Wildflowers: Resilience, Beauty and Grace

Posted byLisa at Micro of the MacroPosted inEnvironment, Health & Well-BeingTags:, , , , , , , , , , ,
On The Mesa in northern New Mexico, with the foothills of the Rocky Mountains & a Buddhist temple in the background

I must have flowers, always, and always.  ~Claude Monet

I first fell in love with wildflowers on a trip to Taos, NM.  The first couple times I visited, drought conditions prevailed, and I remember hand-written signs hanging all over the little hostel encouraging water conservation.  But a couple years later, the drought ended (unbeknownst to me) and I returned to discover incredible displays of wildflowers all over the northern part of the state.  It was unlike anything I’d ever witnessed, and my deep appreciation for these beauties was born.

Just outside Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado

Since that time, I have become a seeker of wildflowers.  Anywhere I travel now, I look for them, even if they can be found only in small patches.  I believe their resilience and willingness to tenderly reveal themselves after years of enduring drought is a spiritual act, one that we humans can reflect on and learn from.

Where flowers bloom so does hope.  ~Lady Bird Johnson

On a hiking trail inside Joshua Tree National Park in California

Not only do wildflowers delight our senses, but they serve practical purposes as well.  According to an article from the US Dept of Agriculture’s US Forest website, wildflowers support entire ecosystems for pollinators, birds, and small animals on a micro scale. Butterflies and other insects, small birds, and animals depend on seeds, nectar, and pollen for their food supply and life support system.

Lupine among the aspens, alongside Kachina Trail in Northern Arizona

Like many parts of the Southwest, Northern Arizona is often strewn with wildflowers, especially during monsoon season.  I went to buy some native seeds to plant around my house earlier this year, but the nursery was sold out!  It seems a lot of us are planting seeds during this pandemic.  An article from Mother Earth News, The Benefits of Growing Wildflowers, says Wildflowers are as much the heartbeat of our planet as the oceans. All living creatures interact with wildflowers whether they know it or not. For 130 million years, wildflowers have blessed the earth with their amazing skill sets and stunning beauty . . .  They freely bestow upon us a grace that helps sustain all of life.  Therefore, planting native species, the article goes on to say, is most advantageous.  I’ll be sure to get to the nursery earlier next year!

In the Mojave Desert, Southern California

The Amen of nature is always a flower. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

What are your favorite wildflowers?  Have you planted any native species?  I’d love to learn the names of the ones unlabeled in the pictures of this article. If you’re familiar with them, please don’t be shy – share your knowledge!

Wildflowers are beautiful and beneficial creations.  They help ensure the survival of pollinators, and therefore, humans.  What a debt of gratitude we owe them for their willingness to reveal their tender beauty, sometimes after years of drought, in an effort to help sustain life!

On the coast of Big Sur, California, with a very vocal little bird!

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy . . . to have such things about us. ~Iris Murdoch

Blessings for Wildflower Love,

Lisa

The content of this article is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented herein. Any statements about the possible health benefits of any subject discussed have not been evaluated by medical professionals or the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.

57 thoughts on “Wildflowers: Resilience, Beauty and Grace”

  4. Beautiful photos! My aunt and uncle lived in Taos for a couple of years and I was able to visit them— it’s a beautiful place!
    Wildflowers are a beautiful, free gift! Much like the earth and life itself. Be blessed ❤️

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  5. I didn’t know their role in supporting the ecosystem through pollinators and food for ants and insects. They are a beauty to behold and like you said, even though the environment around might interact with them and benefit without knowing, we also benefit by relaxing at their sight and having our ecosystem maintained to some extent without us knowing. Thanks for this education.

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  13. If you ever visit North Alabama again, I will take you to the North Alabama Land Trust which is part of Monte Sano State Park. A group of Red Cross volunteers introduced this place to me several years ago and it is filled with many wildflowers. There were (2) specifically that I really loved, (1) Virginia Bluebells and (2) Wild Blue Phlox. Interestingly, both of these wildflowers have shades of “blues” and “purples”. I think you would enjoy this hike.

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  18. What an apt post. There is a movement to turn every bit of soil by the roadsides, motorways, and even in the parts of the gardens into meadows. I wrote a post about too. The photos of such beautiful flowers seen first thing in the morning bring joy. Thank you.

    Joanna

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  21. Lisa, I love flowers, especially wildflowers! ❤ One of my favorites is Black-eyed-Susan. We moved in February, and I collected some seeds as I walked around our new neighborhood and sowed them at the edge of the woods net to us. I hope some of the tiny seeds germinate.

    The flowers in this post are gorgeous, and I enjoyed your narrative. 🙂 Take care, Cheryl

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