Photo from a series on an artist's garden. 'Irises After the Rain', J. Franks, for Saint George's Society, Presented in an album of Canadian gardens for His Majesty, King George III, on the occasion of His Majesty's birthday, 2022.
'What in your life is calling you? When all the noise is silenced, the meetings adjourned, the lists laid aside, and the wild iris blooms by itself in the dark forest, what still pulls on your soul? In the silence between your heartbeats hides a summons, do you hear it?' ~ Rumi
To start the New Year (of the garden Rabbit), we thought readers might enjoy seeing one of a series of photos, which were chosen for a yearly album of Canadian gardens for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This photograph, which I took just after a rainstorm, served as a source of joy and remembrance during the pandemic. 'Irises After the Rain' stems from my project with an artist (Ontario College of Art and Design), whose William Morris-style garden was the setting for this photograph and a growing friendship (and a shared love of cooking and homegrown produce). The vignette seen here is representative of the main garden's overall design, where swaths of flowers were planted to resemble a painter's brushstrokes. Due to the passing of Her Majesty the Queen in 2022, the album, which included some of my own garden designs, was presented to His Majesty King Charles III (on the occasion of His Majesty's birthday). The peacefulness of these 'Irises after the Rain' evokes the idea of growth in the midst of hardships, where seeds of hope and friendship may still be sewn. Wishing all a very Happy New Year, full of health and happiness.