Wisteria: thoughtful reverence Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, that includes ten species of woody climbing vines native to the Eastern United States, China, Korea, and Japan. Wisteria vines climb by twining their stems either clockwise or anti clockwise around any available support- houses, trees, walls etc. They can climb as high as 20 m above the ground and spread out up to 10m laterally. The world's largest known Wisteria vine was planted in 1894 in Sierra Madre, California; it measures more than 1 acre in size and weighs 250 tons! The leaves are alternate, 15 to 35cm long with 9 to 19 leaflets. The flowers grow in pendulous trailing clusters of 10 to 80cm long in pure whites, soft lilacs, vivid purples and rosy pinks. Wisteria blossoms flourish between April and June. The colour of the blooms fades rapidly so towards the end of the season, they are a pretty canvas of gradient pastel shades. The very word wisteria conjures up a rather grand image in my head. It sounds impressive and imposing. My Harry Potter obsessed mind cant help but recall that it is on Wisteria Lane that Harry and Dudley meet the dementors. That's of no relevance at all, I just have J.K Rowlings' magic ingrained in my soul. The scent of wissteria is delicate and lingering, thick and floral. I'd rather like a wisteria perfume. My newest wanderings have led me south to a magnificent manor house in the Oxfordshire countryside. I'm here to help out with the flower gardens; my host is wonderfully kind and the head gardener is just the nicest person. I also have a cosy room at the top of the house and some lovely American neighbours to explore with and chat to. Sounds pretty perfect right? Well, I'm me and i've been a bit of a mess mentally the past few days but now i've settled in, im hoping that i'll do better. Please. I'm so blessed to be here, I see that now that the panic has died down. Just a few degrees warmer and some sun as well thanks. The house and outbuildings are covered in thick wisteria flowers of the palest softest lilac. My research has unearthed a lot of different meanings of wisteria, it would appear that its splendour has been revered by many cultures and eras, each creating their own ideas. The language of flowers cites its meaning to be “I cling to thee”, seemingly referring more to the traits of the vine than the pretty blooms it produces. I'm not too sure whether I would find that message positive, clinginess is not exactly a good trait! Wisteria itself though, originated in Japan where it is known as fuji. It is representative of the month of May and as symbol of spring in general. So i had to post this on the very last day of May, just in time. In Chinese folklore it is known simply as purple vine and represents playfulness and adventure. Vines in general can be symbolic of spontaneity as when they grow, they do so without knowing where they are growing to. Shin Buddhism views wisteria as a symbol of prayer, or thoughtful reverence. The branches and blossoms seem to lower their heads as if in prayer. Naturally this brings to mind our need for peace, quiet and time to honor the heavens. Or ourselves. Peace and quiet. The air here is thick with bird song and the occasional crowing cockerel; the village is sleepy and quaint, I don't think the years have changed much about it. The church clock still chimes on the hour; i find the dependable familiarity comforting. It's all very picture perfect. I wish my brain would take note and be quiet as well. I've felt incredibly on edge for the past few days, like a tightly sprung coil; without noticing it, my hands contort themselves in fists and my stomach is in knots. WHYYYYY? I admire the climbing wisteria and its drifting scent every day here as I wander through the grounds planting and weeding; knowing its meanings got me thinking. The message I take is to give yourself some time (maybe even a lot of time) and give new things a chance. A real chance. Some wisteria vines are over 150 years old and they didn't manage to climb up the whole building in just a few days. Growth takes time and a bit of love and kindness. Look to the bowing petals and let them be a reminder of the importance of quiet, reflective thought. Prayer can be just a few simple words spoken in your head; a subtle reminder that we can find peace in any situation. When we act from a place of calmness, our words and actions speak our truths far clearer and then we can begin the gradual climb. Life is a journey after all, its a cliché but its undeniably true. There is no destination we have to reach, things are always moving and changing, the path unraveling. Accept that, enjoy it and be thankful for the challenges. Just keep going even when you feel like you cant:
“You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it” So I guess I'll be a human after all; i'll wait here patiently until I feel strong enough to reach up and cling to..well to what? Thee I suppose can be anything but as my greatest challenge is myself, maybe i'll cling to me. We are often our own harshest critics but we could also be our own greatest support system. Its a choice that begins with ourselves. A vine can climb up and around a whole house but not without deep rooted self belief and a readiness for adventure. The only way is up.
