Trillium grandiflorum - 13 April 2022

Trillium grandiflorum (white trillium, white lily, wakerobin) flowers Apr-May in the hardwood forests of western and central Québec and in the lower Ottawa Valley, Ont. It has been the Provincial Floral Emblem in Ontario since 1937. The roots were valued for their astringent and antiseptic properties.

The Canadian Encyclopedia

My youngest daughter Hilary tells me that just about now I have the pleasant distraction of scanning my plants. It means I can sit inside my warm, neat and clean oficina, at my desk, and go through the repeated wonder (at least 2000 previous ones since 2001) of scanning a flower or plant. What I would have a hard time explaining to her is the amount of intimacy this involves.

I have written before that printing a portrait negative in a darkroom and then spotting the dust specks of the dried print does not compare to seeing the image on my monitor and going through details that even any woman applying makeup in front of a mirror might not see. I feel privileged but also like an intruder.

We men in the garden like big bold plants (at least this one). That is what attracted me to hostas back in 1986. Somehow thanks to Rosemary I noticed the charms of smaller ones. Consider the trillium seen here.

It is a small woodland spring plant with a very small flower. We used to have many. Some Rosemary brought back from her mother’s garden in New Dublin, Ontario. There are only two left.

Scanning this trillium is no different from me walking into the guest bathroom that has many framed portraits of Rosemary.

This trillium is Rosemary’s face.