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Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

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A Case of the Human Condition: Flowers Bursting From the Dirt — How Do They Do It?

August 31, 2009 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 1 Comment

Red chrysanthemums with yellow stripes. photo by bf newhall
Abundance — in this case store-bought Chrysanthemums in a pot of dirt.

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

They emerge from mud, manure, leaf rot, earthworms, sow bugs.

They take in water and sun.

And here they are — with their intricate lines, dewy textures and colors beyond naming.

How do they do it?

pink camellia blossom california. photo by bf newhall
The camellias in our Northern California front yard start blooming around Christmas. Does that make them late fall — or early spring — bloomers?

Nothing lasts in a garden, of course. Read about that in “My Rain-Battered Garden.” 

And what if no one’s there to notice the fat camellia bud in the background or the Gerbera bud nodding in the shade —  “Is Beauty Only in the Eye of the Beholder?”

red gerbera daisy damaged petals. photo by bf newhall
Is this Gerbera daisy supposed to be awkward and charming? Or was it deformed by insects? The stress of being transplanted. The effort of coming to life? Photos by BF Newhall.

 

 

Filed Under: My Rocky Spiritual Journey

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  1. California's Golden Poppies Aren't So Golden This Year -- They're Orange ・Barbara Falconer Newhall says:
    April 10, 2019 at 12:02 am

    […] More blossoms at “Flowers Bursting From the Dirt — How Do They Do It?”  […]

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

‘Read Me a Story, Mommy, But Not That One You Wrote’ (Or,The Nicest Thing My Husband Ever Said to Me)

1986 home office with computer monitors, toddler and sleeping cat. Photo by BF Newhall.

To save money, management had cut my hours back to one day a week. I did what every self-respecting writer does when she’s ticked off at the world. I sat down at the keyboard – and wrote. Read more.

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  • A Case of the Human Condition
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TO MY READERS

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