This is the second part of a series where I take you on a visual journey to discover the intricate patterns and designs of our surroundings.
If you would like to read the first part of this series, click on the link to the Patterns of leaves.
Today's theme: FLOWERS
If you feel a bit strange looking at these flowers from up close and are not quite sure why - not to worry it's totally normal, you're just staring at its sex organs 😊
Plants which have flowers are known as Angiosperms, or flowering plants. Pistils and stamens comprise the sex organs of the flower; the PISTIL being the female part that produces the eggs, and the STAMEN the male part that produces the pollen.
Observe the patterns on this Cornflower.
Do you notice the repetition in the petals? The black stamen forming circular patterns? The pistil in the center and the slight variations/gradations in color?
Iris flowers come in a variety of different patterns and colors: yellow, purple, white, black, red, green, brown... The top 3 petals, called the "standards" are often one color, while the bottom 3 (called the "falls") another.
Within every cultural tradition, designs and patterns are often conveyed in variations of lines, colors, shapes, subject matter and purpose.
Floral patterns have been replicated in art for thousands of years.
If you walk in the streets of a European city for example, you will find them in paintings, mosaics, columns, wallpapers...
If you were to count them throughout the day, you'd be amazed at the amount of flower patterns you would see around you, casually strolling around town.
Much like leaves, petals will often appear to grow in spirals.
Why? 2 main reasons:
So that new leaves don't block the sun from older leaves, and/or so that the maximum amount of rain or dew gets directed down to the roots.
As we have seen in Part 1 of this series, Fibonacci Numbers are very common in plants.
Remember 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 ... etc? These numbers occur in an wide number of places.
Below, notice the Geranium Sanguineum has 5 petals? And the shape of the Daisy's pollen... a perfect Fibonacci swirl. Seeds are produced at the center, and then migrate towards the outside to fill all the space.
Please note that this phenomena does not automatically concern all plants - nature has many different methods of survival, and follows its own set of rules....
...but if you were to go outside right now and look for a flower, you'd be more than likely surprised to find one of the "magic" number. Do it, I dare you!
Famous examples include:
- lily = 3 petals
- buttercups = 5 petals
- chicory = 21
- daisy = 34
... and so on
Above is a yellow Rosa Banksiae, also known as Lady Banks' Rose. Its petals are so tightly packed together, I suppose it is protecting its pistils from the early morning chill until the warm sun appears, along with the bees.
This close-up of a Pansy Flowers to the right shows an intriguing pattern. Why the blue stripes? Do they serve a purpose?
The next photo may provide an explanation for this.
Insects perceive flower patterns only from short distances when they are about to land or are searching for pollen. From further away, flowers display larger-sized patterns using chromatic and achromatic cues within the visual scene that will guide the insect's flight.
This may explain the Pansy's need to create a stronger visual pattern of lines and color within all its whiteness... a sort of helicopter landing pad if you will, with the blue lines pointing to where the insect should land (?)
The petals of a flower are generally known to look somewhat well-organised.
Where are the patterns in this tulip you may ask? No idea! Apart from its color and faded out pinkish-white feature, I have rarely seen petals as erratic as these ones. Looks like it's at the end of its life cycle.
Oh and don't worry about the 2 hairs you see on your screen to the right... it's just a funny little bug playing hide-and-seek, trying to crash my photo party.
An orchid and its latest inhabitant. I've come to check up on this little guy over the span of a few days and it seems he has rented the place out. Not a bad choice if you ask me. That devil or tiger head design is bound to scare a few curious predators.
Who has not stood in amazement at some of the creative designs the world's most famous orchids have to offer. A real feast for the eyes! Click here to see more of their intriguing designs like the "Flying Duck" or the "White Egret" orchids.
The dandelion at its final stage, with its parachute seedlings waiting for the wind to blow its way.
If you're interested, check out this timelapse of a dandelion's life cycle - one whole minute of pure awesomeness.
 Patterns and designs in nature - Leaves |  The story of an old well and its secrets 2 |
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.jpg) The story of an old well and its secrets 1 |  The treasures left behind by my great-grandfather #9 |
“Learning is not a race for information, it is a walk of discovery” - Jane Healy
Such wonderful photos! I love and have almost all of these flowers, of course mine aren't blooming yet.
