Hollyhock Stalk Across the Seed Gardens

A hollyhock stalk runs corner to corner, its roots tangled in brown soil at the lower left and its green buds crowded at the upper right. Along the stem open blooms of coral, teal, purple, pink, cream and deep blue, with mushrooms and cornflowers tucked between them. Tiny gardeners work on it: one climbs a ladder beside a red bud, two carry a basket across a broad leaf, and another tends a seed stall below the flowers. Around the plant, a spiral of canals and lily ponds winds through seed beds, glasshouses, sheds and tilled plots in every colour. A few people wander the paths between the beds. The flowers, leaves and bright patchwork plots each hold a colour of their own, so the picture breaks into pieces that are easy to tell apart.