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Bluebells: humility, constancy & kindness humility: the quality of having a modest or low view of one's importance. constancy: the quality of being faithful and dependable kindness: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Hyacinthoides non-scripta is a perennial plant, growing wild in Atlantic areas from north-western Spain to the British Isles though also frequently cultivated as a garden plant. Almost half of the worlds bluebell population grows in the British isles. In late spring, bluebells produce a long slim stem of 5–12 tubular, sweet-scented violet–blue flowers. The colours range from pale lilac to brilliant blue and all shades in between. There are white bluebells too, lacking the pigment that colours the flower, they are quite a rare occurrence. Bluebells are a protected species in the UK under the Wildlife and countryside Act. They are also frequently voted as the nations favourite flower and the botanical society logo even features a bluebell. Bluebells are often called fairy flower, fairy thimbles, wood bells or bell bottles. In Scotland we sometimes call them harebells which i read is because legend tells that witches used to turn themselves into hares and hide amongst them. Love that! Life is so fleeting. Days pass by without a passing glance, precious moments slip away, never to return. Thats quite a startling thought right? Im very aware that i let days pass into months without making progress, I know im doing it and yet often feel unable to change. In fact it terrifies me so much that i dont even want to think about it. Its so easy to put life off, to delay action for another time; dreams always in the far off elusive future. This is a sad waste of the present. The future is always coming but we are also always in the present. That's not a choice. As always, nature presents the effect of my lack of now-ness to me in a profound way that I can both understand and learn from. The past few weeks i have admired the bright orange blooms of the Berberis plant and i kept thinking i should take a photo but never did. The orange hues have now muted to a pale yellow and the striking colour I was so drawn to is no more! Time, fellow humans is of the essence. That doesn't mean that we need to be busy and panicking about a ticking clock, simply that we really ought to try to make the most of the moments gifted to us. Take photos, seize opportunities, be fully present. I've said it before and i'll repeat it: nothing can be at its peak all the time. Not plants, not animals, not people. It takes up too much energy and its not even necessary. Maybe that's just me trying to justify why i haven't figured any of my life out yet. I really haven't. Sometimes i feel about 112 years old and other times i feel like child; sometimes i'm quite proud of my achievements and other times i feel like everything i've ever done is totally insignificant. I read this article months ago, if you need to feel okay with where you are in life, please read it. It made me feel a lot less alone in my lost-ness. Anyways, back to flowers. Bluebells are having their moment, their arrival heralds the sunny seasons to come.The daffodils have drooped their happy yellow heads and passed the leafy torch to the summer blooms. They had their time and like all good friends, they are happy to allow others the same opportunity. I like to imagine that all flowers are friends and that they whisper the secrets of the mystical flower world to each other. And probably have a good laugh at us ridiculous humans too. I think that bluebells would be the flower with only kind things to say, uttering words of encouragement from their shaded woodland empire. My baby sister Laura is a human bluebell, she is all goodness. Said, not so baby anymore, sister came back from her Duke of Edinburgh hike telling tales of bluebells as far as the eye could see in rapturous awe. And she was not exaggerating, oceans of indigo bluebells have set up camp in the woodlands and hedgerows all over the place. Its truly magical to witness! Bluebell woods is the well-known term for this beautiful sight and here in the UK, we are blessed with the greatest densities in the world in fact. I keep spotting splashes of purple every where i turn these days and i cannot help but stop to admire the tendrils of curly fairy bells. So very pretty. Weeks ago, i spotted a little purple cluster which looked a bit like grape hyacinth but when i examined closer i discovered that it was actually bluebells. Before the little bells drop, they are gathered in a totally different way to the end result. How silly of me to assume that the flowers were fully formed straight away. I find it quite uplifting and inspiring to see the difference a few short weeks can make; from tiny shoots to vast violet armies all within the same month. There's hope for us all.
