Flowers present an ephemeral beauty which I find fascinating on both fronts. First, why do humans find them beautiful? Second, their quick passing, sometimes lasting only a few hours, is beautiful in itself.

The flower’s beauty is almost a complete side-effect of their biological purpose. I can see why the pollinators would be attracted to them since they’re part of the plants reproductive system. This is the old story about the birds and the bees. Why do we find beauty in them though? Flowers evolved long before humans were on the scene. I also doubt that the birds and bees see them in exactly the same way we do. Maybe the best answer is that we too are part of nature and not everything has to have a clear cut explanation. Even if their beauty to humans is an accident, that’s good! What a happy accident.

I took this photo with my phone camera. I don’t know what the plant is, so any identification help is greatly appreciated. They almost look like prickly poppies, but I’m familiar with the ones in central Texas. These were shot southeast of San Antonio, so maybe they’re a different kind of prickly poppy. The flowers were quite large, about 4 inches in diameter.

Please leave a comment if you know what it is!

Unknown White Flowers

This is an iris in our backyard landscape, taken almost from directly above the flower. I love the trilateral symmetry, the color combination of white, maroon and gold, and the patterns.

These only lasted a few days. That brings in the ephemeral nature. I like how it is a basic part of photography. Any photograph captures a single moment, never to be exactly repeated. It reminds us to appreciate every moment. Ephemeral indeed.

Backyard Iris