Blooming in the absence of competition

“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”

– Zen Shin

I like this thought. If we all could just bloom and shine according to our individual talents and God-given potential rather than compete in a destructive way, the world would be a better place. However, having said that, I have witnessed competition in the plant world. Two geranium plants in one pot will eventually lead to one of them thriving and the other dying; one outcompetes the other for survival given limited resources. So the natural world is not free from competition for survival. However, plants seem to have adapted to a system of peaceful coexistence much better than we humans, for the most part. 

Rhododendron getting ready to bloom

One of my recent photos from the garden......Rhododendron getting ready to bloom

I joined YouPic.com a couple of years ago and am making a concerted effort to upload photos to their site. Here is the link to the rhododendron photo:

https://youpic.com/image/10858557/


And here is the actual photo for those of you who would prefer to see it here:

Our Oslo neighborhood in springtime bloom

Still a bit of a chill in the air, especially in the evenings. But during the day, when the sun shines, there is the promise of summer. Oslo is in bloom, everywhere you turn. Our backyard boasts two cherry trees, four plum trees, as well as gooseberry, black currant, and red currant bushes, all of which are starting to bloom. And our co-op recently voted to allow residents to plant vegetables in crates that will be placed along the walls of the buildings in some places, for those who would like to do that. They will not replace the beautiful flowers though. Our neighborhood at large is in full bloom also. Enjoy the photos!

beautiful forsythia

forsythia and tulips outside our door

one of the plum trees in bloom

blooming trees along the Akerselva river

a meadow of cheery yellow dandelions

blooming trees

blooming cherry trees further up the road from where we live

a lovely evergreen tree

blooming roses indoors--a gift from my husband for our wedding anniversay

a blooming orchid indoors