Gardens

A pink symmetry on the peaceful pond catches my eye. “It’s a lotus!” I have made lotuses with paper before, but cannot remember the last time I saw one (have I noticed one before in the way I did today?). The vivid colours are striking: pink petals define the shape of the flower, with a yellow centre. “I can see why Monet painted lotuses and lily pads,” I said. Their beauty caught my eye at first sight. Around, there is a lotus emerging from green leaves. I wonder when it will bloom.ALTA pink lotus next two a large lily pad and surrounded by several smaller ones. There is a blooming lotus in the bottom left corner too.⁂With petals made of air, petals of delicate white, and a beautiful symmetry, I am mesmerised by another flower. The botanic gardens are full of colours – of flowers I have never noticed to the extent I have today.“Cornflower,” reads the plaque. I search for the name when I get home, too. Perhaps next time I see one of these flowers I will be able to recall them by name,…