It’s Iris Season!
By now, you can tell I have an obsession with these flowers. I particularly love this photo. My Dad loved Iris and other purple flowers. I guess I got this from him. I adore the intricate beauty and lovely, soft and alluring fragrance of these elusive, short-lived beauties.
On days like today and at this time of year I love to go outside early in the morning to see what has changed since yesterday -and to just enjoy the overall effect of the plantings and of nature. It just gives me a little thrill in the first quiet moments of the day. We had a visit early on from a hummingbird – I wish I was quick enough to snap him – but I wasn’t!
What is it about the rarity of the colors blue and purple that make them so alluring and romantic and exquisite? I really don’t know the answer from a scientific or emotional standpoint – I will have to do some research on this. I do know that I am always craving these colors – especially in the landscape. Is it just their rarity, or is there some other effect on the brain?
The movie The Color Purple was a very powerful one. I assume the novelist, Alice Walker, picked this title just for this reason – referencing its power. I remember when I first watched it. In the movie the color Purple is supposedly used to symbolize one of God’s great gifts and is associated with Celie’s religious awakening – and, in one reference is supposedly a return letter from God which Celie does not acknowledge or realize.
I am no literary analyst, but I can identify with the power of the color purple in the landscape. The origin of the color purple goes back to Pre-historic times – noted as early as 16,000-25,000BC by the Tyrian people. Purple was one of the first colors used in prehistoric art.
“The artists of Pech Merle cave and other Neolithic sites in France used sticks of manganese and hematite powder to draw and paint animals and the outlines of their own hands on the walls of their caves. These works have been dated to between 16,000 and 25,000 BC.[17] As early as the 15th century BC the citizens of Sidon and Tyre, two cities on the coast of Ancient Phoenicia, (present day Lebanon), were producing purple dye from a sea snail called the spiny dye-murex.[18] Clothing colored with the Tyrian dye was mentioned in both the Iliad of Homer and the Aeneid of Virgil.[18] The deep, rich purple dye made from this snail became known as Tyrian purple.[19]” courtesy Wikipedia Read on if you would like to know more – including the most intricate process of extracting these pigments from shells……
Here is a little study of The Color Purple in my little back yard today:
And, herewith my favorite paintings using purple:
Iris by Lee Hughes
and, of course, the most notable collection, courtesy Georgia O’Keefe circa 1924:
I am guessing that there is a definite psychological link among people who crave this color. I will have to ask a friend! I hope it isn’t something bad!
Finally, check out this post from Florence – at Villa San Michele by Colin Cowie – and view his pics on his Facebook page – someone other than me is fixated on purple right now! – http://www.colincowieweddings.com/articles/engagements-celebrations/italian-villa-dinner?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=colinevent
I hope these will entice you to get in the car and take a trip to your garden center. Perusing and planting any of these flowers will give you oodles of pleasure!
Have a great day. Wow! May is almost over already!
I have oodles of rosebuds coming – I can’t wait. Last year I made Rose Petal Syrup. This year it is going to be Rose Petal Jam – and undoubtedly tons of photos!