The first Spring flowers bloomed today in my yard. This is Crocus chrysanthus, I believe, growing in the lawn in front of the house.
Spring has Sprung
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Tag Archives: Flowers
First Crocus, Rock Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Not in my garden, yet, but today I saw my first Crocus of the season in the Rock Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
I almost overlooked it. It’s tucked in at the base of the south face of a large boulder in the Rock Garden. A perfect location for solar heating to get a head start on his little crocusey friends.
Ah, but look. There are some crocusey friends to his left, two of them.
I’m thinking Crocus tommasinanus.
Here’s the Yucca again which I photographed a few weeks ago. I like how the leaves capture the light.
The Witchhazels I also photographed a month ago are now fading, but still colorful.
Just starting to come into their own are the heaths in the Rock Garden. I look forward to watching them progress over the new few months.
Related posts
First Macro Shots
Alstroemeria
My new macro lens arrived today. I would say that I was like a kid on Christmas, except that I am notorious among friends and family for carefully unwrapping any gift I receive so as to not tear the paper so I can save it.
The very, very first shot I took was of my router. Not that interesting. I deleted it. The Alstroemeria is the second macro shot I took. One of our next-door neighbors was coming home, and she had a bouquet in her arms. The other shots are from my backyard.
Itea “Little Henry”
Ilex verticillata, Winterberry (female)
Nepeta calamintha, Catmint “Walker’s Low”
Note the bonus ant in the above photo!
Hydrangea flower
This lens will take some getting used to before I can select and frame my subjects effectively. It’s a long lens, 105mm (digital, logner equivalent 35mm), so the depth-of-field is compressed. The advantage is that the combination of long focal length and closest focusing distance of 1 foot can provide 1:1 reproduction ratios: life-size images captured in the camera, which are much larger than life when enlarged. For example, here’s a 1:1 photo of text from the second paragraph of this post:
Besides shallow depth-of-field, the other disadvantage of a long focal length is increased sensitivity to camera shake. This macro lens also has built-in image stabilization, which counteracts shake by a factor of 2 or more.
I’m really interested in trying out this new lens for insect photography. The lens can focus out to infinity, so I can increase the depth-of-field by shooting from a greater distance. Here’s an example of that in the last shot I took today: leaves from the mystery Ligularia I bought at the Chelsea Garden Center two Saturdays ago.
Ligularia leaves
These leaves are exceptionally ruffled. Although much of each leaf is still not in focus, the overall image accurately conveys the texture and depth of the leaves. This is my favorite of the dozen or so shots I took today with my new toy. I’m looking forward to having more play time with it.
Garden Diary: What’s blooming now
In the backyard and shady path:
- Astilbe, two unknown varieties: one with dark red flowers, and one with white flowers
- Dicentra eximia “Aurora”, White bleeding heart
- Hosta, variety unknown: small, yellow leaves, purple flowers, could be “Gold Drop”? (just starting to bloom)
- Hydrangea, variety unknown: white, lacecap type flowers
- Ilex verticillata “Southern Gentleman”, Winterberry, male (in container)
- Itea “Little Henry”, Sweetspire: white flowers (in container)
- Kalmia “Peppermint”, Mountain laurel: white flowers with dark red rays (just ending)
- Lonicera sempervirens, trumpet honeysuckle: dark orange-red flowers (just ending)
- Tradescantia “Sweet Kate”, Spiderwort: Chartreuse foliage, bright purple flowers
In the sunny border:
- Alcea, Hollyhocks, unknown strain: tall, pink flowers, white flowers
- Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly weed: Bright orange flowers
- Campanula trachelium “Bernice”, Bellflower: Double purple flowers
- Coreopsis verticillata “Zagreb”, Tickseed: Orange-yellow flowers
- Digitalis, Foxglove, unknown variety: White flowers (just ending)
- Hemerocallis (fulva?), Day lily: Bright orange flowers with brick red interior rays
- Heuchera, Alumroot, unknown variety: white flowers, silver-variegated burgundy foliage
- Ilex verticillata, Winterberry, female: White flowers, bright red berries still persisting from last year
- Monarda didyma “Gardenview Scarlet”, Beebalm, Bergamot: Dark red flowers
- Tradescantia, spiderwort: dark purple flowers
In the front of the house:
- Centaurea, Bachelor’s buttons: Cornflower blue flowers
- Dianthus caryophyllus Super Trouper Dark Violet, Carnation (windowboxes)
- Heuchera, unknown variety: White flowers, burgundy foliage overlaid with white
- Penstemon “Husker Red”: White flowers
- Lavandula, Lavender, unknown variety: dark purple flowers
- Thymus, Thyme: Pale purple flowers
- Viola, Pansies: Large chrome yellow flowers with purple marks in the centers