Mountain Ash

In the fall, these trees are plump with beautiful orange berries. The birds flock to to the trees, many robins and starlings, and they get drunk--because as these berries ripen in the fall sun, they ferment. So the silly birds fall out of the trees, seriously, dead drunk. Thes trees also turn a lovely shade of orange. What a beautiful tree.

Pink Bearded Iris

I did a painting from a photo I took of a white iris with blue sky behind it. It was similar to this one, in shape and in composition. I love the iris, I just can't help myself. I pressed some iris petals, and they are so thin, almost transparent when dried, and so light, they will fluff away with a little draft of wind. Like butterfly wings, really. Pink bearded iris, lovely and sweet in your garden.

Purple Cone Flowers

Purple cone flowers are related to black-eyed susans, which grow all around Spokane where I grew up. I've planted purple cone flowers before, but they didn't do well. Echinacea is the other name for this flower and the substance drawn form the flowers is useful in strengthening the immunce system and for getting rid of colds. Good echinacea, which means strong because it is fresh, will make your tongue tingle. It's a weird sensation and proves to me that it has a substance in it that is working. And they are pretty. What could be better?

Rhody Time

Here in the Pacific Northwest, Rhododendrons are popular in private gardens, public gardens, and growing in the wild. This pink Rhody has a bee gathering pollen in one flower. The bees seem to be prolific this year. A good sign. I didn't experience the Rhody until I moved to the coast. They grow in Spokane, but they flourish here in the humid air and the warmer winters.

Lilac Time

I grew up in Spokane, the Lilac City. We had the Lilac Princess and the Lilac Parade. We had light purple, dark purple and white lilacs blooming all over the city. At Manito Park, there is a Lilac Garden with many fancy varieties: double lilacs, blooms with tiny flowers, narrow blooms. It's a lovely flower that some folks are very allergic to.

Dogwood Flowers

Dogwood Flowers
Originally uploaded by Yogi

State flower of Virginia and grow wild here in Washington. I live in a condo surrounded mostly by cement and asphalt. Fortunately I have a community garden plot a few blocks away from my place to grow vegetables and flowers. The other fortunate thing is that there are dogwood trees planted in the landscaping around the building. This spring they are in glorious bloom. Small still, but covered with large blossoms. Lovely. The wild dogwoods around these parts are pron to disease. Still, they are beautiful when blooming, too.

Glads

I paint and have taken many photos of flowers through the years. This photo is of a photo. I actually used a section of this flower as a model for a painting. I like to paint very closeup, so the results looks abstracted. I planted glads in my garden in Bremerton--not a place I lived for long, and terrible soil, but this flower is lovely. I like how it curls and folds, very sensual.

Purple Iris

I've been gifted many iris tubers--and my last garden I called a friendship garden, just for the reason. The main garden as one entered the yard was filled with Japanese Iris and daisies and gladiolus and bearded iris. I think all of these plants grow in an abundance and when then get passed on, some at church sales, some at community sales to support libraries and other groups, and some to neighbors. This purple iris is more traditional. They grow prolifically and smell divine--I belief I've read that the iris scent is used in many perfumes.

Bearded Iris

153
Originally uploaded by canyonwriter

Brown and yellow iris. I took this shot in Manito Gardens. I grew up in Spokane and every time I go home to visit, I must visit the gardens. They are replete with flowers, both free flowing and organized. Everything is deadheaded, weeded, and labeled. Plants are nicely spaced and colors are thought out. I lost my contact in that park when I was sixteen. My boyfriend and I were having an afternoon lazing on a blanket just beyond the fountain and the formal gardens. I believe it was worth the flack I got when I returned home

Black Iris

Black Iris
Originally uploaded by canyonwriter

This bearded iris I photographed on a sunny Spokane day at Manito Gardens. My father used to tell me about the bears caged at the park, apparently that's when Manito park was, a zoo. The stone buildings are still there. They are now used for maintenance vehicles and other equipment, bathrooms, and the sandwich place close to where I took this photo. The entire park is lovely to explore, with lilac gardens, Japanese gardens, formal gardens, annual gardens, and formal rose garden.

Pink and White Tulip

Pink and white tulip
Originally uploaded by Peter Buitelaar

Photographing flowers in the Keukenhof. Here's the link: http://www.keukenhof.net/ This is tulip time here in the Pacific Northwest, another large producer of bulbs: tulips, iris, daffodils. I've been to the fields in Mt. Vernon. It's glorious to stand in a field of blooming tulips. The season is late this year, and tonight a down pour. I've just gotten my vegetable garden startend. I garden in a community garden not far from my home. The soil is terrible in my plot. I'll be adding peatmoss soon, see if I can loosen it a bit.