It is interesting to note that the magnolia (which I am lucky to have a young tree in my yard) is a very ancient tree. It actually predates bees existence, so I was told and thus it's lovely large tulip like flowers are not able to be pollinated by bees. Instead, there is a type of beetle that moves into the flowers lives a bit feasting on it and then drop off. Bees are attracted to the flowers, but by the time they arrive the flower is already pollinated by the little creatures who arrived when the bud was tighter. They are a simpler flower as well, being ancient, so there they don't technically have petals, but those are their sepals, thus they are leathery and stronger and last longer. That is the case with another of my favourite early spring plants, the Hellebore. Their long lived flowers are sepals not petals and thus can stand up to the cold and snow, as they bloom as early as Feb or march.
It's also interesting to note that the lyre flower is called a '|Bleeding Heart' in the US and UK. It does have the look of a heart with a drop of blood. I think it is also tied to Christianity and the Resurrection etc.
The rose was selective breed for so long by man, thus their 'sex organs' are more hidden because man saw the potential in what was a single open flower of the roses' progenitor to occasionally have a mishap and mutate with more petals and thus man can easily step in for the bees and pollinate the flowers selectively thus the vast amount of beautiful varieties we have. I do some self pollinating myself. For example when I grow things in a greenhouse sometimes I act at the 'bee' and use a paint brush to move pollen from the anther to the stigma. I have been doing this to my cucumbers because I stared them way too early this year ( I was impatient for Spring) and they set flowers months ago so I used a paint brush and did the deed. It worked and I have little cukes forming now. It'll be another few weeks before they can go outside.
I love roses, and have quite a few. In fact, yesterday I bought two new ones, one was a bush rose the other a climber.
I love these photos and blogs about plants! Keep them coming!
I had no idea about Magnolias and their pollinating system. Super interesting to know.
As for the Lyre flower, I may be completely wrong... I only know the name of flowers in French so had to look this one up. In French it is called Coeur de Marie (Mary's heart) so it makes complete sense as regards to the explanation you give.
I'm amazed at your self pollinating skills. Sounds like it would make an interesting post 😉
I know, more than you wanted to know I'm sure, but don't get me started talking about art or gardening or I'll never shut up ;)
I saw the @sublimesunday post tag and thought maybe Sundays in Season would be a good day to do my garden/chicken/project posts, so I might have an update on my cucumbers and such tomorrow.
I love the name in French! Maybe I shall call mine that. I also have some all white variety of this flower. They are a great shade plant and woodland garden plant. I just wish they bloomed all Summer.
Every detail of nature is fascinating beauty. I was fully impressed when I looked at these blooms and patterns. For whatever we're living in, we're actually in a fantastic story. We just do not notice it. And oh yes! It's strange to look at her sexual organ: D
Excellent photographs and exceptional information. Congratulations and thank you also, dear friends. great to have you around here!
Thank you so much dear @artizm. That is a lovely thing to say.
I love that 😊
Beautiful looking this photography, I appreciate your photofeed. and also good looking this nature. best of luck my friend.....
Soo GORGEOUS! I'm so happy to see you posting again. I always love to see your photographs and perspective. Absolutely beautiful. You put my silly photographs to shame.
I hate to leave a spam comment, but I have to get back to work. I saw your leaves pattern post too and said I would loop back around, but there is never enough time in the day to write a thoughtful comment anymore. So here is my spam comment.
Sending you hugs from this side of the world! ❤️💛🌻
I'll take this kind of spam comment any day over the one that's right above you! (edit: she/he's back down to the bottom somewhere... i knew this was going to happen 😜)
And don't be silly, your photographs are great. I'm just an amateur like you - with a bit more time on my hands at the moment.
It means a lot that you still find the time to check my post and leave a comment. Hugs right back atcha 😊
Lol, will have to see who this wonderful commenter is below.
Your posts are all wonderful. They deserve to be on trending. Not posts like the nine different photo shoot of the same darn cookies. Seeing unfairness like that gets my sarcasm flowing which is so not cool. I prefer the happy bee.
