Vision 120: Magnolia Tree & Spirals

"He who plants a treePlants a hope."~Lucy Larcom

Dear Tina,

I chose this beautiful magnolia flower for ReVision 120. It's easy to see from my last Vision how long and harsh my Connecticut winter was this past year.  It affected a lot of plants in my garden but the most heartbreaking of all were my Magnolia and Eastern Redbud trees. The Magnolia was one of the first trees Brett & I planted after we got married and the  Redbud Tree was a gorgeous addition to the berm we created in the fire pit area of our garden. We planted it to attract the bees who are drawn to its nectar and the cardinals who love its fruit. Trees do so much to foster the circle of life, yet often we take them for granted.

Both trees had showy flowers that bloomed before their leaves which was unexpected and fun to watch. We looked forward to seeing them and I feel the void in my garden without them. Their loss reminded me to not to take things for granted, especially things you cherish and love. I will plant new trees and continue to grow my garden, mindful of how a single tree like a good friend can provide shelter, nourishment for others and pure joy just by its existence.

Dear Laura,I have long been inspired by patterns in nature.  These tug at the connecting line between us and that which is around us from our local yard to the galaxies beyond.  This Vision inspiration is of my sago palm releasing it's new layer of fronds.  Once a year it produces about eight that emerge from the center of the plant.  You can count how old the plant is by these layers up it's small trunk.  What fascinates me is how the individual leaflets unfurled in a spiral.  I had not noticed that before.  The spiral pattern has been widely researched by scientists and artists.  HERE is a video from the scientist's perspective at the Chandra X-ray Observatory (NASA's flagship mission for x-ray astronomy) and then HERE from the artist's perspective at "Spiral Jetty" by Robert Smithson in Utah.I found THIS other video that speaks to spirals, numbers, and nature.  I know it will blow your mind away.  Looking forward to see what you create! P.S.  To all our friends reading, please share your thoughts about these Vision inspirations in our comments below, on Facebook, and on Pinterest (send us Pins!).