Spring is in the air.

It’s called Pardoglossum cheirifolium or in ordinary English Dogs Tongue.
But that’s more or less all I could find on Wikipedia…
It’s one of those flowers that likes to be in the background. A real wall flower so to speak. The colours of its leaves match the sany rocky stone and its surroundings.
It’s a tiny plant, humble and modest. Except for its lovely pink flowers.

It’s easy to overlook the Dog’s Tongue. I did. But if you lower your perspective a whole world opens up.

I like to look from a low angle. A low perspective gives me the opportunity to see the world differently. I feel more connected with the earth

Normally we see the world from our own hight. Children have a complete different sense of scale than adults do. And so have tall people a different point of view than short people.

I find it refreshing to break through this habitual perspective and to lower my vision. Often I literally put the camera on the ground to make a photo. As to give a sense of closeness to the earth.

This closeness is important to me. To feel the earth, to see the small and often overlooked plants and animals. To feel the heat of the stones in the summer and the wetness in autumn.

I did not know the name of this flower, but I loved the combination of modesty and resistance it reflected. Alone but in bloom with not much of other flowers surrounding it.

So i made the photo and googled it, looking for a similar picture that could identify the plant. And yes, apparently it was a Pardoglossum cheirifolium or dog tongue, which grow in the Western Mediterranean.

Apparently it has narcotic properties, emollients, scarring, and antispasmodic properties. So there you go. If tobacco becomes too expensive we could give these dog tongue leaves a try.

If you know anything more about this lovely plant, let me know.