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Micro-Landscapes of the Anthropocene

Flower Tuscany and Plant Blindness

Annotated by Simonn Nguyen

Flowery Tuscany by D.H. Lawrence (1927)
Overview:
D.H. Lawrence is known for his many works about nature. He would often contrast the presence of modernity and nature. A quality he did not withhold in his Flowery Tuscany (1927), whereby he expresses his love for the various articles of nature in Tuscany and its surroundings, especially the flowers. Lawrence goes even further to express a love for all the types of flowers from various countries and uses it as a starting point to express the geographical qualities of each landmark. As a matter of fact, Lawrence uses his love for the flowers of Tuscany as a launch pad into the overall nature of Tuscany. Further enhancing his point of view is the poetic flow he exhibits, which compliments the beautiful qualities of the discussion. These natural qualities of beauty are further enhanced as Lawrence highlights the co-existence between man and nature that has been achieved throughout history. This is achieved by personifying human qualities shared in both plants and man. However, this also acts as a mirror to the conflicting relationship man and nature. Additionally, Lawrence delves into the influences of the seasons has upon the Tuscany and its surrounding natures. He often references things he hears from those he meets, fellow surveyors of the Tuscan beauty. Lawrence further enhances the majestic Tuscany by referencing the discourse of Greek mythology which holds prevalence in Tuscany due to their Etruscan origins.
I personally found Lawrence’s writing quite enjoyable and was quite impressed with the eloquence employed in his writing and the way its lyrical qualities compliment the topic of discussion. I particularly found the way Lawrence juxtaposes mankind with nature-kind quite powerful, as he highlights how mankind is able to do more with nature than just abuse it.

Plant Blindness by Rosetta S. Elkin (2018)
Overview:
As a Professor of Landscape Architecture Rosetta S. Elkin is an advocate for plant awareness and the knowledge of plant blindness as an social justice issue, a variant of the plight of the typical environmentalist who wants to save the earth by reducing carbon foots prints (a noteworthy cause regardless). She focuses upon the importance of plants that goes further than just how mankind uses and abuses them for personal gain. She speaks about how as mankind we have forgotten about plants for the quality they possess besides what we can take advantage of them for, to the extent that their importance is only equated to how much they are able to do for mankind. This is especially prevalent when comparing the importance that is given to other animals rather than plants, and the way in which humans seem to be the authority for such cases. The importance of plants is highlighted by Elkin, as she points out their position as the central building blocks of what humanity has achieved whether it be in science or technology, and hence, deserves much more respect. Elkin highlights various examples of plant blindness by specifically mentioning and displaying plant articles that are often overlooked, due to certain aspects of their characteristics.
Elkin’s writing resonates quite strongly, as it opens the readers’ eyes to a reality they are often unaware of. Personally, I feel that this issue has a lot of potential and room to be further explored for the many facets not discussed in Elkin’s essay.

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I have plant blindness. I notice them in the environment but not for themselves, they just seem to be there – the homogenous, unexamined greenery in the background. Plants seem like props on the stage of life, they set the scene for the other kinds of living (of humans and other animals) happening around them rather than living for themselves. Plants in urban environments seem especially unliving where humans constantly bustle around them hurrying here and there. Plants become furnishings for human comfort, appreciated not for themselves but for their use value, hardly different from a park bench. To counteract plant blindness and return urban plants back into beings rather than things, I propose a small dose of anthropomorphism; maybe when we pass plants —whether on campus or in the park— we should give them a friendly look and a nod, centring them as being rather than background.
Contents of this reply:
1. Flower Tuscany and Plant Blindness Annotated by Simonn Nguyen
  
  Flowery Tuscany by D.H. Lawrence (1927)
  Overview:
  D.H. Lawrence is known for his many works about nature. He would often contrast the presence of modernity and nature. A quality he did not withhold in his Flowery Tuscany (1927), whereby he expresses his love for the various articles of nature in Tuscany and its surroundings, especially the flowers. Lawrence goes even further to express a love for all the types of flowers from various countries and uses it as a starting point to express the geographical qualities of each landmark. As a matter of fact, Lawrence uses his love for the flowers of Tuscany as a launch pad into the overall nature of Tuscany. Further enhancing his point of view is the poetic flow he exhibits, which compliments the beautiful qualities of the discussion. These natural qualities of beauty are further enhanced as Lawrence highlights the co-existence between man and nature that has been achieved throughout history. This is achieved by personifying human qualities shared in both plants and man. However, this also acts as a mirror to the conflicting relationship man and nature. Additionally, Lawrence delves into the influences of the seasons has upon the Tuscany and its surrounding natures. He often references things he hears from those he meets, fellow surveyors of the Tuscan beauty. Lawrence further enhances the majestic Tuscany by referencing the discourse of Greek mythology which holds prevalence in Tuscany due to their Etruscan origins.
  I personally found Lawrence’s writing quite enjoyable and was quite impressed with the eloquence employed in his writing and the way its lyrical qualities compliment the topic of discussion. I particularly found the way Lawrence juxtaposes mankind with nature-kind quite powerful, as he highlights how mankind is able to do more with nature than just abuse it.
  
