Mockingbird Hill Cottage

The wildflowers down by the road are particularly lovely right now. These are asters, also called michaelmas daisies.

There were hundreds of bees; everywhere I turned there was a bee or two or three dining on a flower.

I wrote on Instagram yesterday about wildflowers. I don’t pick them. And I don’t do that for two reasons: others should be able enjoy them, just as I do, and most importantly, bees and birds need these flowers. They are vital and essential to the well-being of our friends. So, why would I pick something and take away the flowers, just for a day or two of ‘prettiness’ in the house?

I suppose that’s why I don’t pick flowers from my garden, either – I really only do it when they are about to kick the bucket, as when the peonies are threatened by torrential rains, or the roses by japanese beetles. Otherwise, they stay where they are. A hothouse raised bouquet will do for me.

Bees are being threatened. We need to do everything we can to help them survive. These flowers help. Not using pesticides – and I can’t stress this enough – will make a huge difference. The threat to bees has been directly linked, in part, to the use of pesticides. I have never used them in any of my gardens and I won’t ever use them. Yes, I get frustrated by the aforementioned japanese beetles, and aphids, and whatever other flying critters attack my flowers. But then I stop and remind myself of something: that’s the price I pay for keeping my gardens safe for bees and birds and butterflies and, yes, aphids and japanese beetles.

If I could urge one thing, I would urge you to rethink your use of pesticides – if indeed, you use them. By using them, we are contributing to the decline and possible extinction of species that are absolutely essential to the health of our planet. And really, I know this will sound blunt, but how selfish can we be if pristine prettiness is more important to us than birds, bees, and insect life?

End of sort-of-teacher-like-lecture.

We watched a fascinating documentary the other night. It is Finding Vivien Maier and it’s on Netflix. I had heard about Vivien Maier, but certainly didn’t know the whole story. Maier was a nanny who worked in the Chicago area for years. A man found a box of negatives at an auction and purchased it – what he found inside was hundreds and hundreds of boxes of negatives – all from a woman named Vivien Maier. He googled her name and there was absolutely no information about her. Eventually, he found out she had passed away and the search for more information about her started.

She always had her camera with her – a Rolleiflex – and she took the most incredible photos of people. Everywhere she went, she snapped a shot or two. Beautifully composed, humorous, touching – they are extraordinary.

The man who discovered her has spent years on his mission to bring her photographs to the attention of the public and of galleries. There have been exhibitions. There are now two books on her work.

She never got the acknowledgement of her talent while she was alive, but she is getting it now.

If you haven’t seen it, I hope you do. I found it very moving.

Another moonflower this morning; this one rather overwhelmed by the heavy dew of last night:

Sigh of happiness.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page with some links for you to read.

Happy Wednesday.