Tina starts this week with another of her wonderful quotes – this time from Mahatma Gandhi:
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Through my whole life, I have strived to take good care of and preserve the things I love. When it comes to humans, people I love, it becomes more difficult. We don’t live forever. Photos are essential of course, but to me, also living things I have received or inherited from them.
The white geranium above, was one of the flowers in my grandmothers windows. In Sweden we have a long tradition of keeping geraniums in our homes – indoors and outdoors. My grandmother taught me everything about them, and I inherited all of hers when she died in 1988. Soon I excelled in propagating them from cuttings, and outdoors they thrive the whole summer.
Our National Painter, Carl Larsson, often used his family and home as models for his pictures. The Flower Window is maybe a favourite with most Swedes.
Our summer house is a haven for the whole family – and the old sallow was the warden tree. It was believed to be at least 200 years old. Last year it didn’t make it through the heavy storms, but luckily a sapling survived at its feet. We were so happy. When we arrived early this spring though, the sapling too had fallen in new storms. And maybe, because it no longer had the support of the mother tree.
I was devastated, and so were all of us. I decided to gather some of its twigs and take them home, ”Live!” I whispered… when I planted them, and at least one of them does. I am hoping for more.
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet.
– Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare
I often fall in love with roses, and would love to have more of those. Google is a good friend when my books are too old, and I found a good youtube clip that showed me how to take cuttings. So, nowadays, I don’t have to double expose my rose photos to see more of them! And I can give new roses away as presents too. This yellow rose for example. I now have three of them.
I just could not resist picking something I have learned over the years, ever since I was a child. It still gives me so much joy and satisfaction. It’s a celebration of life. My whole house and garden are filled with plants and flowers, and many of them are gifts from the start, or inherited. So, in fact they are great great grandchildren to the original ones.
Tina wants us to show some of the things we’ve learned about photography or any other subject. How do we learn it – by doing, from classes, or online, or through working with others? Please be sure to use the Lens-Artists Tag with your responses and to link your posts to Tinas’s original one.
Last week Egidio took us Into the Woods for some Forest Bathing. I enjoyed all of the wonderful responses I could read. Our summer house does not easily allow us an internet connection… On Saturday, August 2 at noon Eastern Time John will be hosting our next challenge. Many thanks to Tina for this challenge Lens-Artists #358 – Live and Learn
Leya 
Excellent post, A C… and remembering your house, I think you have many a flower window!
Thanks – I do…
😊And such loved flowers they are
Ann-Christine, I love how you have kept family memories alive by learning how to create new plants from cuttings. Your images show us the beautiful results. You have created a magical place!
Thank you, Beth – even my husband has learned to love my many plants. There is a gigantic hibiscus from his grandmother too. Well over a hundred years old.
I love the way you cherish and propagate your flowers, especially the ones you have inherited. My husband does the same – many of the plants in our small garden were originally cuttings given by his father, plus a few from my mother and one from his uncle. Some we name for the donors – ‘Uncle Billy’s fuchsia’, ‘John’s hydrangeas’ and so on …
Yes, how great you do it too! I always tell visitors where the flowers and plants come from and from whom they originally came.
Ann-Christine, I am in awe of your photos of flowers. That rose composition is simply beautiful. I suspect you’ve got a print of that photo on your wall somewhere.
So sorry about the tree, but hopefully you will be successful at growing a replacement for the next 200 years.
Haha, yes, our children will inherit the place, so hopefully they will be able to sit under the new one for many years.
Dear Ann-Christine
We love Carl Larsson’s pictures. That’s a genuine expression of Scandinavian hygge.
Like always, your flowers are immaculate.
We especially like your picture above the Shakespeare quote.
Thanks and cheers
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you so much – and yes, what a lovely way to put it! Hygge!
This is so you, Ann-Christine. I could feel your pain about your tree, devastation is how it feels. And then the hope of new life. I love the family tree of your plants, so far I can only do that with my tomato plant, we’re on the 2nd and 3rd generations so far 🙂
Thank you, Sofia! A tomato plant! How very special. Never thought of it!
The best I’ve ever had, tiny but so tasty.
A simply lovely post.
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LOVEly
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What a lovely post, your love of family and flowers shines through.
Thank you – I am happy it does!
I like how you care for your plants. Beautiful photos
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Great photos. My condolences for your trees! LOVE the first gallery, with the beautiful white geranium and window flowers photo. Excellent.
Thank you, John – you are very sweet.
I hope that one that you planted does grow! What a beautiful post-how your flowers and plants are interwoven with family .
Thank you – i hope it will live and grow. If it does, it will be planted out there where it came from.
Is my favourite tree no more. This makes me sad as I have grown to love that tree from when I first saw it and lived through the hardships it has faced.
The love of flowers is within us all I hope.
Thank you, Brian. True, I believe most of us, or all of us, love flowers.
Anyone who doesn’t love flowers can’t be my friend 😁
Ann-Christine, I am in profound awe of your abilities with plants. Your dedication is wonderful. I would love to shadow you and learn from you. What an uplifting post!
How nicely said, Egidio! If you ever visit Sweden – my garden and home are open!
You are such an amazing florist Ann-Christine, and I do mean florist vs gardener. Because you not only grow and know them, you infuse them with your spirit and love and they thrive under your care. Such a wonderful talent/skill, sadly that one has always passed me by. A wonderful response for this week’s challenge.
Thank you, Tina – much appreciated. I realised how many would post on photography, so I decided this instead!
Ann-Christine, your dedication to honor your loved ones who passed is honorable. Your flowers, keepsakes and pictures will keep them alive in your memory and heart. Wonderful post.
Thank you, Anne. I had some trouble thinking what to post, but realised so many would post on photography.
You live in a flower bower, Ann-Christine! Surrounded by all the plants you love and care for. They couldn’t wish for a better home xx
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That’s a lovely post. I think I should try double exposure. There must be lots to learn there
It’s fun. You can do it in camera and in photoshop for example.
Thanks for the peek at your home and gardens. Photos are a great way to preserve the memories.
It is – but also living things from their owner.
Your emails are incredible. Thanks!
Thank you very much.
Your emails have a way of providing a fresh perspective on familiar topics. Thank you for the new insights!
Then I am happy! Thank you!