Have you ever seen a flower clock, dear Reader? The circular bed, divided into twelve sections, is beautiful in itself. When you consider that the different opening and closing times of the plants can be orchestrated to function as a hypothetical timekeeper, the 279-year-old invention becomes truly enchanting.
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Its creator, Carl von Linné, was appointed a professor of medicine at Uppsala University in 1741. Along with this, the Swedish botanist was also entrusted with the management of the botanical garden, a role he gladly accepted. He showed exceptional interest in the rhythm of flower opening and closing and conducted extensive observations on the subject. For years, he studied how sunlight, cloudy, cool weather, and seasonal changes affected the circadian, or daily, rhythm of plants.
According to Linné’s autobiographical notes, the idea of the flower clock came to him in 1748. He introduced the name and theoretical basis of the clock in his 1751 monograph, “Philosophia Botanica,” in which one chapter is titled “Horologium Florae,” or Flower Clock. In this section, he lists and tables the daily flowering times of 43 plants. If the records are to be believed, the theory preceded the planting: Linné had already created the colorful, eye-pleasing, hypothesis-based timekeeper in the university garden by 1745.
The differing opening times of plants are based on the relationships and adaptations of various species to one another. Flowers that open at different times help pollinating insects to always find food. Bees, butterflies, ants, and flies are active during the day, while moths and even snails forage at night. This wonderful cycle ensures that animals know exactly which plants to visit at what time of day, and plants can avoid continuous stress by timing their blooming.
Poppies, coltsfoot, hawkweed, sow thistle, and scarlet pimpernel can all indicate the position of the sun in the sky. The temperature, whether it is cool or scorching hot, also matters. Additionally, the latitude at which you plant and the season play a role. Linné is said to have determined the exact time with an accuracy of five minutes. Today, you can still experiment with it; the beauty is guaranteed, but for accurate timekeeping, it is better to choose a more effective tool.
In our fractured world, everyone knows we have strayed far from the protective embrace of Mother Nature. We know little about the shapes of clouds, the medicinal plants found in meadows, or the earthquake-predicting abilities of animals. Of course, we are flooded with health magazines and advice from the internet. Today, I read about how to eat yourself beautiful and youthful. I also noticed an article stating that “female socialization is permeated by the fire of the fight for beauty.”
Magazines constantly provide the fairer sex with makeup tips for morning and evening, autumn and winter. One renowned monthly lists a few important summer rules, including bronzing, subtly shading the eyes, and light coverage, emphasizing that fruity, colorful, radiant lips should not be neglected. It’s all well and good to do everything for a well-groomed, harmonious appearance, as we owe it not only to ourselves but also to our surroundings and fellow humans. However, there is a more important aspect in the world, one that cannot be denied.
Oscar-winning Audrey Hepburn, who was also a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, expressed her thoughts on this with sincere simplicity: “The beauty of a woman is not in her makeup, but in the true beauty of her soul. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart.” Many of us believe that the completeness was truly present in Hollywood star’s doe-like gaze. But for some, only makeup remains. Like Annalena Baerbock.
I know it’s a bold shift to mention a once world-famous, charismatic actress in the same breath as our current desperately unqualified foreign minister, but the publication of the German minister’s 2022 financial report brought her to mind: she spent €136,500, more than fifty million forints, on beautification in a single year. We are eagerly awaiting the figures for the subsequent period. The lady, who is remarkably my “favorite,” stumbles through the labyrinths of world politics with imperial arrogance, judging matters of war and peace with the consciousness of the half-educated. She also declares that she does not care about the opinions of her country’s voters regarding Ukraine. Probably about other matters as well.
She does not comment on the recent severe visa and residency scandal that erupted in the German Foreign Ministry. Allegedly, in the past five years, thousands of people traveled to Germany with forged documents on the ministry’s orders. Several German embassies and consulates are reportedly involved in the scandal. Miss Baerbock has not uttered a word about it. She probably shares the mindset of the mainstream European elite: “if we all stick our heads in the sand together, the nightmare will go away.” But the makeup accusation, that’s something worth speaking out on.
The minister does not consider the significant amount spent on makeup a problem. She says that she often had to appear in the evening, hence the makeup artists were paid accordingly, and emphasized that the ministry acted in accordance with legal regulations. She believes that on television, due to the strong lights, heavy makeup is essential; otherwise, she would look so gray that she would resemble an undertaker.
Does the German Green Minister Annalena Baerbock ever read opinions? No? One of them hit the nail on the head, let me quote: “But what’s wrong with looking like an undertaker? Isn’t that what she is? The undertaker of Germany and Europe…” Right, hit and sunk.
Translated and edited by Gyöngyi Kiss