I stole your collage idea for my post, hope you don’t mind. I wanted to have some affirmations combined on a photo and your flower collage inspired that thought. You are too awesome to mind silly things like that though.
I am heading out to enjoy some sunshine and maybe get in some lucky photography shots. Have a great weekend!! If only we could go photographing together so you could share some skills with me. My best of bestest to you! 😊💛
What?!? I love cookie photo shoots! Especially when its almost the same photos over and over and over again. Its like cookie brainwashing.
Don't mind the trending page sweetie... Its only for newbies who don't know its all trash yet. I prefer the happy bee too.
As for the collage, i'm pleased it has inspired you. Collage away girl! (i use a super simple website called fotojet)
Haven't been checking steemit this weekend but i'm off to see your post. Hugs to you and your little fam 😘
Hi @osm0sis. I am late in getting back with this one. I'm finding it harder and harder to find time for meaningful engagement time on here. Some days I prefer to have giphy conversations with some of my fellow Steemian riffraff. :)
I hope you are well and happier since the last time we spoke. I did see your new post, insects? :)
I do have to hand it to you that you still find time to curate. I don't have much time for that nowadays. I hope to see more of your posts when I do have time to come on here.
Appreciate you stopping by that day to show your support. I have a post to write on my experiment, but can't seem to find time to write, grrrr. Will never become a Steemit millionaire this way.
No worries @beeyou. Don't feel bad or pressured to comment or even post. I completely understand what you may be going through...
Perhaps a side-effect of a binge commenting phase? (which a lot of us have experienced)
I think a few of the older steemians (the very first ones )may also know exactly what you/we are going through. I believe there is a very healthy side to the fact we don't have much to say to our computer screens anymore. I can think of a few questions I've asked myself over the last few months. What is the price to pay? What are my priorities? How do I find the balance? Can I find the balance and still make my time here worthwhile? How much of this is taking over my "real"/physical life? Am I doing this to the detriment of the other things I've built in my life? Does anyone "really" care about anything I write?... I could go on forever!
I find time to curate every once in while, but I comment and post less and less. I'm beyond broke but I'm just not money-driven enough to "succeed" here. Yet feel no shame in that...
Sorry I'm rambling. I keep missing your new posts (which are now probably old). Off to see what's happening in your world :)
Thanks for coming by, as always.
You've echoed every thought that has crossed my mind these last couple weeks/months. I find it hard to comment one word on here some days, never mind posting. You may choose any one of your rambled points as the reason. I'm not a blogger and not much of a social person, so it is really difficult to justify what I'm doing on a blogging/social media platform. I told Asher the other day that my baby girl was 6 months when I started here, and she will be 1 year old very soon. Where did the time go? Was it worth it to spend my time on here when I should be enjoying every moment of her childhood?
Some days I really wonder what the heck I'm doing on here. Then I chat with the wonderful friends I've met on here and want better things for them, for all of us. It is beyond lunacy the reward system on here. IF I was a whale, I would happily upvote your quality post so you can go back to that island and teach if you want. My support is small, but you will always have it. :)
Don't pay my blog any mind. I'm not a writer or blogger so I just write whatever comes to mind that day. It will never be curie material 😉. I don't share many personal information on here. To be honest, I seem to find my inspiration in writing when it relates to the unfairness of this Steemit system, lol. That will never earn me big bucks. Oh well, can't write if I have nothing to say. I'm listening to music again a lot so if want to get a post out so people know I'm still alive, it's usually a song post.
Look who's rambling now. Thanks for listening (reading). I truly hope you are well there. I don't ever want to pry, but I'm here if you want to chat. Or rant. Or ramble. :)
Still about design and patterns of nature. Indeed nature keeps all sorts of natural patterns so that it can become an expensive artwork and Nice. the postings are truly very classy my friends dear @osm0sis🤗
Thank you so much Irvan!
I'm going to write one about insects if I find the time next week, so I'm hoping you'll like that one too. Your posts have inspired me :)
Thank you so much my dear friend. I wait for the posting you next week. Please provide you time to I learned from you friend. If there is discord to I can always communicate with you @osm0sis😊
Sure! You can find me on discord under the same username.
