Wild and Blooming Free

Posted on by Miriam

The wildflowers in Western Australia have really been showing off this year. There’s been lots of rain so it’s been a bumper year for blooms. It reminds of when I was a 19 year old and on a wet wildflower bus tour in the Margaret River region of WA with a girlfriend. It was supposed to be a winery tour but somehow everything got messed up. The flowers were prolific but we were largely unimpressed. How things have changed.

Fast forward nearly four decades and here I am, back in WA, and not only am I in awe at all the wildflowers but I’m out photographing them any chance I get. How times change!

Wildflowers hand picked and turned into a birthday bouquet by my new friend Sue. When the sparkly was finished the bottle became a vase!

But some things haven’t changed. I still love a good evening out and enjoying a glass of wine with friends, but my appreciation of nature and my desire to capture it has grown even more.

Doug grew used to me saying “stop the car” at the last minute so I could jump out and photograph the road side flora.

We saw wildflowers everywhere: on the roadside, at rest stops, in national parks, along coastal beaches and rocky trails. They grew amongst red earth gorges, barren rock where you’d think nothing could possibly grow and in sandy landscapes. The 2021 spring wildflower season has been prolific.

Seems that despite all the chaos of the world Mother Nature has her own ideas on freedom and thriving no matter what.

Resilience, it seems, is the epitome of growing in wild open spaces.

Although we didn’t hit the western wildflower territory until spring was almost over still the blooms impressed. At Kalbarri National Park and Karijini I was awestruck by the sight of flowers amongst ancient rock gorges.

On my birthday last month Doug ceremoniously presented me with a flower, a bright red Sturt Desert Pea.

I thought the red beauty only grew in South Australia but they were everywhere along the Coral Coast, especially near Yardie Creek.

Now he’s not normally a flower giving kind of guy so I was touched. Didn’t matter that he found it on the roadside, just outside the car!

Wherever we went wildflowers were never too far away. Or perhaps it only seemed that way because I was mildly focused on looking out for them.

What you focus on grows, after all.

So I choose to give my energy and attention on what’s beautiful, pure and true in this world.

We’re surrounded by gifts from Mother Nature: so much beauty, love, abundance and a knowing that everything is as it should be, even if it appears wild and untamed.

I want to shout it out loud. “Life is fleeting. Enjoy it. Don’t be afraid. Live the life you want to live and follow your bliss. Find what lights you up and honour that path. Shine.

Maybe we need to be more like the wildflowers, spontaneous and surprising. They don’t compete with each other or care where they grow or that the ground beneath them is harsh. They rise up, above all the shit underneath them.

Nature gives me a sense of hope in this rocky, uncertain, ever changing world.

“Like wildflowers; you must allow yourself to grow in all the places people thought you never would.” E.V

“Wildflowers can’t be controlled, and neither can the girl with a soul boundless as the sky and a spirit as free and wild as the ocean.” — Melody Lee, Moon Gypsy

We’re personally going through some massive changes right now. I’ll elaborate in future posts. But what I’m realising is that now is a time to try new things, to embrace change and step out of the shadows and into the light. It’s time to be true to ourselves, without fear of discrimination or judgement. It’s a time to be brave.

Nothing stays the same. Wildflowers don’t last forever. We’re ever changing beings in an ever changing world. Change is our natural state.

Can we allow ourselves to surrender, to let go of the old and everything we’ve believed in order to survive and embrace the new? When the time comes for the petals to fly into the wind we can then be completely free. That’s our natural state.

It’s so easy to feel shackled to the past, and to feel that we can’t possibly change our reality or make any difference in this illusionary world. But we can. Each of us can affect the world by our very being, by focusing on love, faith and by keeping our vibration high.

“A flower’s appeal is in its contradictions — so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect.”– Terri Guillemets

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change.”– Buddha

Where flowers bloom so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson

There’s always hope. Even in the darkest times, when the stories of the outside world make no sense, look up and trust in a bigger picture. And look within. That’s where the answers are. Everything is unfolding as it should. And all of us are exactly where we’re meant to be.

If we could take the example of nature and not complicate life so much. If we could simply be, adapt to life, live in harmony with the elements and all that surrounds us and marvel in the beauty of each moment, we wouldn’t be in so much of a mess. Humanity has so much to learn.

But we have a good teacher in Mother Nature. Maybe it’s time we stopped and paid attention. Are you listening?

See you on the next leg of our road trip, when we slow down even more, to savour this colourful journey we’re on.

Sending love and light.

