Inspired by Hemingway’s famous six-word tale “For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” the “six word story” has served as a prompt for both writers and photographers for a long time now. On the 365 photo project site, one of the ongoing challenges is the six word story challenge.

I do love flowers in all their stages, when they are fresh and budding all the way through to when their beauty begins to fade. I have been photographing them too since I started taking photos, way back in 1997. Here are some six word stories, based on the fading beauty of flowers, along with some quotes about fading beauty.

✽ A posy, once flourishing, becomes marcescent

A posy of pink and cream shrub roses, withers slowly, whilst still retaining its charm. According to the Oxford dictionary, marcescent is a word that originates from botany and means: (of a leaf or frond) withering but remaining attached to the stem.

“Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.” Audrey Hepburn

✽ Even dying flowers have exquisite qualities

Even when they are dying, flowers are beautiful. Perhaps we should take a leaf (or petal!) out of their book. They have no sense that the end is near, they just keep on thriving for as long as they can.

Eartha Kitt says: “Aging has a wonderful beauty and we should have respect for that“

✽ Purity and innocence to faded beauty

This was once a pristine white rose symbolising purity and innocence. Left for a few weeks to dry out, it still has exquisite beauty, if a little faded.

“Flowers… are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Notes on sources

• Image sources: All author’s own (C) Deborah Ann Stott
• All six word stories are my own.
• Other quotes have been attributed