I am very sure would like to learn from you @osm0sis that said if you consented. The name discord I please you help add irvanhelmi # 4256😊
These are all so incredibly freakin beautiful. I'm in awe at the beauty and I've always loved taking photos of flowers, especially the sex organs as it turns out 😀. Really pretty and beautiful ❤.
Haha, nothing wrong with pimpin' out the flowers right?
Happy you like them. Thanks @jusipassetti
How beautiful these flowers are. And the photo taking is very good.
Thank you :)
LOVE! To see so many flowers - it truly is spring now, finally it arrived on Steemit! :D
At last! So hot and sunny here. It was about time after a very long grey winter.
Thanks @soyrosa
That was an interesting post, to see nature like that, I'm amazed at how we take nature for granted, when we can learn so much from it.
So am I... and it's not getting any better either. Enjoy the flowers 🌷
So much beauty here! You put a lot of work into your posts, sweet osm0sis. Thanks for the colourful inspiration! 💖
Cheers Katrina! Glad you noticed hehe 😉.
I'm just happy I can keep these on my blog forever (I could use these posts in class) and even more to bring inspiration to others.
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These photos are overwhelmingly beautiful.
You keep looking at it and discover new details every time. Thanks.
Thank you dear @clio. I look forward to seeing more of your nature posts too.
Looks like the sun is finally here to stay in Europe... perfect time to grab the camera and capture all the beauty that surrounds us 😊
I love this post! I, too, am into patterns and the beauty of flowers, and you have highlighted both in this post, very nicely! The shot of the cornflower is stunning! And the photo of the "Magnolia Susan" has solved a long-running mystery of mine, to identify a particular variety of pink magnolia that I have seen each year blooming in this area! So, THANK YOU for that, especially! 😊
My pleasure! Glad i can be of help.
Thanks @thekittygirl
These are great macros! I ought to grab my camera ..... have not taken any for a while, this is inspiring!
Glad i've inspired you to get the camera back out. The month of May is perfect for nature macros :)
I got a album on Flickr just for that where I add from time to time. Some trees in the Spring break out into magnificent bloom, but shed it within days: on my walk to the Studio on April 22nd I took a picture - a few days later it was bare, and the petals drifting like snow on the sidewalk.
click for large view
Gorgeous!!!
I was reading and appreciating the beauty of each flower. In a sudden, I stopped and was not able to move my cursor...
Eschscholzia - Hahaha - Yes, how is it pronounced?
Edited:
And because I'm really curious, I got the pronunciation in youtube -
hahaha. Thanks for the knowledge and the fun @osm0sis
Aaaaahahahahahahaha! Good to see i wasn't the only one to be intrigued by this weird word.
Cheers @leebaong
omg that thumbnail is SO perfect. Super ADD friendly lol wow, love your flower pics!!! I would actually print these out and hang them
Thanks girl :) gotta take care of my ADD buddies too (i'm slightly ADD myself so that might also explain the need for visual wackiness)
haha yay!!! Another one of us!!! I wish I was only slightly...they said I'm almost off the charts haha. But YES! Visual wackiness is my favorite!
absolutely beautiful post!!!! each image..pulled me IN!!! heading out to the garden to capture some flower images now!!! thank you @osmOsis!! re steemed!
😁😁😁
You have an excellent collection of photos! One of my friends the artist collects dry petals of different colors. He composes different compositions from dried flowers, it's very interesting. Recently, the exhibition was...
I'm sure your friend's compositions are beautiful. I used to try and make these as a child but lost patience as I was not producing any worthwhile results! It is much harder than it looks.
Thanks @marymik23
Such gorgeous photography, inspiration for my heart and food for my soul. I love how you photograph each flower in a different way to best show the nature of each, such a nourishing post!
Thanks Ruth. Your comments are always a great boost to keep going.
Big hugs to you and yours. I hope you are well 💓
Such a gorgeous post! I wish I had found it earlier so I could properly upvote it. Still, reading and looking at it was a real pleasure. Exactly the type of stuff I adore! :)
Thank you so much. Such a real compliment coming from you... the flower queen 🌷 😊🌷
I keep forgetting to check out your posts as I haven't been very active lately, but it is always a true pleasure to see your photos, full of poetry and enchanting visual stories.
This beautiful is incredible