This month’s topic for Urban Jungle Bloggers is Botanical Zoom. It’s all about zooming in and taking a closer look at our plants.
Something fascinating happens when you look at plants from close up – as I discovered when I began zooming in and photographing of some of mine.
You realise there’s more to them than first meets the eye. You find new details, patterns within patterns, hidden exquisiteness that’s not apparent at first glance. It gives you a fresh perspective and it’s mesmerising. I found myself staring in wonder at the beauty of nature.
But there’s something else too …
You may already know that I have a keen interest in biophilic design: bringing nature into interiors. One of the elements of biophilic design is fractals.
Fractals are those never ending repeat patterns found in nature, such as the forms of leaves on a plant. Or the intricate pattern you can see within each individual leaf like on this fern. We have an inherent attraction to fractal patterns.
In research conducted at different universities around the world, they have all reached similar conclusions: looking at fractals is good for our health. It lowers stress and promotes feelings of calm.
Yes, it’s quite amazing. Simply looking at them can have a restorative effect and give us a sense of wellbeing.
As I focused closely on the details of my plants, finding and photographing the fractal patterns, I really did find it relaxing. There was something almost meditative about it.
It made me think that sometimes, in order to see the bigger picture, perhaps we need to zoom in first. Because when we do, it forces us to be in the moment and we begin to see things from a new angle. And when at times, that seemingly endless feed of gloomy news gets us down, it reminds us that despite everything, there is so much beauty all around us.
It’s so important to pause from time to time. To take a moment out of our hectic, switched-on lives and appreciate the wonder of nature.
So next time you’re feeling a bit stressed, or need to get a different perspective to a problem, why not try some botanical zoom therapy? Take your phone or camera and start capturing the beauty of plants close up.
Urban Jungle Bloggers is a monthly series initiated by Igor of Happy Interior Blog and Judith of JOELIX.com. And if you’d like to see even more botanical inspiration visit the Urban Jungle Bloggers website.
Love this kind of plants and looks so lovely!