by hankinslawrenceimages | Jul 15, 2013 | Flowers, Papaveraceae Family, Photo of the Month
Bleeding Hearts © 2013 Patty Hankins
Bleeding Hearts are one of the flowers that always make me smile when I see them. Here in the DC area, they bloom in April – adding a wonderful splash of bright color to the local gardens. What I didn’t realize when I started photographing the bleeding hearts was how many people love them as much as I do.
When I’m at shows and people are looking at my photos – they see the bleeding heart photos and start to smile. So often, I hear how their mothers and grandmothers had bleeding hearts in the gardens when they were growing up. And what fun it was to see the heart-shaped flowers in the early spring.
What’s also wonderful is how many people mention that they have bleeding hearts growing in their garden – because it reminds them of their family connections – and because they want their children to have the same wonderful memories about family flowers and gardens that they have.
At a recent show, a newly married couple stopped by my booth and saw my bleeding hearts photo. It turns out they had just planted some in their garden – they had gotten married on Valentine’s Day and wanted to have the heart shaped flowers in their garden to remind them of their wedding. They bought a copy of my photo so they could have the beautiful heart-shaped flowers in their bedroom year round. The smiles on their faces were wonderful to see as I handed them their photo – all ready to take home and display.
I’ve got to admit – I love it when my flower photos bring smiles to peoples faces – especially when they remind people of special places and times in their lives.
Bleeding Hearts is my July 2013 Photo of the month. It is available on my website in two sizes of gallery-wrapped canvases – 10″ X 10″ and 20″ X 20″. Until July 31, SAVE 20% on my Bleeding Hearts photo.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Jun 12, 2013 | Flowers, Papaveraceae Family, Wildflowers
© 2013 Patty Hankins
One of the first wildflowers to bloom in the spring in the Washington DC area is bloodroot. And once I see the bloodroot blooming – I know that cherry blossoms, bluebells and trout lilies aren’t far behind.
© 2013 Patty Hankins
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a member of the poppy family native to the eastern half of the United States and Canada. Bloodroot grows as a single flower on a stem with one leaf. The flower can bloom before the leaf fully forms. In the DC area, bloodroot grows to about 5″ tall. It can grow much taller in more southern parts of the country. The bloodroot flowers have multiple white petals and a beautiful yellow center.
© 2012 Patty Hankins
Bloodroot was used extensively by Native Americans. The red juice from the stem was used as a dye for clothing and baskets. Medicinally it was used for a variety of illnesses including heart disease, colds and fevers. The rhizomes of the bloodroot are poisonous. If eaten, they can cause nausea, vomiting and death.
© 2013 Patty Hankins
More information about bloodroot can be found on the following websites
© 2012 Patty Hankins
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Missouri Botanical Garden
Native American Ethnobotany
USDA Plant Profile
by hankinslawrenceimages | May 20, 2013 | Flowers, Papaveraceae Family, Photo of the Month
Blue Poppy Center © 2013 Patty Hankins
Blue is one of my favorite colors – whether it’s a wonderful spring blue sky or the water in the Caribbean Sea. It’s such a peaceful calming color. Which is why when I see a blue flower – I just have to photograph it. There aren’t that many truely blue flowers that bloom in the DC area. We have the Virginia Bluebells in the spring, hydrangeas in the summer and some of the asters in the fall.
But in the winter – I know where to go for some of the most amazing blue flowers I’ve ever seen. I just head to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and their annual display of blue poppies. Native to the Himalayan mountains – Longwood Gardens is one of the few places south of Alaska and Scotland where you can see beds full of blue poppies.
Every year – I try to visit Longwood for the blue poppies. I love seeing the delicate blue petals (sometimes with a hint of purple) and the stunning yellow/orange centers. After several tries, I finally photographed the center of one of the poppies – showing all the shades of blue, purple, yellow and orange. And when I saw the image on my computer – I knew I had to print it!
Blue Poppy Center is my May 2013 Photo of the Month. Until May 30, SAVE 20% off the regular prices for Blue Poppy Center.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Apr 24, 2013 | Flowers, Papaveraceae Family
One of the highlights of the year for flower photographers in the DC area is when Longwood Gardens puts the Blue Poppies on display in March. On facebook, it’s easy to tell when they are on display – all of a sudden there are photos of spectacular blue flowers showing up in photographer’s newsfeeds.
I headed to Longwood Gardens in mid-March to see the blue poppies. I’d heard that this year’s display was particularly spectacular – and I wasn’t disappointed. I saw lots of blue poppies – in a bed with blue hydrangeas. Some of this year’s blue poppies had wonderful shades of purples in the petals – I loved the combination.
So here are some of my favorite blue poppy photos from Longwood Garden’s 2013 display.
© 2013 Patty Hankins
© 2013 Patty Hankins
© 2013 Patty Hankins
© 2013 Patty Hankins
© 2013 Patty Hankins
© 2013 Patty Hankins
I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my blue poppy photos. Please feel free to share this post on Facebook and Twitter.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Mar 16, 2013 | Flowers, New Photos, Papaveraceae Family, Wildflowers
Dutchman’s Breeches © 2013 Patty Hankins
I’ve recently added a new photo – Dutchman’s Breeches – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.
Each spring, Dutchman’s Breeches are one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom in the DC area – they usually bloom in mid-March. They are a welcome sign that winter is over and that spring is finally here. One of my favorite places to photograph them is along the C&O Canal.
Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) are a member of the Fumitory family – so related to the Bleeding Hearts. The delicate white and yellow flowers get their common name from their resemblance to traditional pants worn in the Netherlands – hence Dutchman’s Breeches. In Victorian times, the name generated some controversy – after all – ladies didn’t talk about the parts of the body that breeches covered!
This photograph is available as an 18 X 12″ or 30 X 20″ gallery-wrapped canvas. You can order Dutchman’s Breeches from my website.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Mar 9, 2013 | Flowers, New Photos, Papaveraceae Family
Blue Poppy Center © 2013 Patty Hankins
I’ve recently added a new photo – Blue Poppy Center – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.
Who knew there were blue poppies? Until I started photographing flowers, I certainly had never heard of them!
It turns out that Blue Poppies are native to Nepal and Bhutan. They need to grow in colder climates – so I’ve heard reports that they can be grown outdoors in Scotland, Maine and Alaska! Fortunately, for the rest of us, a few botanical gardens regularly put them on display in the winter.
I photographed this close up of the center of a Blue Poppy at Longwood Gardens last year. This is the time of year to head to Longwood Gardens if you want to see the Blue Poppies as they are usually on display in March.
This photograph is available as a 12 X 15″ or 20 X 26″ gallery-wrapped canvas. You can order Blue Poppy Center from my website.
