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INDULGE IN A FLORAL FEAST FOR THE EYES

Saturday, April 2, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we cover artists dignifying pit bulls through flowers, documenting centuries-old vines, rescuing leftover flowers to create beauty … and revealing the infinitely varied monkeyflowers.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ABELARDO MORELL

By Whitney Johnson, Director of Visual and Immersive Experiences

The cherry blossoms may come and go here in Washington, D.C., but as April–and Earth Month–kicks off, we’re bringing you a more enduring dose of beauty today.

These collections, pulled from our archive, are not your average flora.

Abe Morell, after years of bringing his wife bouquets, switched to a more enduring gift: wildly imaginative variations on the classic floral still life (above). Fashion photographer Nick Knight scoured through thousands of specimens in the Natural History Museum in London to unearth the most delightful, some centuries old. And Raku Inoue constructs insects out of plants, offering a fresh way to see nature and waste; when local florists have leftover flowers, Raku finds a way to give them new life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote that “Earth laughs in flowers.” I hope you enjoy this sweet bouquet of stories—and read to the end for a canine surprise.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL OCHOA DE OLZA

Flower altars: In central Spain, there is a tradition called La Maya, in which altars must be decorated with fresh flowers, and the young centerpieces (above) must sit perfectly still for the two-hour observance. Aspiring Mayas might have to wait a long time before they sit on an altar. Only about five are chosen each year. See more images by Daniel Ochoa de Olza and read about La Maya here.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RAKU INOUE

This butterfly is coming up roses: Artist Raku Inoue builds insects from leftover flowers, like this butterfly constructed of rose petals. Inoue offers a fresh way to see nature—and give flowers new life. See Inoue’s work here.

FROM TRASH TO BEAUTY

PHOTOGRAPH BY ELIZA R. SCIDMORE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Behind the cherry blossoms: Pioneering Nat Geo writer and photographer Eliza R. Scidmore took this image of three Japanese girls in kimonos, framed by cherry blossoms, circa 1918. Here’s more about Scidmore and her work—and a separate gallery of the joys of Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms, which Scidmore helped bring from Japan.

OUR BEST CHERRY BLOSSOMS

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDRIA LO

Unique and dazzling: Monkeyflowers come in a mind-boggling array of colors, shapes, and patterns, even within a single species. In recent years, hundreds of scientists have cultivated the plants in their greenhouses, eager to uncover the genetic source of their diversity and the role of variation in the species’ survival. Andria Lo photographed these monkeyflowers for this story on the secrets of their floral patterns.

A FLOWER'S SECRETS

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK KNIGHT

Painstakingly preserved: Nick Knight photographed hundreds of specimens in a tiny studio he built in the Natural History Museum in London. Then in post-processing, he removed the original written notes and other details, giving the plants the appearance of floating. Above left: Passionflower vines have long been prized species in gardens with a temperate climate. This specimen was cultivated in New York in 1972. Right: A camellia grown in England in 1979. Read about how some of these plants have been preserved for centuries.

STUNNINGLY PRESERVED

PHOTOGRAPH BY CRAIG P. BURROWS

The glow: How did Craig P. Burrows capture the otherworldly radiance of this bouquet? In a word, science. He uses a technique called ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence photography. This Nat Geo story shows 12 other stunning images made from this process, which uses ultraviolet light to cause substances to fluoresce, so the light being imaged is actually radiating from the subject itself.

MAKING FLOWERS POP

PHOTOGRAPH BY DOMINIKA DYKA

Flowers and music: The headdresses of these two musicians also include feathers, hemp threads, shells, beads, even pieces of foil and wax. In this image by Dominika Dyka, Daga Gregorowicz and Dana Vynnytska, members of the Polish-Ukrainian band DAGADANA, wear modern re-creations of the traditional Ukrainian vinok (wreath or crown). See other vinoks, often made for a summertime festival, in this Nat Geo story.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SOPHIE GAMAND

Speaking of flower crowns... Sophie Gamand sought to show contradictions in dignifying much-maligned pit bulls. “To take a ‘scary’ dog and then put flowers on their head and give them the granny look—it’s such a strong opposition,” she says. Above is Lizzy, who was adopted from a New Jersey shelter. Here is her full story.

EARTH MONTH: ARTICLE OF THE DAY

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter, which has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, David Beard, and Monica Williams. Send along your thoughts to [email protected]. And please, consider supporting our visual storytelling by subscribing to our magazine and unlimited digital offerings.

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