Friday, June 28, 2013

Here For Only A Moment


Iris ensata captured our attention several years ago.  Their nearly waist high foliage looks crisp and fresh all season.  How the blossoms unfold is nothing short of a miracle.  A long sharp cone of tightly wrapped petals pushes up and out of a green capsule.  Then, rather quickly, the flower unfolds.  Many times I had stood nearby watching, hoping to see actual movement, but I always impatiently move away without seeing anything happen.  The flowers are short lived lasting only a couple of days.
 

This purple wonder is nearly open.  The mechanics of the unwrap are mysterious.  Had the biting bugs been less vicious this morning, I might have lingered here to watch the show.


Fully open, the flower displays its deep purple veins.  Structurally bizarre, its beauty is somewhat creepy.


Pink Lady is the name assigned to this beauty.  Here the form of the flower is more normal in its appearance.  We must quickly take a moment to enjoy this show as it will all too soon end.

1 comment:

Kimberley at Cosmos and Cleome said...

This reminds me of my Walking Iris (Apostle Plant). Once it decides to open, it does so very quickly, and the flower lasts only one day.