shapeofthings | Vietnamese mint (Persicaria odorata) (Reply)

There's a little bit of magic in a garden: the sprouting of seed, the burst of green after rain, the gentle decomposition driven by billions of tiny creatures. It's winter here, and my garden is full of life and clover. The lavender's in spectacular bloom and white camellia petals contrast strikingly with the deep green lawn. If I get home early enough the afternoon light paints everything with a gentle glow, dappled low rays spotlighting tiny details.

I took last Friday off work, and spent an hour or so wandering in delight as the afternoon glow played across the garden. I lay on the front lawn in my pinafore dress and got up-close with the mushrooms, I kneeled in the mulch of the herb garden to capture deep purple Thai basil flowers in the dappled highlights, and just when I thought there were no wonders left I noticed the soft light falling on the Vietnamese mint, it's fragrant tendrils heavy with tiny pale pink flowers.

Bending in the slightest breeze, these delicate stems held me captivated as I tried to capture their wonders through the lens. Each no bigger than an ant, the flowers danced in and out of focus in an instant. A tiny piece of magic just outside my back door.