Joy in four daisies

A few thoughts which I hope will brighten your day (2 minute read)

I’m now back from my science communicators conference - it was excellent and I’m full of ideas. It was also a lovely holiday not trying to put together an article. I do enjoy writing the articles, but it is also time-consuming and requires a lot of concentration.

Here, as promised, are some photos which bring me joy. I’ve decided to share a few little moments that relate to different kinds of daisies, just some quick thoughts which I hope you enjoy. There are more than 30,000 species which botanists define as “daisies”. I love them, because they are extraordinarily diverse and yet, to a botanist, instantly recognisable as daisies. The ones I’ve chosen here represent things which bring me joy.

Marguerite daisy

Argyranthemum fructescens (image credit: Melanie Newfield)

The Marguerite daisy was the first plant I grew from a cutting, so for me it represents the development of a skill - gardening. Developing new skills, whether it’s been gardening, touch typing, Middle Eastern dance or writing, has always brought me joy. This particular Marguerite daisy came from the garden of a neighbour who died a few years ago at the age of 100, and so it also represents the connections which my love of plants has brought me, from my botanical mentor Bill Sykes to Marguerite who used lean over the back fence and swap plants with me.

Rangiora/ bushman’s friend

Brachyglottis repanda (image credit: Melanie Newfield)

The New Zealand native rangiora is an ever-present friend in the forest, so for me it represents the joy that being in the forest brings. It is also the plant sometimes known as bushman’s toilet paper, as it can be used for that purpose. Tell this to a child, and spark their joy in botany! So rangiora also represents the joy I get from seeing a child’s sense of wonder in the world.

Vegetable sheep

Possibly Raoulia eximia although I’m not entirely certain as there are several species (image credit: Melanie Newfield)

Yes - this is a daisy. What you can see are the hairy and tightly-packed leaves. These make up large clumps which can resemble a sheep at a distance, hence the name vegetable sheep. These are alpine species, so this plant represents my love of the mountains and the joy of being above the treeline. It also represents the joy that the weirdness of nature brings me.

Haastia sinclairii (I don’t know any common name for this)

Haastia sinclairii (image credit: Melanie Newfield)

This is another plant which represents my joy in the weirdness of nature. It’s a plant which grows on screes - highly-mobile rock slopes where movement of the rocks can easily smother a tiny plant. Despite this difficult environment, there are some truly delightful scree plants. What you don’t usually see is that these stunted plants have incredibly large and strong root systems which allow them to endure in their hostile habitat. So, as well as joy, this lovely little Haastia represents resilience and growth in the face of suffering and struggle. It represents something I aspire to.

If you have something which brings you joy, feel free to share it in the comments.