To celebrate Earth Day we went for a very nice walk along the Kyoto Botanical Gardens, the biggest and most diverse in Japan, containing about 12,000 species of plants. We had the chance to see peonies, azaleas, rhododendrons, Japanese irises, nemophila, and even some roses that were starting to bloom.

At the end of the walk, we sat at the park and talked about the symbolism of some of the most beautiful species that can be found in Japan, such as: the lotus as a symbol of purity and spirituality; from the cherry blossoms we can learn about impermanence; the hydrangeas and how they represent family, since they tend to grow close together. We also discussed about how perfect nature is for being so diverse, allowing us to see beauty in different flowers each season. If all flowers were the same, and they all bloomed throughout the whole year, perhaps we wouldn’t appreciate them so much!