  Plant Blindness by Rosetta S. Elkin (2018)
  Overview:
  As a Professor of Landscape Architecture Rosetta S. Elkin is an advocate for plant awareness and the knowledge of plant blindness as an social justice issue, a variant of the plight of the typical environmentalist who wants to save the earth by reducing carbon foots prints (a noteworthy cause regardless). She focuses upon the importance of plants that goes further than just how mankind uses and abuses them for personal gain. She speaks about how as mankind we have forgotten about plants for the quality they possess besides what we can take advantage of them for, to the extent that their importance is only equated to how much they are able to do for mankind. This is especially prevalent when comparing the importance that is given to other animals rather than plants, and the way in which humans seem to be the authority for such cases. The importance of plants is highlighted by Elkin, as she points out their position as the central building blocks of what humanity has achieved whether it be in science or technology, and hence, deserves much more respect. Elkin highlights various examples of plant blindness by specifically mentioning and displaying plant articles that are often overlooked, due to certain aspects of their characteristics.
  Elkin’s writing resonates quite strongly, as it opens the readers’ eyes to a reality they are often unaware of. Personally, I feel that this issue has a lot of potential and room to be further explored for the many facets not discussed in Elkin’s essay.
During this chapter’s learning, I notice that the present problem of plants’ decreasing is humans usually think about their value and give them the chance to live, but not as human’ friends to have an equal living situation. Humans try to change the environment, but forget plants lived in this world earlier than humans many thousand years ago. However, these narrations are not the most important parts of human’ plant blindness. Humans forget the environment that plants give us to live. If we are far away from the plant, far away from nature, humans will disappear. Hence, the point that we need to reset up the relationship between humans and plants. In addition, try to write an essay about plants. People usually look through the function of plants to write. Hence, through this chapter, people should change their original sight to see the plant. We should find more beautiful nature.
Contents of this reply:
1. Flower Tuscany and Plant Blindness Annotated by Simonn Nguyen
  
  Flowery Tuscany by D.H. Lawrence (1927)
  Overview:
  D.H. Lawrence is known for his many works about nature. He would often contrast the presence of modernity and nature. A quality he did not withhold in his Flowery Tuscany (1927), whereby he expresses his love for the various articles of nature in Tuscany and its surroundings, especially the flowers. Lawrence goes even further to express a love for all the types of flowers from various countries and uses it as a starting point to express the geographical qualities of each landmark. As a matter of fact, Lawrence uses his love for the flowers of Tuscany as a launch pad into the overall nature of Tuscany. Further enhancing his point of view is the poetic flow he exhibits, which compliments the beautiful qualities of the discussion. These natural qualities of beauty are further enhanced as Lawrence highlights the co-existence between man and nature that has been achieved throughout history. This is achieved by personifying human qualities shared in both plants and man. However, this also acts as a mirror to the conflicting relationship man and nature. Additionally, Lawrence delves into the influences of the seasons has upon the Tuscany and its surrounding natures. He often references things he hears from those he meets, fellow surveyors of the Tuscan beauty. Lawrence further enhances the majestic Tuscany by referencing the discourse of Greek mythology which holds prevalence in Tuscany due to their Etruscan origins.
  I personally found Lawrence’s writing quite enjoyable and was quite impressed with the eloquence employed in his writing and the way its lyrical qualities compliment the topic of discussion. I particularly found the way Lawrence juxtaposes mankind with nature-kind quite powerful, as he highlights how mankind is able to do more with nature than just abuse it.
  
