A Little Bit of Ingenuity

For the past 10 days, I've been having my garden completely made over and now that the work is done (and it looks absolutely fantastic!), today is the first day I've been able to venture back out there to appreciate the late spring growth. It's just a pity that it's overcast today.

This year, my clematis has really blossomed and there are masses of flowers already smiling at the sun and plenty more ready to emerge and they're the most incredible plants ..... so seemingly weak in stature but with an internal strength that withstands the worst the weather can throw at it. I admire this boldness and ingenuity.

Coincidentally, therefore, when looking up the history and meaning of the mighty clematis, I learned that it symbolizes ingenuity or artifice and mental beauty.

Clematis comes from the Greek work "klema," which means "twig," "shoot," "branch" or "to break off." The words used for clematis in Russian and Bulgarian carry the additional meaning of "traveler's joy," which is not surprising since the clematis travels as it climbs.

What I hope this shot captures is that juxtaposition between the vulnerability of the plant in contrast to the inner strength - that 'ingenuity' - that it stands for represented by its bold display and deep colouring against a soft background.