The Lotus Flower

I'm not usually trolling the internet for photos to show you but this collage piece by New York city artist Susan Benarcick just stayed with me.  The lotus  flower (pictured here) was once explained to me as signifying spirital awakening because it grows towards the light from the murky and dank depths of a pond

and slowly unfurls petal by petal as it reaches the light. You'll often see lotus flowers in Buddhist paintings.

Sometimes we used to be able to get fresh green lotus pods which I always loved using in arrangements.  These days, not so often available.  But the brown pods with their big seeds rolling around inside are a staple of the dried world.  And I'll never forget Longwood Gardens (really amazing place) outside Philadelphia is where I first saw pond after pond of these beauties. I love this flower.

photo courtesy Susan Benarcick.  Click here to go to her site and find out more