The calendar turns to March, and our wishes turn to spring. The cold and hardness of winter is still around us, but this is when we yearn for the softness of spring – for color, thawing, and green. In Minnesota, the only place to find that now is at the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park – our very own oasis of spring. These daffodils represent the hope and promise of spring to me. The yellow of sunshine, the green of new beginnings, and the softness that starts the season of spring. Soon……
flowers
Hollyhocks
Summer seemed to come to an abrupt end this past week as our temperatures slid into the upper 30’s at night and the 50’s during the daytime. Autumn will soon grace the Minnesota landscape with its oranges, reds, and golds. I was in our backyard this morning as the sun made its way above the trees and backlit this lovely white hollyhock. The greens and the whites reminded me of summer. The long stems of the hollyhocks were blowing in the cool breeze, yet the colors had me focused on the warmth of the summer sun. We may have some days of late summer left, but I know that all-too-soon we’ll be passing into autumn and winter, each with its own special colors and characteristics.
Cosmos
I’ve always enjoyed the lightness of cosmos. Their delicateness is enhanced by the manner in which they sit atop their long stems. They blow easily in the wind, yet remain upright. Their colors are numerous, as these were, yet I chose to tone this photograph. I wanted the delicacy and beauty of the cosmos to be the central idea of the image, not their color.
Brightness and colors of summer
Summer is about sunshine, warmth, and color. We’re surrounded by blue skies, green grass, and the flowers that bloom profusely, sharing their colors. Our gardens are in full bloom now; the coneflowers, roses, lilies, clematis, and coleus. The coneflowers have always been one of my favorites. They start out a pale yellow, with their petals reaching upward to the sun. As they mature, the petals become a deep pink and then turn downward. It’s almost as if they were two completely different flowers. Their beauty and brightness always speaks to me of summer.
Coneflowers
Summer is the season of so many flowers, yet one of my favorites is the coneflower. From a tall stem and a tight bud, the petals are gradually pried open by the sun and warmth. The white petals are small, and reach upward. Then as they mature, the petals turn a beautiful shade of pink and flex backwards, leaving the cone accessible to butterflies, bees, and small birds. I have coneflowers in various stages throughout the gardens, yet this photograph seems to symbolize the uniqueness of this flower with both the early blossom and the fully developed bloom in the background.
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