It’s wildflower season here in the Sonoran Desert. I recently went on a hike out behind Picacho Peak with visiting family, and we encountered quite a few wildflowers coming into bloom. We’ve had enough winter rains that it should be a good year for wildflowers. Though it’s a bit too early to say, websites are tracking these things, of course.
But the wildflower picture above wasn’t taken out in the desert. I took this photo in one of Tucson’s older neighborhoods. Technically, the flowers are considered wildflowers—but are they wild if they’ve been intentionally sown in someone’s yard?
I’ve found myself pondering such paradoxes before. I’ve blogged about what might, or might not, cause something to be considered a weed. I’ve written about the paradoxes inherent in the spiritual life. When we live with conscious attention and intention, we can find that many of our assumptions about life and the things around us need to be revisited.
So, what makes wildflowers wild? What does it mean for something to be wild in the first place? Definitions I found online speak of “growing in the natural environment” (which the flowers above are) and “without the influence of human activity” (which the flowers above are not). Are these flowers “tame” (no) or “domesticated” (maybe?)?
My own interactions with wildflowers have made a few things clear to me. Wildflowers tend toward prolific and unbounded reproduction. They set and sow seeds easily—at least in their native environment or under similar conditions (which is how many invasive species can take over new habitats). One thing I noticed near this wildflower patch was that the same flowers were growing in the neighbor’s yard too, and along the adjacent alley. Those, I imagine, are vigorous volunteers sown from last year’s wildflower season.
Wildflowers also tend to be annual plants with a fleeting bloom season. In home gardens, we tend to cultivate perennial plants or bulbs that will give us years of recurring blooms (like my favorite irises). But wildflowers are “here today, gone tomorrow,” as that old saying goes.
What, for you, makes something wild? What wildness are you noticing in your life?
I think the fact that a plant wasn’t put there by a human makes it wild. There’s a lovely globe mallow growing by a sidewalk where I often walk, planted by Mother Nature. It’s in bloom right now. One of God’s little miracles. I’m noticing that as I look at plants from this perspective, I’m less judgmental about them. I don’t just think of them as weeds. When I consider that all living things are miracles, I appreciate them so much more!
Thank you, Aston, for sharing the Bloom(!) you’re noticing! I like the idea of being able to release judgment about plants when we let go of trying to control them. I imagine we all need more awareness of miracles in our lives, so I’m grateful to you for bringing this idea to my attention!
Peace,
Shirin