Category Archives: Flora

Spring is Coming

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Heatherwood

With all the crazy things going on and the limitations we are all managing as the result of Coronavirus precautions, I am spending my free time outside in our garden and taking walks in nature. I will start a series of postings on harbingers of spring.

With the mild seasonal temperatures we have experienced this winter, many plants and trees have started budding early. This little spruce is about ready to release its spring growth.

Have a happy day and get out and enjoy nature if you can.

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When Something Catches My Eye

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Hawaiian Tropical Botanical Garden

A splash of white and pink,
Against a sea of red, blue and green,
Is a pleasure to be seen!

Clusters of orchids were everywhere. Tourists and other photographers were lined up to get that “perfect” orchid image. I stepped back and walked away when I saw this lone flower standing out all by itself. Behind it several feet, were other blooms and foliage of various colors. I walked around the flower to get an interesting combination of color as a background. I used a wide aperture to separate the flower and blur the background. It looked great on my camera display. I was happy!

But when I got home and viewed the image on a large monitor, I was disappointed. By using a wide aperture and blurring the background, the flower itself was not as sharp as I would like. I could not give up on the image and used a little Topaz Impression to add an artistic perspective.

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“The Chief”

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“Chief Joseph”
Lodgepole Pine

In my last post, I described the path up to the top of our Japanese-style garden. This is the “Chief” that I mentioned at the the first turn of the upward path. The brilliant gold of this small pine stops me in my tracks. It is absolutely beautiful against the cold winter snow. It is a jewel in this area of the garden.

Bright and light it captures me.
Gold shines apart from the surrounding land,
Everything else is a background blur.

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Art in the Garden

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Japanese White Pine

As I walk around our garden, little pieces of art show themselves to me. Most of the time, I am just wandering when they appear. Something makes me stop and look closer. I imagine how I can best treat the gift appropriately. Sometimes they need to be accurately represented with fine detail. Other times they can be converted into an abstract blur. Still other times they are best processed by photoshop manipulation. This time I used a touch of Photoshop and Topaz Degas adjustments to achieve the end results.

I love to walk in our garden and enjoy all the little gifts that are given to me!

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Another Beautiful Day

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Japanese Maple & Rhody
Heather Heights Garden

A walk in garden always prepares me for a beautiful day ahead. My eyes wander all about me. They jump from directly in front of me to the hills and valleys surrounding our garden. Then something clicks and draws me closer. I see a little treasure. I love the morning, afternoon, evening, or whenever I am walking in the garden.

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Morning Sun

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Hostas against Wall
Heather Heights Garden

I enjoy morning walks around our garden. The filtered sunlight through our flowering crab apple tree to hostas against our house wall caught my eye.

The sights in our garden change daily. I really need to take a little walk daily with my eyes, mind, and heart open and camera in hand.

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End of the Path

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Heather Heights Orchard Overlook

The path through the orchard led up to a little bluff that overlooks the valley below.  I am at the end of my “photo stroll” and feel rewarded with the peaceful view below.  I catch my breath and start the walk back through the orchard.  I look forward to seeing new images as they present themselves to me.

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Contrast

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“Tired Branch”

This tired dead branch looked out of place against the bright colors of the autumn leaves.  Besides the obvious contrast of the dull brown against the brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds, the branch was also a contest of the dead leaves still hanging and the leaves that had just fallen on the ground. Soon they too will turn to the same brown as the leaves hanging above.  We cannot evade the circle of life.

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A Walk in the Orchard

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Neighbor’s Cherry Orchard

There is an old cherry orchard just up the road from our house.  In fall, the leaves turn shades of yellow and orange.  The grasses turn to a golden straw color.  Birds are everywhere fluttering about.  A hawk frequently perches on an overhead orchard fan.  It is a nice place to walk and explore during all seasons of the year.  

Sections of the orchard are being removed each year to make room for new young trees.  I do not know how much longer the old stand of trees will remain.  So until then, I will explore as often as I can.  I will present images of a walk I took about a month ago in my next few posts.

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