In honor of Bloomsday (har har), I will take the opportunity to write about… flowers. I remarjed to C.— on Sunday that it’s a sign of my old age that I’m beginning to appreciate gardens more. Indeed, you might note that I spend plenty of time describing the loveliness of cherry blossom trees &c. And I have really moved to the place for that. A recent spot on my neighborhood concludes that the best thing about it is, well, the trees. If you have taken a walk down the sycamore (and Sycamore)-laden streets around my house, you will know what I mean.
When I was younger my parents would drag me to gardens. My mom is especially enthralled by the one up in the Bronx; I liked the model trains they had for Christmas but never really got into the rest of the experience at the time. But now I'm pleased to say I’ve chosen to hit up the Brooklyn Botanic Garden of my own free will.
And it does not disappoint. All sorts of mysterious flora and fauna abound in Brooklyn (this is a post about the former, but did I mention that raccoon I saw galumphing along down Rugby last week?). It’s perhaps a bit hot for the rainforest display at the moment, but the air does feel damn refreshing when you step back outdoors. The bonsai exhibit is impressive—tiny architectural masterpieces complete with tiny clovers and moss outcrops—even if some of the trees have leant over in what looks like protest. And all the plants sure have some good names. I enjoyed reading the especially humorous ones to C.—. Almost like a return to ye olde be-arboretumed alma mater.
And while we’re talking flowers, let’s not forget azaleas. Heck, I wrote a final paper (perhaps my best) on them. (True, it's not Joycean, but at least it's Modernist.) Out there in the all-encompassing dump, we move from a to z and back again, all within the world of that little flower.
And so I find myself a garden fan. Maybe one day I will even buy that plant I’ve been failing to pick up on so many occasions… A cactus might look nice on my desk, don’t you think? Or a pretty little bloom in my bedroom window? Maybe I can put some pots out on the erstwhile fire-escape/balcony…
As for Bloomsday, it’s too bad I work for the Manhattan office; sounds like Brooklyn had a good time…
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This is something I've noticed this week in LA. I miss flower gardens. And big leafy trees. But it's too dry here. The only place with lots of greenery is the neighborhood where I"m working in Beverly Hills--where it's a status symbol.
ReplyDeleteAw, that's too bad. Clearly SF is superior--I couldn't believe how many different types of plants there were and how great they all smelled!
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