Memories.....

Some of the flowers that I love are because they bring back great memories. Mainly childhood memories of England. You will find that I talk about England all the time, it will forever be a part of who I am.
These orchids in the picture are the Pink and the Yellow Ladyslipper, it is found in the woods here in Michigan. The other one is the Bee Orchid. Its quite rare and it's home is England. When I was a child there was a disused chalk pit that us kids played down. It was called The Blue Waters. There were Sticklebacks in small streams that came out of the chalk sides of the pit. It was closed up when they hit an underground stream and flooded the floor of the pit. Well, it became a great place for wildlife and for kids. When we were children we were close to nature, I knew the names of the flowers and trees and the animals around me. This little beauty, the Bee Orchid grew there. I knew not to pick it because it was rare. Along with quaking grass that for some reason fascinated me we would hunt for them in season. The Blue Waters was filled in with garbage. Now it is a nature trail so at least they have rectified the deed somewhat. What about those pure streams, the fishes, the flowers? Did anyone do a study or give it a thought before garbage was dumped there?



Cowslips, violets and bluebells. Flowers I would gather for my mum from the woodlands and fields.



White violets are quite rare. There was a spot that I knew they grew in the Baulk. When mum died and my husband and I went for a walk there I pointed to a small stream and said "we used to pick white violets over there" he replied "How on earth could you possibly know where they were after all these years" (probably a good 50 years..............so I went over through the trees and low and behold right where I said they were we found white violets growing on the banks of the stream. Took me back all those years and made my day. Flowers are special, they evoke memories and people and bring smiles to the heart.