A Field Trip of the Plant and Animal Appreciation Society

There is a botanical garden near my house that I like to visit now and then. It is near the airport so planes soar overhead, making it both a peaceful sanctuary (like all gardens) and a area of roaring noise.

Here's one of the planes. It is really close to the garden. It really is a strange sensation being in two worlds at once. The world of modernity with loud planes cruising by and disrupting every sound nearby. But at the same time being surrounded by the peace and beauty of manicured nature.

The planes don't distract me from exploring the garden though. And from admiring all it has to offer. I love taking close looks at the flowers growing in the garden.

The broad petaled pink flower looks like a face of some sort of mystical creature that sneaked past a door from it's universe into ours.

These fuzzy pink flowers look like little caterpillars growing from a plant.

Ferns are such pretty and dainty plants. They remind me of prehistory, of sun dappled forests, of Victorian ladies in gardens picking fern clippings to press between book pages.

Clovers, whether four leafed or six leafed are such cute little plants.  I love how their leaves look like little hearts. I always spend an extra second looking at clovers to see if my eyes can quickly spot a four leaf clover. It always feels special to find a four leaf clover.

These little plants almost look like little eggs growing from a tree. It would have to hatch quite the magical creature.

There are lots of flower societies that help fund this garden: The Fuchsia Society, the Daylily Society, the Rose Society.... how do all these flower societies come into existence?

If I was going to join a flower society, I think I would joint he Wildflower Society. We would collect wildflower seeds from mountain tops then scatter the seeds in the city on barren street corners, in abandoned lots, in empty pots on peoples balcony's. We'd spread the beauty of wildflowers far and wide.

If I wasn't going to joint he Wildflower Society, I'd join the Crocus Society. We'd not only celebrate the beauty of crocus's but we'd celebrate coming spring just as the crocus does. As soon as the first crocus popped from beneath a melting sprinkling of snow, we'd dress up as flowers and parade down the streets, throwing flower petals everywhere and singing songs of the upcoming spring.

If I wasn't going to join the Wildflower Society or the Crocus Society I'd join the Snapdragon Society where we'd put on puppet shows for children using the snapping heads of snapdragons as our only puppets. Or i'd join the Daisy Society where we'd make daisy chain crowns to adorn upon informal floral royalty. Or I'd join the Dandelion Society where we'd make wishes and blow puffs out into the open air.

 

As much as I love plants (and I really do love plants!) I love animals even more! So I was pretty excited when I saw this little rabbit hopping along in the garden.

So if I couldn't join the Dandelion Society, I might join the Buttercup Society, or the Daffodil Society, or the Forget-Me-Not society. Or the Red Clover society where we'd feed bunnies fistfuls of clovers. Or the Sunflower Society where we'd let the crows pick the seeds from the sunflower's heavy heads. Or the Tulip Society where for every tulip we grew, we would feed a precious tulip bulb to a hungry squirrel.

Or, I'd just join the Plant and Animal Appreciation Society and fully embrace a love for all natural beauty. We'd go to pretty gardens where we'd admire the flora and hopefully see some fauna enjoying the garden too.