Hello Everyone,
I am writing to wish everyone a blessed Summer Solstice today. Summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and the day with the most light.
"June 21st is the Summer Solstice, the high point of our solar year, when nature is at perfection. The magical transformation of hard brown seeds into flower and color has culminated. The solstices and equinoxes tell us a story about light four times a year. Light pierced the heart of matter (the core of the Earth) during Winter Solstice, when Earth was in darkness.
At Spring Equinox, the light rose from the core of the Earth and touched the roots with a globe of fire. Now, at Summer Solstice, there is a powerful radiation of released light in plants and trees. Their waving about is actually a movement of ecstasy. Earth is in a state of joy and well-being.- Risa D'Angeles
In honor of nature, I thought today would be the perfect day to share some information about the Hollyhock flowers blooming in Ojai.
The common hollyhock traveled all over the world during the Middle Ages because of its well-deserved reputation of being able to thrive in almost any climate and soil so long as it was planted in full sun. This is still true today. Once planted, the hollyhock will produce many seeds and they will successfully grow year-after-year. Hollyhocks grow tall. The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to your home.
I have recently been watching for hollyhocks growing along paths here in Ojai. Walking in the evenings with trimmers & a bag in tow, I watch to see if any of the flowers have dried. I gather the seeds which are in round pods and place them in glass jars. Hollyhock seeds seem to hearkening back to another simpler time.
So I gather the seeds inside the round dried pods.
The flowers become pods, dried pods.
There are so many seeds, small tiny black seeds in round brown pods.
Before the hollyhocks flower, you can see green pods on the stems.
Green before flowering.
I just realized that one can collect seeds from everything.
Especially flowers.
I give them away as gifts.
I just gave some flower seeds to a friend for a her birthday.
I have a special friend in the neighborhood. She just turned 3 years old. I was on a walk with her mother in the meadow where hollyhocks were growing. And the young one asked what type of flower it (Hollyhock) was.
Yesterday, I saw her recently on her scooter with her Father. I stopped to say hello. She remembered our walk in the meadow and I told her that I have been collecting Hollyhock seeds recently. And I would bring some over to her house to plant & she can watch them grow.
I invited her to write stories & illustrate them. Like about walking in the meadow or planting Hollyhock seeds & watching them grow.
Everyone, even little ones, has a story.
And so, may this Summer Solstice fill you with continued Joy and may we all grow, as strong, noble and as steady as the hollyhock.
Sincerely,
Lauren Whitney Glass