Serious question, has anyone else started noticing more people just staring at plants?

I was at the big botanical garden in St. Louis last weekend, the one with the geodesic dome. I saw this guy, he must have been standing in front of a single orchid for like 15 minutes, not moving. He wasn't taking pictures or anything, just looking. I got curious and did the same thing with a fern nearby. After about 5 minutes, I started seeing details I never noticed before, the way the new fronds uncurl, the tiny hairs on the stems. It felt totally different from my usual walk-and-glance routine. I've been trying it in my own backyard now, just picking one plant and really looking at it for a few minutes. It makes the whole hobby feel new again. Has anyone else tried this kind of slow looking, and did it change what you see in your own garden?

2 comments

2 Comments

jones.angela2d ago

Wondered if it was just me... I started doing this with the weeds in the cracks of my driveway. The tiny purple flowers on the chickweed look like little stars up close, and the way the dandelion leaves fan out is actually pretty neat. Makes me feel less like pulling them, honestly. It's weird how much you miss when you're just trying to get stuff done.

olivert182d ago

My neighbor @jones.angela probably thinks I'm just staring at the ground.