Showing posts with label Flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Flowers. Show all posts

Sunday, March 18, 2012

CATCHING RAINDROPS | THE BEAUTY OF NASTURTIUMS

Every time it rains here in Southern California, I eagerly await the storm's passing so I can venture out into our garden and explore. Rain is such a rarity in this arid desert climate, its presence inevitably changes things - the smell, the look, the feel of everything - if you pay close attention, the entire garden goes through a metamorphosis after a downpour.

One of my favorite post-rain discoveries is how rain affects the delicate Nasturtium flowers that my husband Tim planted in our garden.  From a handful of seeds, they now grow like weeds - spreading over the ground, climbing over fenceposts - their yellow, red & orange blooms peeking out between their large, lilypad-like green leaves. And the rain transforms these little beauties.


Originally from Peru, Nasturtiums made their way to Europe when they were brought by Spanish conquistadors to Spain in the early sixteenth century and quickly spread around the continent. Monet's famous garden at Giverny was laden with nasturtiums as they fit the impressionist's style of shimmering, blurred colors as they spilled over pathways like enthusiastic brush strokes.

These clever little edible plants were designed by nature to catch the raindrops - one at a time - in their conical leaves. And when the post-rainshower light reflects on these droplets, something magical happens. It's like something out of a fairytale - too beautiful not to try & capture with my lens - and share with you...

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Thursday, April 21, 2011

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

I love the Spring.  New life blooming everywhere, and I get to exercise my green thumb again after resting it over the Winter.

Yesterday I awoke to a gorgeous sunrise after an overnight Spring shower had dotted our garden in raindrops and felt so inspired, I just had to run for my camera...

Multi-colored basil plants
The English Lavender with its amazing aroma!
Rose buds, dripping with raindrops
Broccoli, making its Spring debut!
A little unwanted visitor, enjoying some basil sprouts
Chives, ready to pick!
Red onion, soaking up the sunrays
Delicate Yellow Violas
Blooming white roses
Fresh Oregano sprouting up!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

INCREDIBLE ORCHIDS

I am mesmerized by the incredible beauty of orchids - have you ever looked at one up-close and studied all of the amazing details that are found in just one tiny flower? Each one is unique - like a fingerprint, their 'veins' criss-cross in patterns around the petals. They have animal-like qualities that are even captured in the anatomic names for their parts - they have a 'throat' and 'lips' (And sometimes those 'lips' even have beautiful little curly-cue 'whiskers', as I like to call them - Their very own Fu Man Chu beards!)  

They are so delicate, some would even call them quite fickle, or even 'moody' - like the Divas of the flower world.  Water them or tamper with them too much and they wilt - but, don't give them enough attention or put them in the improper place to get just the right amount of sun & warmth, and they whither away on you. It's a matter of finding the perfect balance and giving them just what they need to stay happy and blooming.

I woke up this morning to find the sun shining on some orchids in our kitchen and felt inspired to capture them in photographs - the following are a few of my favorites of our fickle little Divas...

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

AROUND THE GARDENS

I've always enjoyed gardening, but never really dove into it as a hobby until after I was married to Tim. We love gardening. And, perhaps it's my husband' English roots, but he truly has a green thumb and I learn so much from him every day.

I'm constantly struck by the beauty in the details of the plants around our garden. Particularly in the morning sun after a dewey night...