The contemplation of nature always leads the devout soul to the praise of God as Creator – it is never an end in itself.
The Norway Maple is deciduous with a deep crimson / purple , broad palmate foliage. It is a robust tree growing outside our garden. They are tolerant of many different growing conditions and because of their shallow roots and a great deal of shade it is difficult for grass and other plants to grow under them.Once the flowers of the Norway Maple are pollinated by insects they develop into winged seeds known as Samaras, which fall in autumn and are spread by the wind. This is a view from the otherside of the vase. The vase is an American one showing a Blue Bird. There have never been Bluebirds over England’s shores.On the underside of the vase is this information. The Franklin mint is a private mint founded by Joseph Sega in 1964 in Wawa , Pennsylvania. My vase was bought long ago from a charity shop for a few pounds and until now I didn’t have a clue what was stamped underneath it I just liked the bluebird. It is a pleasure to have time to find out about it.The Lichen growing on a small twig of the Norway Maple used in the arrangement. Lichen looks like a single organism, but it is a symbiotic relationship between different organisms. It is composed of a fungal partner (mycobiont) and one or more photosynthetic partners (photobiont). The photosynthetic partner is generally green algae. There are about 13,500 species of lichen on the Earth. This find on the twig enriched my understanding of how complex life is. Lichen is something worth reading more about. Bess is always present while I am picking and arranging and whatever falls she often picks up. Here Bess has one of the five lobe leaves of the Norway Maple.In the front of the arrangement is the Dogwood with its abundance of white berries providing food for the birds through autumn and winter. This shrub has a good shape and the best time to prune it is in late winter early spring, before new foliage appears. They like moist well – drained soil which is slightly acidic. It thrives in shade or sun.The Smoke tree leaves rise above the vase as the Bluebird swoops down. The Bluebird is a symbol of hope, love and renewal and is also part of many Native American legends. While walking the Bright Angel Trail located in the Grand Canyon National Park I stood very still and watched a Bluebird looking straight ahead while sitting on a boulder within touching distance. As it flew away. I exclaimed : ” A Bluebird!” then I heard a voice say “Yes” (in a matter of fact so what manner) “But that was wonderful!” l exclaimed.
Real religion is an intensely joyous experience, abounding in all manner of expression, requiring the consecration of all human values to the praise of God. ” I will praise thee, O Lord , with my whole heart.”
Gorgeous vase. Remember all the lichen in the kopjies in the Matopos?
Real religion is an intensely joyous experience – amen to that.
Thank you. Lichen is fascinating they can study the quantity of pollution in the environment from it.