Radiate boundless love throughout the entire world. Buddha

40 thoughts on “Wild and Blooming Free”

  2. What a wonderful array of wildflowers. There is something so captivating about flowers, especially the explosion of blossoms, wild displays of color, and short lives. As you mentioned, there are some good life lessons. I appreciate your attitude and reminders Miriam. To breaking out of ruts and routines.

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  4. “There’s always hope. Even in the darkest times, when the stories of the outside world make no sense, look up and trust in a bigger picture. And look within. That’s where the answers are. Everything is unfolding as it should. And all of us are exactly where we’re meant to be.” YES! I love everything about this post, Miriam, but those words really resonated with me. Your photographs are simply stunning and the quotes are perfect. Thank you for brightening my day! xo

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  6. We were in WA at almost exactly the same time as you, and were pleasantly surprised to find so many wildflowers still in bloom. The novelty of coming across another beauty didn’t ever wear off and we were thrilled to see Sturt Desert Peas for the very first time. Lovely photos, Miriam.

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  7. I absolutely adore these pics, your quotes and heartening words Miriam! If I never get to WA to see these wildflowers for myself I can return to this post to enjoy 🙂 They seduced my father who brought back seeds to grow on the NSW south coast but photos were never his thing. Capturing them all so bright and cheerful in such arid terrain does ignite hope and love 🙂

    can’t believe each post gets better and better when I can’t believe there is any room for improvement!

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    1. Aww, thank you so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed my pics and words Kate. I loved putting this one together and compiling all these colourful flowers into a post so others can enjoy them too. I can understand why your father was seduced! 😊

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  11. I didn’t appreciate the incredible beauty of flowers when I was younger, either. Maybe it is something that comes with age? But at least it comes, and we realize what a gift wild flowers really are! And I love your quotes…learning to live fully, without fear, can be hard, but it’s really the only way. Especially in the crazy times we live in now. Take care, Miriam, and continue your adventures!

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  14. Beautiful beautiful post, Miriam!! Those flowers are shouting YES there is abundance, YES there is New Life, YES there is beauty right now! When I come here to view what next you have for us, your freedom is what I long for, yet I am where I am for that is what I have chosen. Our weather here has been so wet too, and has prevented me for the most part to go into the forests with my cameras. I HOPE that soon changes for the colors that are about to pop I know will be glorious for all to see. I LOVED all your quotes and I thank you for posting them. I like you have a certain attitude in life and for that both of us are blessed with open eyes and open hearts. Keep on shining your Light, dear friend. It truly is an honor to know someone like you. Thank you for blessing me so much whenever our paths cross. Your photographs had me gasping!! Another thank you!!! Sending you so much LOVE!! xo

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    1. Oh Amy, thank you so much for your beautiful words. I know that we both share the same eye for beauty and nature so I can appreciate how difficult it must be for you to not be able to get out amongst it as much as you’d like. I hope the weather improves soon so you can enjoy it once more. Remember dear friend too that freedom is all in the mind first, so you’re always free at heart. Keep envisaging all that beauty and love and the world we’re creating will become a reality. For it is. Sending you lots of love back and huge warm hugs from across the ocean. xx

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  16. What natural beauty you share with us all, IAM so grateful. Like yourself I remember being young and only being interested in going out and making friends! No time for nature! Haven’t we changed! I suppose our Human life and the darkness is all about discovering the light! the light that we are! Continue living a life of celebration Miriam❤️ Sending Love x

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    1. Oh, what a beautiful comment Barbara, and so true. Once young, carefree and frivolous, now we’re older, wiser yet just as exuberant. And yes discovering our light even more so. Much love ❤️ xx

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  17. Dearest anam cara 💚 ❤️❤️, this is once again such a deeply moving, powerful, truly powerful and truth-full post!! I celebrate your raw authenticity, your heartwarming smile, your wild-woman-ways, your voice of hope, inspiration, and again, truth. ❤️❤️❤️ You deserve every single word of praise there is, because you dare to literally venture off the beaten track and shine a light on all that’s truly important in life. Loved your musings on resilience, on the importance of focusing on the light and of change as the constant in life. And those photos… delicious. Thank you for this champagne-for-the-soul-post, my friend. Wanna write you more privately soon. Love ya a ton! 1000 hugs ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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    1. Oh, my gorgeous friend. You know what’s in my heart don’t you, because we share the same visions and appreciation of the natural world. Thank you so much for your wonderful words here. Love you lots too and look forward to chatting more in private. “Champagne for the soul” how I love that. Keep smiling and drinking that joy nectar cara. Sending you lots of love and a big warm hug xx ❤️

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