One of the unanticipated joys of writing a blog about the Power of Connection is finding so many others of like mind who are also exploring and writing about connections of all kinds. I just discovered a great website from Julie Ardery called the Human Flower Project. Julie is a sociologist and writer in Austin, TX, and she describes her site/project thusly:
The Human Flower Project is an international newsgroup, photo album and discussion of humankind’s relationship with the floral world. We report on art, medicine, society, history, politics, religion, and commerce. Written and photographic submissions are welcome…
…Making daily posts, I want to share this space with anyone who has observations, photos, information or stories about how the lives of people and flowers intersect.
Those of us who were raised in the country–in my case, with a mother who raised the most exquisite flowers, especially lillies– or who are fortunate enough to have a flower bed or garden now, I don’t need to convince you of the richness and beauty that flowers can bring into our lives. Julie’s explorations at The Human Flower Project have broadened my perspective even further as to the value of flowers and the impact they have had throughout time, not just on individuals, but on entire societies, cultures, and economies.
From the mourners of a Neanderthal man buried with flowers in 60,000 B.C. to today’s megawatt floral designers on HGTV, people have turned to flowers out of anxiety, necessity and joy.
By studying flowers, we look into human emotion and value. Since the flower trade is global, and has been for centuries, by following the circuit of plants across the world, we track international relations and economics.
If you want to know and understand more about the flowers and plants that too often we take for granted, join me in exploring this fascinating site and learn a few new ways to Connect with Nature.
Photo credit: John A. Cottrell, Jr., M.D.
Permalink: http://heartspoken.wpenginepowered.com/2011/01/the-human-flower-project
If you’re interested in flowers, you might also enjoy this delightful book called The Language of Flowers: A Novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Click on the image below to purchase it from Amazon.
sadly the http://www.humaflowerproject.com can’t be reached anymore
I wonder if Julie’s email is still the same
She featured our local MUMSHOW in it once
which is not to say we can’t follow up on turning this world
in cosmic delight of of blooming gardens and trees FORest and Peace
dancing in the wind , long as it blows
yes long as it blows and leaves its needles pine and spruce the earth
as the bark, let us stand on guard for you, knit heaven to earth
as the cosmic graph grew all manner of plants for singing life in matter
Thanks for the heads up on this, Ranessa.