Category Archives: flowers

Edible Plants and Memories of Minna Lee, part four*

Photos and text by John Miller; text by Brad Gurman with photo by Bernard Lee
*fourth of five parts, so far, with responses from friends and family to my request for photos and text related to edible plants in the life or remembrance of Minna Lee (1917-2005) prompted by her birthday on August 23.

A rush — Still Learning To See

The sun-powered rush to grow, bloom and reproduce is under full steam now with wave after wave of plants hoisting their flowers up to the wind and/or the pollinators and the eyes of those who are seeing. They tempt with color—much of it invisible to my human eye—and scent and, for the insects, tiny magnetic […]Continue reading “A rush — Still Learning To See”

Brattle Square Florist, from Recent Past toward Promising Future

On a rainy evening in Harvard Square, May 2019, I responded to a sudden assignment in a smartphone camera class by taking photos inside Brattle Square Florist. As one of countless devoted customers for more than forty years, I had secretly dreamed of somehow documenting the special qualities of its long tall corridor packed floorContinue reading “Brattle Square Florist, from Recent Past toward Promising Future”

Look Back through Several Summers in Glorious Ongoing Gardens

After chipping away at ice layers on the city sidewalk in early February, I told Nancy Arons how I craved images from summer gardens outside her house in Pelham, MA. She soon responded with truly gratifying photos, including dates, plant names, and intriguing notes. Almost all her photos here are from late July, between 2015 and 2021, except for an irresistible October scene.

Abundant Bouquets Generate New Journeys

Thanks to a generous gift subscription from my sister, a tightly packed box full of fantastic blooms is delivered monthly to my door. Finding enough places to put them all can be a challenge, so I strive to send some off to other welcoming homes…..A future post may focus more on where the blooms have come from, but this one looks at where they went.

Join in Praises for Roses in Vases

Earlier in January, when I asked friends for photos of indoor plants, Sandra Millikin sent three from her home in England. All were roses in vases, each bouquet distinct and inviting. Her titles and evocative captions added context. The words and images suggested significant stories behind the roses’ arrivals and arrangements.

Winter Views of Indoor Blooms, Remembered and Recorded

Selecting from seventy or so photos of plants inside my home from recent years, I tried to pare down to seven for this post. So I grasped for goals to guide me. The pandemic here and now in January of 2022 has made me go for photos that show the living space where few people are free to visit.

Summer Wonders from a Wonderful Garden

Here are labeled photos by Tina Gram from this summer in her spectacular garden in Somerville. She selected, described and sent them in response to my recent request to friends to share their photos of plants they value. My goal is to present the photos and words in ways that convey the alluring qualities of the plants from the photographer’s perspective. While still facing technical challenges in the process, I’m thrilled to explore new possibilities for sharing the pleasures of plants.

Wonderfully Welcome Responses to My Requests

From the start of Pleasures of Plants, my intention was to share plant photos by friends and family, not only by me. For a few months I was trying to get comfortable with new features in the format I had selected. I hesitated to involve anyone else during that phase. Though still learning the basics of this blog, I’ve begun asking people to send photos of plants they value. I’m very grateful for their responses,* support, and patience as I try to present those photos in a worthy way.