Gift from God

The jasmine is beautiful right now. It's overgrown but I won't prune it until it finishes blooming.  The back deck is drenched with the fragrance.  Jasmine belongs to the Genus ‘Jasminum’ and includes over 200 species of plants, most of which originated in tropical areas. This particular star variety is very hardy,  and has been growing carefree in this spot for over 25 years. 

It's a pretty sight from the kitchen window, too.  Perhaps flowers were first living things people came to appreciate that were not linked with survival?  The simple appreciation of beauty for its own sake was surely the most important event in the evolution of human consciousness. The name jasmine comes from the Persian word ‘yasmin’ meaning gift from God.