Bye-Bye, Begonia 1
December 6, 2017
You may remember the photograph of the begonia plant that captured my heart this summer. Shortly before I left Ohio to spend a few months in Florida, this is how it looked—still beautiful to me but perhaps a bit alien.
Romancing Reality 
It looks exhausted to me…
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December 6, 2017 at 4:38 AM
Yes, it probably is, Peter. It put on quite a show from April (maybe earlier) through October and even into November.
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December 6, 2017 at 9:44 AM
I like the way the pinks still look attractive, even when it’s dried out, but…gotta say, I’m liking the fresh version more today! 😉
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December 6, 2017 at 3:49 PM
I’m hoping to find another iteration of this plant at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market this coming spring. (That’s where I found this one.) If I do find one, I’ll see if I can take a different photo of it. That will be a challenge.
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December 6, 2017 at 5:33 PM
Very moving to see the earlier ones together with this one — no greater lesson about beauty and the passage of time.
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December 7, 2017 at 1:07 AM
Alan, thank you. Are you familiar with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi?
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December 7, 2017 at 10:42 AM
Not by it’s formal name, but somewhat acquainted. One thing I’m not clear on though: Does your photo depict imperfection according to wabi-sabi? The fact that the plant is dying doesn’t make it imperfect for me.
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December 9, 2017 at 12:40 AM
The article referenced above has this line: “. . . wabi-sabi is the art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in earthiness, of revering authenticity above all.” It’s the “revering authenticity above all” that I’m valuing in this photograph. Plants die. That’s real. But just because a plant is dying does not mean it is no longer beautiful.
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December 9, 2017 at 2:53 PM