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Shades of Pink & Purple Chrysanthemums

by hankinslawrenceimages | Apr 10, 2013 | Asteraceae Family, Flowers

One of the wonderful things about Chrysanthemums are all the wonderful colors they come in. Here are some of chrysanthemums in shades of pink and purple that I’ve photographed over the past few years.

Tsurbito – an Anemone Chrysanthemum

Cherry Enbee Wedding – a Daisy Chrysanthemum

Diana Stokes – a Quill Chrysanthemum

Fantasy – a spoon Chrysanthemum

Cambodian Queen – a single Chrysanthemum

Do you have a favorite color of chyrsanthemums?

The Colors of Spring

by hankinslawrenceimages | Apr 8, 2013 | Photo of the Month

When I think about the wonderful day last spring when I photographed this Saucer Magnolia Tree – all I can do is smile. It was one of those perfect spring mornings – clear blue skies — a gentle breeze — birds singing — and beautiful pink & white blossoms. If I close my eyes – I can still smell the fragrance of the flowers and hear the birds.

In many ways spring for me is about all the wonderful colors I’m seeing. Instead of the cold gray skies and bare trees of winter – once spring arrives I’m photographing colors. Whether it’s the bright blue sky, a yellow daffodil, a pink cherry or magnolia blossom, a purple iris, or the pale green of leaves starting to bud, the world is suddenly full of colors which are a very welcome sight after the long winter.

This year the spring is arriving later in the Washington DC area than it has the past few years. Instead of photographing bluebells, trout lilies and cherry blossoms in March, I’ve been photographing the daffodils, hyacinths and pansies. The cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin are expected to peak on April 3-6 (about two weeks later than last year). The trout lilies, bloodroot, spring beauty, dutchman’s breeches and bluebells are just starting to appear. One nice thing is – as they bring their beautiful soft colors to the woods – the tulips will be bringing bolder shades of red, yellow and orange in the local gardens. So there will be a wonderful variety of colors and flowers to photograph in the coming weeks.

Is there a color you associate with the coming of spring? For me – it really is the pinks on the cherry and magnolia trees blooming.

Saucer Magnolias is my April 2013 Photo of the month. Until April 30, SAVE 20% off the regular prices for Saucer Magnolias.

Links – April 5, 2013

by hankinslawrenceimages | Apr 5, 2013 | Flowers, On the Web

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Here are some posts and articles that I enjoyed this week; I hope you enjoy them as well

National Park and National Wildlife Refuge Links

Park Advocate has Park Service Releases Most-Visited National Park Data for 2012.

Flower and Plant Links

Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens has Bunny Bustin’ Natives

Discover Magazine has After 32,000 Years, an Ice Age Flower Blooms Again

National Parks Traveler has Desert Treasures: Spring Blooms In Big Bend National Park

Wildlife Links

New York Times has On the Montana Range, Efforts to Restore Bison Meet Resistance

The New York Times has Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms

Environmental Issues Links

The Guardian has Scientists link frozen spring to dramatic Arctic sea ice loss

Photography and Art Links

John Paul Caponigro has 3 Ways To Get More Resolution From Your Photographs

The New York Times has Photography in the Docket, as Evidence and Hopis Try to Stop Paris Sale of Artifacts

Mike Spinak has Artist, Respect Thyself

Thoughts of a Bohemian has Full Eclipse of the Moon

Russ Bishop has Visual Drama through Leading Lines

Photo District News has Gun Rights Advocate Charged in Copyright Case Over Anti-Gay Attack Ads

Art and Artifice has Can a collector prevent an artist from making new art?

DC Area Flower Safari

If you are in the DC area, I hope you will join me and other flower lovers at our DC Flower Safari Meetups. The next Meetup is scheduled for Sunday, April 6th at National Arboretum in Washington DC.

I finally have a location for this Saturday’s meetup. Due to the late spring – most of the usual places for early April don’t have much in bloom. So we’re heading to the National Arboretum in Washington DC.

Not sure exactly what we’ll find – hopefully some native plants in Fern Valley, some Cherry blossoms (they have more varieties than the Tidal Basin – so usually a longer bloom period), and a few magnolias. I’m sure there are some daffodils blooming somewhere in the Arboretum . . .

According to the What’s Blooming page – the first week in April we can likely see ” Daffodils, crocuses, early magnolias, Korean azalea, Japanese-andromeda, forsythias, cornelian-cherries, woodland wildflowers, epimediums, flowering cherries, arisaemas” – http://www.usna.usda.gov/Education/blooming.html

Plan for the meetup is to enter the Arboretum from the R Street entrance at 8 AM when it opens – and then meet in the parking lot. It would be great if we can consolidate the group into fewer cars in the parking lot – there is limited parking in many areas of the Arboretum.

From there – best suggestion will be to just head off and explore. My plan is to head towards the Cherry Trees and Asia Garden – and then back to Fern Valley. Since Fern Valley is in the woods – it’s easier to photograph later in the morning there than in other parts of the garden

We’ll meet back at the parking lot at 10 AM and head to the Dunkin Donuts at 2420 New York Avenue for coffee (it’s just around the corner from the Arboretum).

Swan Red & White Columbine

by hankinslawrenceimages | Apr 3, 2013 | Flowers, Ranunculaceae Family

I love Columbine (aquilegia)! It’s one of my favorite wildflowers. I’ve also grown to love the various cultivated varieties I see at the botanical gardens – the flowers come in so many wonderful combinations of colors.

I recently photographed some Swan Red and White Columbine. Like other columbines, Swan Red and White is a spring blooming perennial that grows in either sunny or partly sunny areas of your yard or garden.

I just loved the combination of the red and white in these stunning flowers