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The obvious example of natures contrasts are blacks and whites. So here's a contrary example of tall pale flowers against the sky. Pale Indian-plantain doesn't have the most eye-catching flowers. But their pale color against almost any background pleases eyes and pollinators.

Are the principles of design very much the same as the principles of pollination? Twinflower is in with that!

The first priniple of design listed on Katie's fallen study ards is balane. (Oops, take a second to bang the keyboard and get the c working again.) Then think that nature's fondness for bilateral symmetry would be a good example of balance. And what better example than the inbalance of partridge peas. Their stamens are always off to one side, and images just aren't very pleasing to our eye. Ma Nature can be contrary at times. Not everything is about us?

Value is how light or dark the elements of an image may be. This also relates to contrast. In photography, backlighting often contributes to value. And it helps when the wild geranium grows right at the edge of the shady woods.

Here are the young cones of bog pine. Just that name makes it sound attractive? And yummy? It has now been discovered that you can harvest the buds and young cones in the spring, hang them up, and then they will drip sap. The sap can be reduced to syrup. So if you see pine syrup on the market shelf (and you just might in the right store), this is what you're getting. Reminds me of a restaurant we used to have. It sat at the corner of two major highways with lots of traffic. It was terrible! But everyone on southern Michigan and northern Ohio probably tried it there once. Once was enough. If I see this syrup I will probably try it. Slow learner?