Sacred Lotus

For as long as I can remember (and well before), the Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) have bejewelled the Adelaide Botanic Garden every summer with their magnificent blooms. As a child it was my favourite when visiting the garden. A thing of fairytales and a place of magic to an imaginative small child! From the glorious pink and creamy flowers with the large yellow seed pods that look like the belong on the end of the watering can, to those large, luscious, green leaves. These perfect flowers arise from murky, muddy water, emanating a sense of coolness on a scorching summer day.

They are still captivating to me even after all these years and hold special significance to Asian cultures.

Lotus flowers are said to symbolise purity, spiritual enlightenment, and rebirth.