Orange Lily

Orange
Originally uploaded by Peter Buitelaar

If you pull the pollen off the sepals, it won't fall on your furniture or rug and stain it. My sister taught me this. She is a wedding florists and is fabulous at what she does. I'm not great at arranging flowers, but I'm terrific at photographing and painting flowers.

Keywords: Flowers, Lilies, Iris

Orbs of Water

Orbs of Water
Originally uploaded by CaZ*

This closeup rose is covered with droplets of water. Exquisite! When I first started painting, the water droplet was intriquing to me. How realistic of flower could I paint and would it include a bit of dew? Yes, and at the time it was a painting of water lilies.

Pinky-Peach Bearded Iris

I photographed this iris in Manito Park close to the Parkbench, which is a little sandwich place where you can sit outside in the sun, surrounded by park: rolling grassy hills, pines, and the gardens. There is an iris patch that blooms in the spring nearby.

Keywords: Bearded Iris, Pink Iris, Peach Iris,Flowers, Formal Gardens, Manito Park

Annual euphorbia

Annual euphorbia
Originally uploaded by tina_manthorpe

Crab Claw flowers in a yellow-green that vibrates in the garden, especially if placed next to dark greens and red tones. Use gloves when trimming.

Keywords: Flowers, Annual, Chartruese

Iris Sibirica

Iris sibirica
Originally uploaded by tina_manthorpe

The design on this petal is outstanding. Broken lines of blue, natures design work surround frilly petals. I used to study flowers I'd find in the wild, sort of a naturalist. The blue flag, a water iris that grew in ditches along the highways where I lived in Spokane, and in Idaho. Not so fancy, like this one, but beautiful in their natural setting.

Keywords: Iris, flowers, Water Iris, Siberian Iris

Gardenia

Gardenia
Originally uploaded by Anna_Greece

Lovely gardenia. I had a gardenia plant setting in a west window of a house I lived in in Spokane. It flowered and flowered. It was lovely and the scent so strong, it made me giddy. Later, I would wear gardenias around my neck in Hawaii. Ahhhhh, the scent.

Keywords: Gardenias, flowers, potted plants, wedding coursages.

Gardenias

Gardenias
Originally uploaded by Jim-AR

The frangrance of a gardenia is like sweet perfume, one I loved when I was a young girl. I'd go to the perfume counter in the Bon Marche and sniff all the French perfumes. There was one, that later I couldn't no longer buy, but my grandmother bought it for me for Christmas. It was more expensive and smelled like gardenias. I was in heaven.

Keywords: Gardenias, white flowers, sweet scent, send flowers

Orchids

Orchids
Originally uploaded by Supriya O

Kew Gardens in London. Giant greenhouses filled with over 250,000 orchids. http://www.kew.org/ This looks like an interesting site to surf. I'd love to visit any place that hosted a bunch of orchids. I have several orchid plants that are doing little in the way of giving me annual blooms. Although one I have has bloomed twice. My sister, the wedding florists, I've mentioned her before, is frequently picking up a plant and passing it on to me. I haven't received anything quite like this one. Wow! is all I can say.

Keywords: Orchids, Londong, Greenhouse, Festival

Iris Japonica シャガ Syaga

Iris Japonica シャガ Syaga
Originally uploaded by angie_real Angela Lobefaro

This is an interesting Iris. The frilled edges of the petals and and blue and orange, complementary colors, in a little design that could have been made in one of those spinning paint machines at a gradeschool carnaval. Very unique flower.

Keywords: Flowers, Iris, Water Iris, Orange and blue on white.

White Lace

White Lace
Originally uploaded by Nelson~Blue

Australian native. Melaleuca thymifolia, lacy, white, plant. Some say if you're attracted to this plant it means you have given too much love and not received the need of your heart. Allow hurt feelings to heal is the best course of action. I took melaleuca honey once for it's medicinal properties. It was supposed to help eliminate a bacteria that gets in the stomach, a possible cause of ulcers. Huh! I feel fine.

Keywords: Melaleuca, honey, love, hurt feelings, healing

Pink Orchid Of Desire

Pink Orchid Of Desire
Originally uploaded by canmom ( still really busy these days )

Orchidaceae is the largest family of flowering plants. The name is derived from Orchis. This pink orchid is stunning and bold. The petals have fine darker pink striations. The scent is rare and sweet.

Keywords: Jump, orchid, sweets, flowers, nectar.