“The Earth laughs in flowers”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
About 130 million years ago, there was a burst of colour as the landscape changed from just greens to vibrant blooms of colour. Flowering plants have become wildly successful. They account for 90% of all terrestrial plants and are found everywhere, including Antarctica.
The abundance and diversity of flowering plants has contributed to the abundance and diversity of many other species. Flowers have an intricate relationship with pollinators such as bees, butterflies, birds and bats. This relationship has resulted in flowers evolving with various colours, shapes, and smells as these qualities are attractive to pollinators.
How can you help flowering plants and insects thrive?
- Grow plants that attract pollinators
- Plant more native plants that have evolved alongside native insects
- Do not think of insects as pests
- Just leave some parts wild
Flowers are nature’s artwork. As they add colour, beauty, texture, scents and biodiversity to gardens and environments. They have the power to lift our moods. And they stimulate all of our senses. The world would certainly be a duller place without flowers.
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change”
Buddha