Weekly Photo Challenge: Angular

I chose this photo for my weekly photo challenge of “Angular” because while purpose of the photo was to capture the bloom of the Christmas Cactus before it opened all the way (it looked quite like a graceful flamingo to me), the confluence of the tip of the bloom exactly in line with the edge of its container, with the accidental geometric background was delightful to me. My eye gets pulled in a few directions, my mind wonders about the intent and the purpose; and the angles, normally harsh and cold, are soft like the petals of the flower. I like it.

Playing Catch-Up

I’ve been unavoidably detained~ but I have taken a few photos here and there when I could. As I play catch-up here on my beloved blog I am grouping things together in a time/theme fashion. My apologies for my absence. 😉

Gentle Morning

Weekly Photo Challenge: Texture

All these textures for the weekly photo challenge are from my garden. Yes, the aphids are rather gross, but they’d be a lovely feast for someone! I have never seen them like this. I sure hope that lady bug is hungry!

Happy 4th of July

I finally grew the morning-glory seeds that I keep buying. Only one has bloomed so far and really it is pink (shown below). I love these flowers when planted on purpose. The insane white ones that are weeds in my front yard that go crazy and choke everything I am not a giant fan of. I am anticipating blue ones, variegated ones, and even a coffee with cream color flower. Wouldn’t it be fun if I could grow the flag one? I’d be one popular flower lady. Why do I love the morning-glory? Their leaves are hearts, the blooms only last a day, they climb, hummingbirds like them, and most of all my grandma always had them in her backyard on the trellis by the back door to her house. (I even got a tattoo of some on my back a long time ago). Anyway, I am cleaning my room (which sounds so funny. Somehow it was more fun as a kid) and as usual I have trouble not doing little distractions along the way, like photo-shopping a patriotic flag onto one of them. And now, back to cleaning, going through old stuff and listening to tunes.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday if you reside in the United States. And for all the doggies, I hope it goes by quickly for you! If you live elsewhere have a wonderful day, week, weekend….!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring!

Well, not only is spring here, but I am here and I have fresh organic veggies growing from seed. This is my tiny baby kale coverend with dew drops. Spring has arrived!

Ranunculus Hybrids

Spring has begun and I have been planting new flowers and fruits, as well as three plants of brussels sprouts. (I also got a bunch of veggie and flower seeds but have yet to begin sprouting them. Eek). These beautiful flowers are all Ranunculus (meaning “little frog” in latin, supposedly because they like damp conditions). We have had a couple of rainy days, and what better time than to photograph raindrops on the flowers? None! The basic ranunculus is also known as buttercup and is poisonous, so don’t eat it or rub it on you. Folklore of the flower is below; funny we always held up dandelions to our chins claiming you like butter if it reflects yellow.

Folklore (taken straight from http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/ranunculus_acris.htm)

Is said to give a brighter yellow colour to butter. On May Day, the Irish used to rub buttercups onto cows udders, a tradition to supposedly encourage milk production. In some places, this tradition continues.

If a buttercup held beneath your chin casts a reflection against the flesh, you are fond of butter.

Victorians believed it stood for ingratitude and childishness. Some folklore believes yellow to be an evil colour and, hence, gives the plant an evil side.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside

I have had the theme “Inside” in my head since Friday. Since I really like shooting things outside, I kept the concept in the back of my mind, ever mulling it around. Today it is raining. A late winter/early spring kind of rain. Light and soft, but grey. A cleansing of the winter grime. I started taking photos of the raindrops on the windows, wind chimes in the background. Then I took some shots of the drops in my beloved water container on the deck. I liked those a lot, so I took more. Upon editing these photos, I noticed a sunken passion-flower leaf leftover from last summer that somehow looks like a submerged water beauty. Under the water, waiting, pondering, smiling, looking up…she is rather eerie in there.  I think my daughter will love her, she loves water and mermaids and fairies. So, this is my photo for Inside. She lives inside my water garden, content and peaceful, enjoying the view.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective

I like my deck water feature way more in the winter than in the summer. In the summer I can put plants in it, and have some mosquito fish to eat the mosquito larva. (They are currently waiting patiently in my laundry room for the winter to end while eating fish food flakes). But I have to watch it carefully when it rains because the fish wash over the side onto the deck. That is not good for a fish. I have to tend to it like any garden. In the winter the water feature has a life of it’s own, and it maintains itself. It reflects the weather and tells us the temperature more beautifully than a thermometer. These photos were taken the other day in the morning and it was 29*. Most of this winter it has been frozen solid. Hovering near freezing the ice waxes and wanes. I didn’t get to see much of the delicate ice formations when the temperature goes from above to below freezing this winter. The designs are exquisite! I have had photos of them on here before. The way the ice makes leafy patterns as well as sharp lines is beyond my comprehension. Here are 3 different views of my lovely water feature. What a difference perspective makes. Keep this in mind in your relationships too. Some people see beauty and some see murky leaves drowned in dirty water. And, some people aren’t even paying attention, daydreaming while staring off into space.

African Violet Beauty

The African Violet (Saintpaulia) is a good plant to raise your green thumb awareness. They need a little thoughtfulness regarding how they need to be treated, and if done right (and it isn’t hard) they will reward you with much love, color, and sweetness. Water from the bottom (or at least under the leaves), well-drained, but not dry. Do not get the leaves wet as they will show discoloration. Most of my other plants are super hardy, so if I can care for an african violet, so can you! I just make sure they are not overly wet or overly dry. I keep it by my kitchen sink so I see it often. If I put it somewhere out of sight (and what would be the point of that?) I would forget and it would be compost.