Why I Love Ants-
Hi, My name is Karen and I am a floraholic, I especially have a weakness for Peonies.
-Romantic peonies are regarded as an omen of good fortune and a happy marriage.
-They are the floral symbol of China and believed to bring good luck.
-Ants play an important role in the blooming of peony flowers. The flower buds produce nectar that attracts ants, which help to open the buds. Although peonies will bloom without ants, the ants do help them along.
- In ancient times, peonies were used for medicinal purposes including curing headaches, relieving pain during childbirth and the treatment of asthma.
- Long ago, people believed that peonies protected them from demons.
-They can live to be ONE HUNDRED years old!
Botanic Gardens Exhibit- MyArtist Statement
For more than 25 years, I was blessed with a front row seat to life in Memphis. Being a photojournalist is the greatest job in the world, capturing fleeting moments in time.
Photographing the stories of the people in Memphis and being part of their lives-- often as some of their most important experiences are unfolding--is a privilege and a responsibility.
Working for a newspaper opens doors. My position brought me into the White House, to New Zealand, China, France and Peru. I got the chance to meet all sorts of people, the powerful and the powerless, and experience extraordinary things every day.
I sometimes got to go where everyone wanted to go--and I also went where no one wanted to go. I saw a lot of pain. You have to be brave to be a photojournalist. I saw many people on the worst days of their lives, as they experienced or recalled the worst possible things.
Witnessing the pain, sorrow, crime and poverty so intimately does take a toll on one's soul.
So I restore my soul in nature. I find respite seeking and sharing the beauty that lies just under the surface. You have the eyes to see it.
Putting Yourself In The Way Of Beauty
In the way of beauty.
Read MoreTree Awaits Awakening
"Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! Every seed is awakened, and all animal life. It is through this mysterious power that we too have our being, and we therefore yield to our neighbors, even to our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselves to inhabit this vast land. Chief Sitting Bull
Photography by Karen Pulfer Focht ©