When I was younger, I did not understand the concept behind cut flowers. As someone interested in the sciences, their purchase made no sense whatsoever. They appeared to have no practical value and to be a poor investment, dying only days after purchase.
I did not appreciate their beauty enough, either – they may have been fun to identify or interesting from the perspective of analysis and study, but buying them was anathema to me.
But I have since learned the value of nature’s extravagance and exuberance. In a place like NYC, where utility rules and problems abound, beautification could be seen as a low priority item and a frivolous use of monetary resources. But, as I wrote recently in Let’s Have a Parade, not everything should be reduced to practical terms (see Very Practical here). Quality of life has been a recently articulated public policy, and efforts to make the city more attractive are welcome.
So a display like that in today’s photo, taken at the Hudson River Park, is true eye candy for New Yorkers. And although flowers maybe gratuitous in nature, that’s a good thing 🙂
Very well said.
Lovely photo and nice commentary. What is the structure in the background?
It’s quite funny: two daily photo blogs about NYC with these flowers today!
birds and butterflies like them too!
One thing I love about New York that you also see in Paris, but not here in Chicago, is that little corner bodegas throughout the city devote a lot of commercial real estate to selling cut flowers. Obviously, they wouldn’t do that if people didn’t buy them. I think the city is such a built environment that people just love reminders of nature in their homes.
i like reading your observations, and your photos are good too! your science interest – any field in particular?
This picture can make the best postcard! I love it~!