It can be a dirty word.  Some of you may have looked at today's blog title and uttered numerous and less than complimentary words about pollen. But despite what it does to our noses, throats, lungs, and eyes seasonally, pollen and pollinators literally make the world go around.  We may not see it all the time, but at certain times of year, the lovely yellow color that appears on anything left outside is pollen from flowers, grasses, and trees. It is easier to see in larger flowers.  It addition to it being part of the life cycle of growing things, it also supports numerous insects and birds that, as pollinators, help perpetuate the cycle.  Since the hollyhocks are still garnering lots of attention around Santa Fe at this point, as are prickly pear and other cacti, that pollen is featured here.  

Today's blog came to mind, in part, because of an article in the June 2025 Smithsonian magazine by Jay Cheshes.  Titled "The Bittersweet Beginnings of Vanilla", it is primarily about the people involved in growing vanilla on the island of Reunion, near Madagascar.  It is considered the world's finest vanilla, but Vanilla planifolia is a New World plant, native to Mexico.  In its native habitat, vanilla is pollinated by nature.  But the right pollinators do not exist on the island of Reunion, and thus each flower is pollinated by hand, which is the major reason for its price.   Setting vanilla aside, I can tell that there are plentiful pollinators for hollyhocks, just within a five mile radius in Santa Fe, because of the variation of colors.   

The pollen in hollyhocks seems to flow like a waterfall onto the flower petals.    

Hollyhocks - in praise of pollen 2

Hollyhocks - in praise of pollen 3

   Hollyhocks - in praise of pollen 4

In the photographs of the two different prickly pear cacti shown below, any light colored speck on the flowers is a speck of pollen.   

Prickly pear cactus - in priase of pollen 1 Prickly pear fuchsia color bouquet - in praise of pollen 2025

There are at least three different types of pollinators in this photograph of a prickly pear flower.   

flowers and plants - prickly pear cactus - in praise of pollen 2 2025

Fred and I are both grateful to all of you who commented with such kindness on last week's blog about Rug 423 - his 500th piece of weaving.  Many thanks to  Barbara F. R., Ross, Tim, Bill & Sue, Victoria, Orlando T., Carolyn S., Earle, Ann A., Suz, TTT, Lisa S., Terry T., Katy D., Marilyn G., Jean & Sam, Steve, M. Fred, Larry J., and Pater.  I hope you are able to look near and far as you encounter the world this week!

until next Monday,

DB 

a passion for the image©