Our spring garden is in full bloom right now — a delight to all the senses! We have three peony bushes that are all beautiful. The white bush is one we purchased here in Minnesota, but the two pink bushes are from my parents’ yard in Overland Park, Kansas. It’s always a treat to see it bloom and think of them. Our roses are also in full bloom, making for a wonderful and delightful compliment in this arrangement. The John Cabot roses in this image are from a large climbing bush in the backyard. Our early spring and summer weather has the gardens about two weeks ahead of their normal schedule, but I’m not hearing anyone complaining. It is such a treat to enjoy the blooms not only outside in the garden, but to be able to bring them inside to brighten our home.
spring
Spring passages
In amongst the hustle and bustle of the past week I noticed the whitest of lilac blossoms peeking out amongst the green leaves. Whereas the purple lilacs are now past their bloom, the white lilac is at its peak. So similar yet so different, not only in its blossom but also its scent. Our house has been filled with the fragrance of spring, although that too will be coming to a close as the last of the lilacs fade away.
We celebrated another ritual of spring this past weekend — a quick trip to the Kansas City area to attend my niece Alyssa’s high school graduation. With her high school studies, sports, dance, and other activities behind her, she’s now looking forward to attending college in the fall. Congratulations, Alyssa — you’ve made us all proud and we’re excited for you and your future endeavors.
Spring’s softness
Last week’s photograph was of vivid red tulips. In the bright sunlight of spring, colors often become bold, striking, and rich in contrast. But there’s also a flip side to the season, and that’s the softness that’s found in the spring palette. When the sky is overcast, or in the early morning or late evening there’s a calming and quiet hush that sometimes settles over the gardens. It’s almost as if nature is resting after all its exuberance in bursting forth after winter. In trying to photograph this softness and hush I’ve chosen to take this image with a slight blur, making this more about the shapes, tones and feelings rather than the direct representation of the tulips.
The richness of tulips
Our spring and warm weather has us all wishing for more of both. These tulips in our backyard are in full (and beautiful) bloom, although last year they weren’t blooming until after the first of May. It’s a treat to have green grass and color after our months of winter and white snow. I have photographed the yellow and red tulips many times (and you may yet see some of those images here). But today I set a new challenge for myself. As most photographers know, mid-day is NOT the time to photograph bright flowers in the sunlight. The colors become washed out and the photos are too bright. My goal was to see if I could come up with a “good” image taken in the bright sun of mid-day. What I did find was that I loved the contrast of the blue sky against the red tulips, and by getting down low under the tulips I was able to take advantage of the vibrant red and yet not have the color wash out. I welcome any comments and thoughts you might have about my final outcome.
Pasque flowers announcing spring
One of the first prairie flowers to bloom in the spring are the pasque flowers. They thrive in gravel prairies and are found in various areas throughout Minnesota. Yesterday I ventured south of the Twin Cities to a Minnesota Scientific and Natural Area. When I first arrived, the morning was cool and overcast, but I was thrilled to have found a wonderful slope dotted with these small pasque flowers. Standing only 4 to 5 inches tall, they are easily overlooked from a distance. As I walked along I found more and more of these little gems pushing their blooms up from under the brown grasses. I spent over an hour photographing, all the while accompanied by the sounds of Canada geese and mourning doves. As I stopped to take in the beauty of the landscape around me the skies slowly cleared and I was treated to a warm sun and beautiful pasque flowers against a blue sky — a delightful and wonderful welcome to spring.
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