At Last This Year - a Dragonfly!

The arch into the herb garden in the soft light of autumn

It's more by luck than skill that I have captured on camera the large Southern Hawker dragonfly that I first heard, then saw, clattering around the pots which skirt the herb garden pond this afternoon - the pond that split and drained over a year ago, which was reinstated back in the summer.

I am so very pleased with the way it has already settled down - it looks as if nothing had ever happened (in fact looks a tad more cared for than it did before), but it has been somewhat sterile up until now; while filling with water, a single dragonfly did indeed do one circuit of the pond, attracted by the sun on the water, but since then - nothing. The proliferating duckweed has helped to mellow it and then - today - the final sign that nature is  in good working order in that area; the advent of the beautiful dragonfly, which spent its time circuiting the pond edge, laying eggs into every nook and cranny it could find. I have missed them and was thrilled to see this one return.

Dragonfly larvae can apparently spend up to *seven* years developing at the bottom of the pond, but I have great hopes that sooner, rather than later, I will be able to once again sit in the arbour on a summer's afternoon and watch them climb out onto sedge grass, split their larval skin, and emerge to pump up their wings and fly away - another generation of dragonflies taking to the air.

I have a passion for all forms of Dragonflies - they entrance me, and have also been a great inspiration to artists in paint, textile and jewellery for many centuries; along with the wild creature itself, here are some examples of the beautiful items that have been created by human hands

Rene Lalique - Dragonfly brooch - 1904

Also by Lalique - the mesmerising 'Dragonfly Woman' at the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon

Lalique (again!) - Dragonfly Tiara

The exquisite embroidery of Annemieke Mein

On paper: Frog-Dragonfly-Fantastic-Bird - Jacob de Gheyn (1565-1629)

From the British Library - a page from De Bello Gallico, circa 1550

Red Dragonflies - a Homage to Monet - Reiji Hiramatsu

Now all I want to pick up my pens and needles and sketch, paint and stitch - but in the meantime, I can always resort to my camera!

 

 

Comments

[Diana Birchall]

Ah, Roz, this is the kind of post I love more than any, and seldom find anywhere. "Another generation of dragonflies taking to the air." Beautiful: and the art inspired by them, too! Thank you for the moment.

[Sheila]

Beautiful creatures aren't they. We see so many of them here, surrounded by water as we are.I'm so pleased for you that they have returned to your pond.
(Many years ago, when my daughter was expecting her first baby, she was mowing the lawn in their garden. Stopping frequently for a break, she realized she was being shadowed by a dragonfly. The dragonfly settled on the mower handle, and stayed there while she finished the job. As she looked at it, it made eye contact, it's big green eyes leaving her with a lasting impression that it was a very special visit.
Shortly afterwards she gave birth to our grand daughter, who incidentally, has big green eyes. Now, when we see a dragonfly, we think of Olivia, now 15 years old & the dragonfly has become her totem.)