Honestly, some days are just long and difficult and i want them to end. My days are not difficult, i am difficult and i forget how to not be that way. But having compassion and kindness for myself is a huge lesson i need to learn. Again and again and again. I'd rather be kind to everyone and anyone else. All it takes sometimes is a simple little thing to lift yourself into a more positive place. Collecting a few wild flowers and arranging them is very helpful for me as is burying myself in the comforting familiarity of Harry Potter books. I'm a firm believer in magic of all kinds and allowing myself to be transported, for a while, to a world of wizards and spells is wonderful. Bluebells too, have often been associated with the realm of fairies; folklore tells of them being used as bells to call fairies to a meeting. It's very easy to imagine tiny sparkling little beings dancing under a canopy of violet bells, wings fluttering in the gentle summer breeze. How enchanting. I love stories of magic and wonder. Can i be a fairy please, i'm a pretty rubbish human. Bluebells are steeped in ancient wisdom; year after year for centuries they have carpeted Earths forest floors in the most lovely way. There's the constancy. I think the gentle unassuming nature in which they grow shows humility; the blooms are not extravagant and they often grow under hedges and deep in the woods, not out in the open. Bluebells are content in their quiet beauty and feel no need to flaunt it. I do believe that all flowers store kindness in their delicate stems and when they bloom they make so many of us happy. They provide pollen for the bees to keep our earth growing and living. Flowers are far more than just pretty petals. Lets all continue to enjoy the earths simple gifts. I for one am so incredibly grateful for their presence, nothing man made will ever be able to bring me the joy that flowers gift me with. Go, little earthling, frolic in the bluebell woods before they disappear; be a happy little fairy in your very own purple hued Utopia. Buds: new beginnings Summer days draw my eyes skywards. Or branchwards. In doing so, I've began to pay attention to the buds on trees and discovered such fascinating beauty. Tree jewellery: flower buds. Some unopened buds are fluffy and fat, others are long and thin, some in clusters, some alone. Its incredible to think that one day, a flower will burst out, brilliant and vibrant. I love seeing those videos of a growing flower sped up; its such a miracle. I've been trying to guess what the little buds will flourish into but its hard! I wish i could identify every tree and plant so i know what they are and what the flowers will look like. I need a tree identification book. My increasing passion and interest in plants has enriched my life in so many ways, going for a walk is like a safari now! Oh look, wild garlic flowers, wood sorrel, cherry blossoms! An abundance of life to admire. The thing with flower buds is that you cant always predict when they will bloom or even what the blossom will be. The bud often bares no resemblance to the flower itself. Or it turns out totally different to what you had thought. Like life: we think that things will turn out one way and the reality is not what we expected. It's not better or worse, just different. That's me at the moment; i had thought that i was headed in a certain direction but ive been redirected. Its confusing as I wonder if its simply a diversion or a totally wrong turn. I have a feeling that the Universe likes to send me in circles and have a good laugh at my exasperation and confusion. There will be a reason for sure but its frustrating! No idea what i'm doing right now, lets pretend its all fine and lie in the sun... Some of the trees i walk past transform in just a few short days. One day they are all twigs and tight little buds, the next, tiny flowers and bright green leaves adorn its proud branches. I think the ones that have bloomed just a bit resemble birds heads, they're so cool! To me there is nothing a bud can symbolise other than new opportunities and beginnings. They are on the cusp of becoming the beautiful bloom they wait to be all year, but not quite there yet. Patience, faith and timing. Natures recipe for perfection imperfection. Inside every bud there is the exact ingredients needed for it to become itself. All it has to do is stay strong and hopeful and wait for the right time (i like to imagine the gentle old tree whispering to the nervous little buds one sunny morning that its time to be free). One day it will burst through the bud, growing more vibrant every day; content in the knowledge that it has fulfilled its birthright. Summer goals complete! I know i have lots of potential in me too, i've had incredible experiences to gain inspiration from, a lovely family, a home and a mind literally bursting with ideas (seriously i think i might have too many). I just need a time and opportunity to put all of my Jennaness to use. There will be a place for me on this earth, that little glimmer of faith pulls me through.
Look to the trees. Just because one is blooming doesn't mean that the rest of the forest has to as well. Its not their time yet. We humans are no different, we all have our own separate lives and timelines, comparing ourselves is totally fruitless and will inevitably make us feel inadequate. How could a magnolia tree look to a rhododendron, for example, and wonder why its flowers were not yet blooming? Or why their leaves were shaped differently? They are totally and completely different and nature needs them both just as vitally. Their natural properties are exactly as they should be. If you don't feel like you've found your place yet, that's really okay. I so get it, i'm right there with you- i always feel like everyone is flourishing and i'm still a tiny root, lost and shrouded in dark earth. But any day now it might be my time to bloom. We must believe that there is a plan for us all and trust that when the timing in right, everything will become clear. Keep your branches aloft and your heart hopeful, our flowers are coming. I promise. |
LittlebirdJenna. Free spirit, flower enthusiast, seeker of truths. Archives
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