My Garden Story

Arty Flowers

 

Since the introduction of modern photography in the 1800s, The popular early subjects seemed to be wedding groups, self -portraits and men in uniform. Mostly in black and white and sometimes hand tinted. With the development of coloured images, the Japanese Kazumasa Ogawa photographed pink chrysanthemums around 1894. Botanical photographs became a most important subject, the early examples often featured a single bloom or a small sprig in colour, continuing the Victorian love of the language of flowers.  Black and white pictures of flowers tended to be single blooms carefully posed against a background and while roses do not benefit from this treatment, flowers like lilies and orchids, even tulips can work beautifully, one of the greatest exponents being Robert Mapplethorpe who worked primarily in black and white, but occasionally including a coloured Iceland poppy. Not all the blooms are perfect, he allowed small flaws in his photos, a bent stalk or a curled petal, rather than the perfection most flower photographers strive for. 

 

Many gardeners photograph their gardens and flowers - I know I do - recording the seasons. Also, when creating a garden, it is immensely helpful to have a record of progress. I find I photograph the same things year after year, but I cannot bring myself to delete any pictures, even if identical. One can also see gaps and the shape and balance, bearing in mind that trees grow to different heights over time. 

 

Today, most small galleries will have a botanical exhibition every year. Some, like the small gallery attached to the Sydney Botanical gardens has particularly lovely exhibitions, as it would. Paintings and photos of flowers are found on half the greeting cards, the other half being cute animals. Some of the larger galleries open to the public will have a shop attached and here we find a plethora of native flowers on their greeting cards. On tea towels and fabrics, wallpaper, prints, magazines dedicated to gardeners and gardening, flowers are everywhere and we are better for it. Fake flowers that require no maintenance beyond a light dusting with a hairdryer occasionally can look spectacular, but nothing can beat a vase of scented roses or lilac, a bowl of gardenias, a bunch of lavender or a sprig of blossom. Ultimately it is the scent we remember.

 

Next time, my orchid experience.