  Plant Blindness by Rosetta S. Elkin (2018)
  Overview:
  As a Professor of Landscape Architecture Rosetta S. Elkin is an advocate for plant awareness and the knowledge of plant blindness as an social justice issue, a variant of the plight of the typical environmentalist who wants to save the earth by reducing carbon foots prints (a noteworthy cause regardless). She focuses upon the importance of plants that goes further than just how mankind uses and abuses them for personal gain. She speaks about how as mankind we have forgotten about plants for the quality they possess besides what we can take advantage of them for, to the extent that their importance is only equated to how much they are able to do for mankind. This is especially prevalent when comparing the importance that is given to other animals rather than plants, and the way in which humans seem to be the authority for such cases. The importance of plants is highlighted by Elkin, as she points out their position as the central building blocks of what humanity has achieved whether it be in science or technology, and hence, deserves much more respect. Elkin highlights various examples of plant blindness by specifically mentioning and displaying plant articles that are often overlooked, due to certain aspects of their characteristics.
  Elkin’s writing resonates quite strongly, as it opens the readers’ eyes to a reality they are often unaware of. Personally, I feel that this issue has a lot of potential and room to be further explored for the many facets not discussed in Elkin’s essay.
Plant blindness is a concept that has awaken my conscious and undoubtedly altered my perspectives and values on the function of plants within society. Prior to learning about the concept, I was indeed blind to plants, most evident as my only interactions with plans was purchasing them based on their aesthetic value, usually buying flowers for my room, flowers as Mother’s Day presents or buying a small succulent when having visitors over. However, after exploring this concept throughout the course, particularly engaging with ‘Flower Tuscany’, it has altered my value and appreciation of plants, encouraging me to stop overlooking the importance of plants. Lawrence’s ability to not only notice plants but raise awareness towards the co-existence between man and nature by giving human qualities to both parties equally, is quite inspiring in joining all voices together. Additionally, after engaging with this post, the power Lawrence holds to bring human and nature together through the role of all types of nature across Tuscany speaks to me profusely to engage further with plant awareness and reject the previous views I have held by only appreciating plans and nature based on their aesthetic qualities.
Contents of this reply:
1. Flower Tuscany and Plant Blindness Annotated by Simonn Nguyen
  
  Flowery Tuscany by D.H. Lawrence (1927)
  Overview:
  D.H. Lawrence is known for his many works about nature. He would often contrast the presence of modernity and nature. A quality he did not withhold in his Flowery Tuscany (1927), whereby he expresses his love for the various articles of nature in Tuscany and its surroundings, especially the flowers. Lawrence goes even further to express a love for all the types of flowers from various countries and uses it as a starting point to express the geographical qualities of each landmark. As a matter of fact, Lawrence uses his love for the flowers of Tuscany as a launch pad into the overall nature of Tuscany. Further enhancing his point of view is the poetic flow he exhibits, which compliments the beautiful qualities of the discussion. These natural qualities of beauty are further enhanced as Lawrence highlights the co-existence between man and nature that has been achieved throughout history. This is achieved by personifying human qualities shared in both plants and man. However, this also acts as a mirror to the conflicting relationship man and nature. Additionally, Lawrence delves into the influences of the seasons has upon the Tuscany and its surrounding natures. He often references things he hears from those he meets, fellow surveyors of the Tuscan beauty. Lawrence further enhances the majestic Tuscany by referencing the discourse of Greek mythology which holds prevalence in Tuscany due to their Etruscan origins.
  I personally found Lawrence’s writing quite enjoyable and was quite impressed with the eloquence employed in his writing and the way its lyrical qualities compliment the topic of discussion. I particularly found the way Lawrence juxtaposes mankind with nature-kind quite powerful, as he highlights how mankind is able to do more with nature than just abuse it.
  
  Plant Blindness by Rosetta S. Elkin (2018)
  Overview:
  As a Professor of Landscape Architecture Rosetta S. Elkin is an advocate for plant awareness and the knowledge of plant blindness as an social justice issue, a variant of the plight of the typical environmentalist who wants to save the earth by reducing carbon foots prints (a noteworthy cause regardless). She focuses upon the importance of plants that goes further than just how mankind uses and abuses them for personal gain. She speaks about how as mankind we have forgotten about plants for the quality they possess besides what we can take advantage of them for, to the extent that their importance is only equated to how much they are able to do for mankind. This is especially prevalent when comparing the importance that is given to other animals rather than plants, and the way in which humans seem to be the authority for such cases. The importance of plants is highlighted by Elkin, as she points out their position as the central building blocks of what humanity has achieved whether it be in science or technology, and hence, deserves much more respect. Elkin highlights various examples of plant blindness by specifically mentioning and displaying plant articles that are often overlooked, due to certain aspects of their characteristics.
  Elkin’s writing resonates quite strongly, as it opens the readers’ eyes to a reality they are often unaware of. Personally, I feel that this issue has a lot of potential and room to be further explored for the many facets not discussed in Elkin’s essay.

This page references:

System Blindness