A cloudy sky offered soft, even lighting for this purple water lily in a garden pond.
Through The Lens
My daughter wanted to use her iPhone lens attachments at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia. Â While she was finding the right one to use she asked me to hold this one. Continue reading “Through The Lens”
VMFA Water Lilies
The water lilies were in full bloom at the Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts (VMFA) on Mother’s Day.
Soldier Beetle on Daisies
Yellow Flowers By The Lake
These yellow irises are growing near the edge of the lake at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Â In the background is the Conservatory which has something blooming 365 days a year.
Purple Irises
This bed of purple Iris flowers was in full bloom when we saw it. Â The dark green leaves and rich purple flowers seem to go on for ever.
Bumble Bee on Redbud
Over the weekend I sat on my roof to get a better view of the bumble bees pollenating our redbud tree.  These trees never cease to amaze me.  They are in full bloom in Richmond and quite beautiful right now.  The bees will be all over them for the next few weeks.  Some of the birds will even eat the flowers.  Then, late in the summer they will start to produce seed pods and become nature’s perfect bird feeder. Of course the trees benefit immensely from feeding the birds.  We have one full sized tree in our yard and we must get a hundred saplings sprout up every year.
Tulip Bloom
Of course tulips are at their peak while the flowers are still slightly closed. Â This purple tulip, at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, looked pasted its prime but I thought the vibrant colors had a beauty all their own. Â While it no longer had that new tulip shape, the open flower revealed a lovely contrast between the yellow pollen and the deep purple and blue flower pedals.
Orchid Show
These orchids were on display at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA. Â Inside an arboretum, their delicate, colorful blooms offered a refreshing break from the bleak, cold weather outside when we visited in February.
Gold and Red
These wildflowers already lost most of their pedals before I took this photograph. Â I wanted to capture the bright yellow of the flowers against the backdrop of the red vine leaves climbing the tree in the background.