am overwhelmed.

Gal Friday said...

Beautiful writing today, Zuzana! I always am cheered when I notice wildflowers along the roadside or along paths in the fields and woods when I walk my dog.
I notice many daisies blooming in the wild right now.

Anonymous said...

Zuzana, I can't possibly imagine what it must be like for you to live where you do with the seasons unfolding in the way that they do! You describe something that could almost be straight out of a fairytale! Beautiful writing! :)

Sandy said...

Your back yard is beautiful! The Fireweed here is Alaska is wild and when blooming in large groups is stunning. I should try to get a photo.

Anonymous said...

Your writing paints as beautiful a picture as your photographs, Zuzana!
Fireweed and yarrow are growing outside my window as well. I enjoy seeing the same wildflowers growing across the world at your house - especially since you enjoy them as much as I do! :)
Wishing you a beautiful weekend, dear friend!
Zuzu

Anonymous said...
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Donna said...

Your pictures of the flowers and berries are beautiful!

Enjoy your weekend, Zuzana!
Donna

tony said...

Zuzana,Your Walk sounds Like Harvesting! Gathering 'seeds' for The Winter.
On the subject of Wild Flowers. My favourite flower is the small red poppy, but I cannot grow in my garden no matter how hard I try (it is rare in my part of England)
Also.I keep trying to get billberry plants to take root ,but they too refuse me!
They May Be 'wild' but they are particular!

S. Susan Deborah said...

With a backyard as that, no wonder lovely posts and thoughts are born. Zuzana, lying on the grass is BLISS and I am glad you experience that now and then.

Joy eternally,
Susan

Lulda Casadaga said...

What wonderful color and beauty in your backyard...I long for coolness in my yard. These last past weeks have been brutal weather wise. All I hear at night are the cicadas singing the happy heat song! :D

sprinkles said...

There's a trail that I sometimes like to take my dogs for a walk on. There's a whole field of wildflowers next to it. I'm sure they're just weeds but they're pretty when they bloom.

You always have such beautiful pictures.

Helen McGinn said...

It sounds so amazing; I love days like that although when the sun was here in June, I had no time to enjoy it too much. I'm hoping for sunshine soon....we did manage a day on the beach but not the same, quiet sunshine and smells like you describe so beautifully.

SandyCarlson said...

I love those wildflowers and your thoughts about them. They are hardy and subtle and gorgeous. But when yo try to bring them in....they fade so quickly. Something to remember about each of us.

Sumandebray said...

You have painted a landscape in water color. It is very vivid in front of my closed eyes...
Enjoy .. the nature's gift

Betsy Brock said...

The wild ones are my favorite, too. Sometimes the most beautiful flowers are the ones you see on the side of the road!

Blogaire said...

You are so lucky Zuzana to have a backyard with so many flowers and plants and of course the little insects they attract. I recognized some from your beautiful collage but not all so perhaps Denmark has some varieties that we don't have in Ireland.
We do have a wild flower that is considered a weed and there is actually a law that obliges landowners to control and eradicate it because it is toxic to cattle. It is called Ragwort and I think it is from the daisy family, and I remember as children that we had to go out to the meadow and pull them, a job we hated doing because it was very hard work. But I remember one day some German tourists in a Camper van pulled up near our house and they went into a field and started taking Ragwort because they thought it was a beautiful flower - and it does have a nice yellow flower.

Mimi said...

Zuzana, you've created a beautiful collage, in pictures and in words.
I love lying on warm grass too, reminds me of my childhood in the meadow that was our back garden! But it was good.

I also like the idea of filling up on the summer "goodies" that nature offers us, and using these to keep us going through the winter.

Vagabonde said...

Your collage is very pretty. I love wildflowers but we do not have too many around here.
Thanks for your comment on my blog. I did not reply there but will do so here. Today the Tour de France ended, it has been a great Tour. I know that some cyclists used drugs in the past but they do the same in other sports. I was disappointed in Rasmussen too when he was disqualified a few years ago. I was also disappointed in Vinokurov, but he did his time and came back to the Tour. I think that it is hard for many good cyclists in the various teams to have members who misbehave but it is not fair to stop watching the sport altogether because of a few bad apples. If we all did this, then there would not be too many sports left to watch anymore. If we did not let people pay for their faults and come back then what would be the use of having jails? Then one strike and they are eliminated? I enjoy watching the Tour and hope it will stay clean. I think the officials are trying hard to keep it that way. Thanks for coming to my blog.

Holly said...

Amazing images as always! I also really enjoy your written imagery. I could almost see you laying in the grass trying to capture the summer moment!

Velvet Over Steel said...

I love wild flowers the best too! Beautiful pictures and I love the grouping! Awesome! Thanks for sharing your beautiful countryside with us! It's dark here right now, but I feel the Sunshine there!! :-)
Have a wonderful week!
Hugs,
Coreen

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

Oh, so very beautiful and the colors are so beautiful! I'm not sure we have larks here--I will definitely be checking! Wish I knew my birds better! We do have the lovely irridescent blue indigo buntings which are my favorite! There are barn swallows at my daughter's farm which I love to watch and the call of the bob white--which is just what their call sounds like they are calling "bob white"! Happy Summer, Zuzana! I'm reveling in it too! lol

steviewren said...

It's been such a long time since I laid in the grass and took it all in. I remember lying in my backyard as a child. There was nothing more important than watching the clouds drift by back then.

Rajesh said...

Beautiful wild flowers. Very pretty pink color.

Avo said...

Sometimes I dream of being able to take "screen caps" of what I experience. Blink a special way and wirelessly send a full sensory output recording of a moment in time to your storage device.
I'll bet you could easily extend your artistry to such a device. : j

jean luc said...

A beautiful patchwork of wild flowers , nature is so rich , colored and beautiful in your eyes !

Hilary said...

It's the wildflowers and late day sunshine that I think about the most when I long for summer. You've captured them all well.. with your photos and your words.

Claus said...

Not only are wild flowers beautiful, but they are also something to wonder about. Without man's interference (like the work a planned and structured garden requires), they make your surroundings the most magical ones. Out of nowhere, they appear, with the most wonderful scents and colors, making your days a unique experience.
Thank you for sharing! Enjoy your summer!

Regina said...

Wow these are truly gorgeous!
Thank you for sharing Zuzana.
xo

Zuzana said...

I truly enjoyed all of your comments; so many of you, too many to mention by name but each and everyone's visit is so very appreciated.
Thank you for your lovely words and I am glad to learn that so many of you love wild flowers too; they are indeed magical in their own pristine way.

Thank you all for stopping by,

xoxo
Zuzana

Unknown said...

Very nice and consoling! :)