Flower Photography
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Best viewed large. Many thanks for your visits, faves and kind comments. Have a wonderful week ahead!
Another macro for Macro Mondays, theme curves. It's actually an individual agapanthus bud covered in raindrops. Have a great week every one !
The quiet beauty of a pond or lake is instantly enhanced by a water lily's rounded leaves and starry flowers floating placidly on the surface. These unique aquatic plants can bloom in a range of colors anytime from late spring through fall in most regions of the country. Their leaves can be cup-shaped, star-shaped, and smooth or jagged. And while water lilies may be most visible on the surface of still freshwater, they are rooted in the mud below, where they overwinter and regrow the following year. Here are a few more interesting facts about these amazing flowers that will likely surprise you.
1. There Are Many Water Lily Colors
When you imagine a water lily, you probably think of the classic white bloom bursting from a deep green lily pad. But water lilies actually grow in a rainbow of colors, including pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, and blue. Tropical varieties take on jewel tones (purple, orange, bright blue, and yellow), whereas hardier varieties lean toward a pastel palette. Sometimes the blossoms on hardy varieties change shades as they age. Even the leaf colors vary from deep green to rich burgundy. Water lilies aren't just a one-trick pretty pony; they have more tricks up their sleeves.
2. Water Lilies Help Their Environment
Although they're primarily known for their stunning appearance, water lilies are actually important players in the aquatic ecosystem. These plants are found in shallow and still fresh water, as in ponds, lakes, and the edges of slow-moving streams. Because they rest on the water's surface, the flowers and pads provide shade, keeping the water cooler and preventing algae that thrives in heat from growing in excess. Water lilies also shelter fish from predatory birds and the heat of the sun.
3. The Water Lily Is July's Birth Flower
Attention July birthdays: Water lily is your flower. (Along with larkspur.) It's no wonder these bright blooms are linked to July, because they're mainly a summer flower. Water lilies bloom from May through September, putting July smack in the middle of prime season. In frost-free regions, water lilies bloom year-round. But you have to be lucky to catch a bloom, as each individual flower lasts for about four days before sinking under the water to decompose. The beauty is short-lived, but that makes it even more special.
4. The Water Lily Has Numerous Varieties
Each variety of these stunners (there are over 50 species) is unique, whether it's the shape, size, color, fragrance, or blooming pattern. Water lilies inhabit ponds, lakes, and streams all over the world. The largest variety is fittingly called the giant water lily. Other names for this huge flower are the Amazon water lily and the royal water lily. This massive, magnificent flower can grow to a diameter of three to six feet and can support 66 pounds of weight. That means a young child could perch on a giant pad, no problem.
5. The Water Lily Is an Important Spiritual Symbol
Water lilies mean many things in different areas of the world, but they have special significance in Buddhism and Hinduism. For these religions, the water lily symbolizes resurrection, because these flowers close up at night and reopen in the morning, similar to a spiritual rebirth. Buddhists also believe that the water lily represents enlightenment because a beautiful bloom emerges from the dark mud.
6. The Water Lily Is a Star in the Art World
The impressionist painter Claude Monet often used water lilies as a subject. In fact, he painted more than 250 pieces that featured this aquatic plant, and several of them are among his most famous works of art.
Poldertuin … Anna Paulowna … Nederland
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TULP (Tulipa) is een geslacht van eenzaadlobbige planten uit de leliefamilie (Liliaceae). Tulpen werden in de westelijke wereld geïntroduceerd door de Weense ambassadeur voor Turkije, Ogier Gisleen van Busbeke, die over de bloemen schreef die hij in 1551 in het Turkse Edirne had gezien. Later zond hij enkele zaden ervan naar Oostenrijk.
De aankomst van een vracht tulpenbollen vanuit Turkije in 1562 in Antwerpen betekende het begin van de Europese tulpenteelt. De eerste gedocumenteerde exemplaren werden door Carolus Clusius geplant in de door hem vanaf 1593 geleide Hortus botanicus Leiden. De bostulp (Tulipa sylvestris) is de enige soort die in Nederland in het wild voorkomt en is ingeburgerd vanaf de 19e eeuw. Het merendeel van de gekweekte vormen van de tulp zijn afgeleid van Tulipa gesneriana.
Tulpen komen oorspronkelijk uit Centraal-Azië, waarschijnlijk uit het gebied dat bekend is komen te staan als Kazachstan. Het verspreidingsgebied van het genus strekt zich uit van het Iberisch schiereiland door Noord-Afrika tot aan Griekenland, de Balkan, Turkije, het Midden-Oosten, Syrië, Israël, Libanon, Jordanië, Iran, Oekraïne, het zuiden van Siberië, Mongolië en het noordwesten van China. De grootste diversiteit wordt echter aangetroffen in drie bergketens in Centraal-Azië: de Pamir, de Tiensjan en Hindoekoesj. Het klimaat in deze drie berggebieden wordt gekenmerkt door een koude winter waardoor vernalisatie kan optreden, een lange lente met koude nachten en een droge zomer. Een dergelijk klimaat is ideaal voor tulpen.
Met dank aan Wikipedia ...
Late blooming hydrangea. This little plant seems to be a few weeks behind the other hydrangea in our area but is providing a small splash of colour.
#flowerphotography #hydrangea #gardening
Late blooming hydrangea. This little plant seems to be a few weeks behind the other hydrangea in our area but is providing a small splash of colour.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.
I had a little too much time on my hands and created this "masterpiece"... :) That is my persian cat, my doberman, my rose photo and the 2 portraits on the wall behind the "ghost lady" are self portraits of me. All of these subjects can be found in my photostream. Many hours of work in ONE PHOTO. Enjoy!!
This image of a cluster of small, cascading orchids was taken while on a visit to the San Diego Botanic Garden. I typically don't present florals in black and white, but these flowers were a soft, white color and the mono presentation helped to focus the viewer's attention on the flowers rather than the green stem.