Maybe I like lots of floral color because seeing bright color triggers "peptide production that blocks perception of pain and increases feelings of well being".
Feel better?
Perhaps my brain does that: an ancient trigger present in my DNA, developed over millions of years of evolutionary adaptation to respond to brightly colored fruit.
Hmm. That takes choice out of the equation. Can't I just like gaudy flowers? What is "I"? What is "like"? Our brains do many things of which we are unaware
Do "I" choose to "like" you, or are you merely the same color as a delicious berry?
Answers beyond me. When life is confusing, as it is most of the time, best to retreat into the garden.
It's been a better summer than last summer. Possibly because of the rainy winter, because the easing of the Covid pandemic, or because of planting brightly colored heat loving flowers like Pentas, Marigolds, Catharanthus, and Zinnias.
Still needs refinement, but a step in the right direction:
One positive about our long stretch of heat is motivation to get outside early. The light just before sunrise is magical, blueish, mysterious:
Sun rises:
There's the sun!
Wait. Lily!?!?? Yes it came back one more time, my big box clearance sale 'Stargazer'. I guess it likes that spot.
Arctostaphylos 'Austin Griffiths' seems to like his:
Garden activity remains spot watering and quickly doing small tasks before the now arrogant sun shoos the gardener indoors.
A small "art project", such as it is. With a few drops of glue, repurposing objects otherwise headed for the trash as ornamental(?)---uh--art things
Froggie checks them out:
The Cuphea 'Blackberry Sparkler', which I potted up for a few weeks to let it grow a bit more, had already filled the new pot with roots. It took over a place near the gully gate. Supposedly about 2'/60 cm wide at maturity, there is space for it.
Suddenly it's time to get indoors. The heat lovers take over:
Your garden suggests that summer here has an undeserved bad rep. In contrast, my mood is currently overly dependent upon seeing some dahlia flowers, which have yet to arrive. All I can fixate on right now is the shaggy mess of Agapanthus and the gaping holes here and there that could use filling.
ReplyDeleteHaving trouble commenting (again). I hate when Agapanthus start to get those seedpods and "shaggy"ness so I've been cutting them off--or pulling off the seed pods and leaving a sputnik kind of structure. Funny what we like or don't like. Agapanthus are so very pretty when freshly opened I guess the change to not-so-pretty hurts too much.
DeleteA step in the right direction, for sure! OK, so your explanation for why we like bright colors makes sense. They certainly do cheer me up. Zinnias...yay! Roses...yay! Lilies...yay! And everything else...hurray! Great post as always. :)
ReplyDeleteVery kind of you--thanks!
DeleteEmbrace color! It's gorgeous at your garden.
ReplyDeleteI do embrace--then there's color all over my shirt--oops no that's ice cream. ;^)
Delete"The now arrogant sun." Busted up over that very descriptive, very apt line. How do you come up with these gems? I don't know whether it's because I'm getting older, temperatures really have risen as a general rule, or because I live east of I-5 now, that I do not enjoy the summer as much as I did when I was younger -- I suspect it is a combination of all three. I adore flowers, but my favorites are softer colors, rather than bright in-your-face colors. I find them gentle and soothing, and they make me happy. Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteUrban heat island is a thing--when I was a kiddie there was still lots of empty land and fog would rise from it--fog doesn't rise from concrete or asphalt. We lived in Sunset 24 and it was a whole lot cooler in the summer than Sunset 23 where I am now. The marine layer would linger longer until noon or later and roll back in starting around 4pm so it was never that hot. I miss that.
DeleteSome of the very bright flowers quickly fade to pale, providing both kinds'
Beautiful post, that big fatty bumblebee is having a day. I'm feeling a bit torched and have a variety of spots that need filling in with some of that vibrant color. I need to follow your plan of working before the "arrogant sun" is too brutal!
ReplyDeleteEach of those Salvias had several bumbles going through the flowers--was so very happy to do something for those beautiful, beautiful creatures!
DeleteIt has been a surprise--should not be, but is--how some little annuals like Catharanthus and Marigolds had no trouble growing/thriving/blooming even when planted in hot weather. Lots of the perennials need to be carefully tended at first with temporary shade and attentive watering.
Beautiful! I love seeing bright colours in the garden.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I felt so low last summer--this summer with the extra color of hot-weather annuals has really helped.
DeleteLove the photo of the Myrtle and bee. Obviously not the pizzazz of Zinnias, but charming combination.
ReplyDeleteChavli
Happy to be able to provide food sources for those lovely bees. That is pizzazz in its own way.
DeleteDoes colour improve your mood? You betcha! Though I admire pastels I have very few in the garden. Bring on the bright yellows, oranges, reds and purples. Wandering around I feel energized and happy even when it's super hot out. At least they still pop when I admire them from inside. I recently watched a talk by Dr Ross Boyton on how plants use colour in the garden. It's all about signalling insects and very little to do with making us happier. A secondary benefit I guess.
ReplyDeleteI read something once on a theory that orchids are evolving rapidly by using human's affection for their flowers! Maybe plants are using us, too.
DeleteLast Saturday I stopped and took photos of a garden I drive past every weekend on my way to meet friends for coffee. I love the wild mix of colors but it is nothing I want much of in my garden any more. The most floriferous part of my garden is hidden away and not in my daily view. By this time of summer, I want green. Though I am always taken with the fabulous flowers I see on your blog, I had that garden once and I guess that was enough.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll go all green someday myself. I've got a green area in the back I find very soothing. Green is a beautiful color too. Well okay there's a couple of roses also. They follow me home!
Deletein the meantime, hummers, butterflies, and bumblebees need flowers, which I'm happy to supply.