Finding Beauty
Introduction
Notes
This sequence of images contrasts that-which-is-made with that-which-is-given; creativity with discovery. The idea of a gift is used to introduce the concept of grace.
The pictures are largely self-explanatory. They touch on the selective breeding of plants by humankind. For example, a photo of a Cut-leaved Cranesbill (Geranium dissectum), a wild flower, is contrasted with a cultivated geranium, Plenum violaceum. It should be remembered that human beings have altered our native flora not just by selective breeding, but also by moving plants from place to place. This has been going in Britain since at least the time of the Romans and many plants that people assume are native to our islands have, in fact, been introduced. The Romans are thought to have brought the sweet chestnut to Britain. Another possible Roman introduction is the much hated ground elder – which certainly was brought from continental Europe, possible as a herb for treating gout!
Some plants have been both introduced and selectively bred. The tulip is a good example of this, being a native plant of Turkey which has been much cultivated in western Europe since the seventeenth century, to produce the fantastic range of plants that are available today.
It should also be remembered that many of our staple food plants have been introduced from abroad, often relatively recently – tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn and so on.