These photos of flowering herbs and shrubs in Germany and Austria are all from my archives, found during my ongoing efforts to “clean out the vaults“. They’re old photos, but I have never shown them before. :)
Purple Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) with white flowers (purple flowers on a second plant in the background), near Inzell, Germany; July 2009.
Erigeron species (Fleabane family, German: Berufkräuter), Weilhartsforst, Austria; July 2009.
![Rhododendron ferrugineum (Alpine rose, Snow-rose, German: Rostblättrige Alpenrose [rust-leaved alpine rose, which the scientific "ferrugineum" points at, ferrum being iron]). Winklmoosalm, Germany; July 2009.](https://www.alex-kunz.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Alpine-Rose-09-5129.jpg)
Rhododendron ferrugineum (Alpine rose, Snow-rose, German: Rostblättrige Alpenrose [rust-leaved alpine rose, which the scientific "ferrugineum" points at, ferrum being iron]). Winklmoosalm, Germany; July 2009.
Macro photo of Oxalis acetosella flowers (Common Wood-Sorrel, German: Waldsauerklee), Burghausen, Germany; April 2010.
A patch of Oxalis acetosella (Common Wood-Sorrel, German: Waldsauerklee), Burghausen, Germany; April 2010.
Red Campion (Silene dioica, German: Rote Lichtnelke), female flower; Burghausen, Germany, April 2010.
Macro photo of Euphorbia species flower (Spurge, German: Wolfsmilch), Burghausen, Germany; May 2010.
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Silene dioica (Red Campion, German: Rote Lichtnelke), Male flowers, Burghausen, Germany. May 2010.
Macro photo of clover flower, Tengling, Germany; May 2010.
Inflorescence of Achillea species (Yarrow, German: Schafgarbe). Ettenau Meadows and Floodplains, Austria; May 2010.
Blue Gentian, Nationalpark Berchtesgaden, Germany; May 2010.
Bistorta officinalis (Common Bistort, Snakeroot, German: Schlangen-Knöterich), Ibmer Moor, Austria; May 2010.
Flowers of Viburnum lantana (Wayfarer or Wayfaring Tree) // Wolliger Schneeball, Blüten; Naturschutzgebiet Untere Alz, Bayern, Deutschland; May 2010.
Iris sibirica (Siberian Iris; German: Sibirische Schwertlilie) in bloom, Feldwies am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany; May 2010.
Papaver somniferum (Opium Poppy; German: Schlafmohn) growing in a field in Wanghausen, Austria; June 2010.
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Petals of Papaver rhoeas (Common Poppy, Field Poppy, German: Klatschmohn), Tarsdorf, Austria; June 2010.
Astrantia major (Great Masterwort, German: Grosse Sterndolde) with bug visitors, floodplain forest near Hohenwart, Bavaria, Germany; June 2010.
Just today I read that the Russian minister of foreign affairs, while in talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, in Turkey, couldn’t even commit to establishing a safe corridor that refugees may use to flee their own homes and Ukrainian cities. Human lives are being traded and discarded with words, incompetence, cowardice and lies.
I hope that I won’t be misunderstood here, but I felt, just for myself, that some beauty is needed, to balance the gruesome images and news out of Ukraine. Whether it really works I don’t know: the state of the world right now really gets to me. The helplessness as people die and flee while politicians talk without results and bombs keep falling and tanks keep rolling is cause for a deep, seething anger inside of me. I have no words for how disgusted I am by this war.
Just a stunning collection, and beautiful art like yours is always a welcome counter-balance to the world’s gritty ugliness. Cheers!
Thank you, John.
I think we need to try to find and appreciate beauty even in the midst of horror. If we can’t do that, then we are truly lost.
Very true.
I’m with you on the state of the world in general and the events in Ukraine especially. Your flower images are quite beautiful! I enjoyed seeing them today very much and they brightened my day.
I’m happy to hear that. Thank you.
This is a surprise! ;-) My favorite hands down is the Opium poppy. I love your Astrantia portrait, too. That old-fashioned flower used to grow in several gardens I worked on when I had a gardening business. Your photo is beautiful. Then there’s the poppy petal closeup…and even the Bistort. They always strike me as silly in a sweet way. I guess that’s because I introduced Joe to them in a public garden when we were first together and he couldn’t stop riffing on the name.
As for Ukraine, when I looked at the NYT front page today, one story after another about the war, all surrounding a photo of a dead soldier in a casket with mourners around him – I felt sick and teared up. I was at a bookstore so I wandered back into the stacks. That didn’t work. I had to leave. We need air. We need beauty. And an end to mad dictators.
Thank you, Lynn.