The Lotus Flower

China's gardens and streetscapes are spectacular. As each season comes another vista reveals itself. The landscape changes frequently as one plant's life cycle changes.

I remember my first walk around the ponds at the entrance to the university (what was a college when I first came to China has "graduated" to university status)and saw a series of uninteresting plastic pots of soil and dead-looking sticks sitting in the water, with the gold fish swimming around as if they used the pots for "hide and seek" games.

Then one day not so many weeks ago I saw the first signs of life in the pots as the green leaves began to sprout, and the gardeners placed the pots in a more formal design. The Lotus were about to bloom.

Last week I saw the plants in bloom with the most amazing and perfect looking flowers. I know not if they have a fragrance as I'd need to jump into the pond to reach them - and I don't plan to do that.

I hope you enjoy the photographs.