While I was in California last month, I spent a wonderful few hours at the Jensen Botanical Garden in Carmichael, California. I found some wonderful azaleas, irises and dogwood to photograph. All the photos were taken with my Lensbaby Velvet 56 lens.
Azaleas (c) 2018 Patty Hankins
Azaleas (c) 2018 Patty Hankins
Azaleas (c) 2018 Patty Hankins
Dogwood (c) 2018 Patty Hankins
Siberian Iris (c) 2018 Patty Hankins
Siberian Iris (c) 2018 Patty Hankins
Wisteria & Azaleas © 2015 Patty Hankins
I’ve recently added a new photo – Wisteria and Azaleas – to my BeautifulFlowerPictures.com website.
When I think about springtime in the south, I picture landscapes filled with wisteria, azaleas, spanish moss and dogwoods in my mind. So you can imagine how thrilled I was to explore Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia – and see scenes even more wonderful than I’d envisioned. In this particular area of the cemetery I could see lush azalea bushes with wonderful pink blossoms. The wisteria vines wound through the azalea bushes with their clusters of purple flowers contrasting with the pink of the azaleas. The azaleas and wisteria were kept in check and off the graves by one of the wonderful wrought iron fences I kept seeing in Savannah. And in the background of the scene stood a live oak tree – covered with Spanish Moss. For me – this scene totally captures the beauty of spring in Savannah. I had a wonderful time visiting there this year – can’t wait to go back in the spring of 2016.
Wisteria and Azaleas is available as a matted print on my website.
This spring, I photographed several beautiful Florida Azaleas as I was visiting North Carolina and Tennessee.
Florida Azaleas (rhododendron austrinum) are one of the fifteen native azaleas that are found in the Southeastern United States. Native to a small region of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama, the Florida Azalea are a fragrant, early blooming plant. They usually bloom from late March through late April – at the same time as the Hoary Azaleas (rhododendron canescens). The blossoms on the Florida Azaleas are shades of gold, yellow and orange with long stamens. The rhododendron canescens blooming at the same time are usually in shades of white to pink.
I first photographed the Florida Azaleas at the Bog Garden in Greensboro, North Carolina.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I next found some Florida Azaleas at Reflection Riding Arboretum in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Their plant was labeled, so I was able to identify the type of azalea I had photographed a few weeks previously in Greensboro.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
Later in my trip, I photographed another Florida Azalea at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
And finally, a Austrinum Gold Florida Azalea (rhododendron austrinum “austrinum gold”) also photographed at the North Carolina Arboretum
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
The Florida Azaleas I photographed were all absolutely beautiful plants. I can’t wait to photograph more of them next spring.
This spring, I have photographed some incredible azaleas. The challenge has been figured out what types of azaleas I’ve been photographing. There are seventeen species of azaleas that are native to the Southeastern United States – plus countless hybrid varieties. Add to this the fact that just about any orange azalea is referred to as a flame azalea – and you can see where it begins to get complicated.
While I was photographing in Tennessee and North Carolina in late April and early May, I photographed several sets of azaleas that were referred to as Flame Azaleas. It turns out they are actually Oconee or Piedmont Azalaes (Rhododendron flammeum). The true Flame Azaleas (rhododendron calendulaceum) bloom much later in the year.
Oconee Azaleas (Rhododendron flammeum) are known for their bright colors – ranging from yellow to orange to deep reds. They depend on their colorful blossoms to attract pollinators since they are non-fragrant azalea. The Oconee Azaleas bloom in late April through early May – after the Florida Azaleas (Rhododendron austrinum) and before the Flame Azaleas (Rhododendron calendulaceum). The Oconee Azaleas were first discovered along the Oconee River in Georgia in 1787. The botanical name – flammeum – refers to the flame colored veil (flammeum) that Roman brides wore over their white dresses to protect themselves from evil.
I photographed two wonderful sets of Oconee Azaleas at Reflection Riding Arboretum in Chattanooga, Tennessee in late April.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
At the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, I photographed two additional varieties of Oconee Azaleas. The first “Salmon Form” had incredible red flowers.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
The final Oconee Azalea I photographed was the Flint River Azaleas – a cross between Rhododendron flammeum and Rhododendron canescens
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I really like the bright colors that I was photographing in the Oconee Azaleas. I’m looking forward to finding more of them to photograph next spring.
Sorry about the delay- I got busy with a show and never posted the final wildflower photos from my spring trip to Tennessee and North Carolina. All of these wildflower photos were taken in Asheville. I’ve found two absolutely spectacular places to photograph flowers in the Asheville area – the Asheville Botanical Gardens and the North Carolina Arboretum. If you’re in the area and looking for wonderful flowers – I really recommend visiting one or both of these public gardens.
I spent several hours on the last morning of my trip at the Asheville Botanical Gardens. Here are a few of the flowers I photographed there.
White Trillium – Trillium Grandiflorum
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
Flowering Dogwood – Corus Florida
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
And a wonderful Siberian Iris – not a native wildflower but still a beautiful iris
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I then headed over to the North Carolina Arboretum. I hoped to photograph some of the wonderful azaleas in the Azalea and Rhododendron collection. I was really pleased with what I saw and was able to photograph there.
Here’s a wonderful Astrinum Gold Florida Azalea bush
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
And finally – the last wildflower I photographed on my trip – a single pink ladyslipper growing in the woods along one of the paths at the Arboretum
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I hope you’ve enjoyed my photos from my spring wildflower trip – I had a fantastic time. I’m already starting to plan my next couple of trips. If all goes well I’ll be back in North Carolina to photograph the rhododendron in June and then heading to Colorado for summer wildflowers in July.
