Agapanthus, down memory lane!

Some time ago, I wrote a blog about The Symbolism of Flowers (Part 1), in which I mentioned Agapanthus, a flower that holds very special memories for me. And now a short blog dedicated to just this beautiful flower!

My mom always had agapanthus growing in her gardens, and loved having them in the house as well.

The quote (author unknown), “Where agapanthus bloom, summer feels at home,” strikes exactly the right chord!

Spring will officially start on March 20, and with it the lentekriebels, or spring fever, the urge to be outside and to become busy with nature, gardens, and plants. I am not such a dedicated gardener anymore, preferring paper, paints, and brushes! Inspired by previous paintings and cards, and by many visits to beautiful gardens in South Africa and the Kalmthout Arboretum here in Belgium, I decided to paint a few cards.

Agapanthus is native to South Africa and can be found everywhere—in gardens, parks, and even sometimes along the roadside. To me, they seem to carry warmth and sunshine with them. We have tried twice to grow agapanthus in Belgium, but not very successfully. The long stems and large heads of trumpet-shaped flowers never quite materialized on our plants! But we will keep trying.

What color is an agapanthus flower? Purple, blue, white and all shades in between. My mom had both light purple and white agapanthus in her gardens, and I, a few years ago, saw the most beautiful dark purple agapanthus in the garden of a friend.

I asked Chat GPT to create a painting diagram which I will use as inspiration for the next round of painting agapanthus.      

Source: Chat GPT

For me, agapanthus are more than just beautiful flowers. They carry memories, stories, and moments in time. Each time they bloom, they feel like a gentle reminder of how nature can hold pieces of our lives within it.

Simple, graceful, and so colourful, agapanthus is a memory in a flower.