Friday, April 06, 2007

Ready for our close-up

D. and I have been playing around with the camera all day, taking close-ups of anything in the garden that looks interesting. The ability to capture the exquisite detail of the buds and blooms of the April garden is a revelation and a delight.

Here are some of today's results:


A detail of the manfreda variegata "Macho Mocha."


The intricate geometry of a bulbine bud, just opening


The incredible bluish purple of the salvia superba "May Night"


One of the first blooms of rose "Maggie," the most powerfully scented and intricately constructed bloom form of any of the roses in my garden

I still haven't captured the buds on the orchid tree. The wind is whipping the branches around so much that I can't get a shot in focus. I'll try again later this evening or in the morning but right now I'll just enjoy this lovely cool weather.

4 comments:

Dawn said...

Hi Susan!

Your close-up shots are beautiful! I can almost smell your 'Maggie' rose. Lovely! Can't wait to see closeups of your orchid tree. It's one of my favorite types of trees in Austin so far.

Regards,
Dawn

Susan said...

Hey Dawn — Check out the previous post where there is a close-up of the orchid tree's flowers and a couple of day's ago a post with a shot of the long bed ending with the orchid tree. I'll have to wait for this rain to stop to get my shot of the orchid tree buds (and who can believe that it hasn't even reached 40 degrees on April 7? Truly strange.)

— Susan

Dawn said...

Yes, I love that view of your flower beds with the orchid tree in the background. It really is lovely. Do you find your tree attracks many butterflies?

I'm seriously considering an orchid tree in my front yard bed to replace the crepe myrtle; though I'm not sure if white flowers against my white house is the best plan. I've heard there is a pink-flowering Mexican Orchid Tree, but I've not seen them for sale here yet.

BTW, the view from your kitchen window is divine. That wisteria is amazing. What a joy to have something that spectacular in your own garden. Wow!

:-)
Dawn

Susan said...

Dawn --

I don't know that the orchid tree in particular attracts butterflies but I do often have quite a few butterflies in the garden and I have seen them on the orchid tree flowers. Last year I had what seemed like an unusually large number of hummingbirds but that was after the orchid tree finished blooming.

-- Susan