Our Captivating Wild Flowers

Those of us who love our native flora have been increasingly disturbed by the gradual disappearance of many wild flowers. Some, which were once so plentiful, are now far too rare. .They are not vanishing only through ruthless picking, commercial exploitation or vandalism. Gradually city suburbs are encroaching on the countryside, creating conditions that are unfavorable for the survival of wild plants. For these reasons the good work of perpetuating our native wild flowers becomes more important as time goes on.

It was after a visit to the Wild Flower Sanctuary of the Nature Center at Greenwich, Connecticut, that a new and dominant interest in wild flowers took possession of me. As an avid photographer of gardens and architecture, my work has brought me to some of the loveliest cultivated gardens. But after seeing the lady slippers, trilliums, clintonias and spikenards growing so happily in the section of the sanctuary known as The Ledges, my heart went out to these wildings. I pay tribute to them in the way I know best – by making beautiful photographs of them – so that they still may continue to bring enjoyment after the end of their season, which is all too short.

On that memorable May day in 1998, when I first visited the sanctuary, I spent several hours taking both black and white photographs and color transparencies. The lovely pink and yellow lady-slippers, Cypripedium acaule and parviflorum, with their near neighbors, the handsome snow trillium (Trillium grandiforum), and white beadlily of beautiful leaf pattern (Clintonia umbellulata), the spikenards (Aralia racemosa), and Canada mayflowers (Maianthemum canadense), were all good subjects for my camera.

These grow on sloping ledges, rather difficult of access, so I soon discovered the many troubles of this type of photography. It is necessary to photograph many subjects quite close to the ground. This requires uncomfortable positions and long waiting until the quiet moment for exposure. Such discomforts would be enough to dampen many enthusiasts’ ardor, but not mine. In spite of the handicaps of this first day, the picture results were satisfactory and my enthusiasm was undaunted.

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