First Post of the Year: A Winter-Flowering Rhododendron

Pin It

Celebrating mid-winter with the first Rhodie blooms of the year.

On February 3rd, a rather ragged-looking swallow buzzed the eaves of our house where they come, usually later, to build their nests.

This is terribly early for the swallows to arrive and I worry how they will do when winter settles in again.

Right now we're having very un-February like weather:  Sun, heat, dry.

© Copyright 2006-2018, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Begonia Flowers in Evening Sun

Pin It

I'm having a love affair with the tuberous begonias that I've planted in hanging baskets on the back deck. They receive about 4 hours of full sun this time of year and when that sun hits them about an hour before setting, the results are magical.  This plant is a Picotee hybrid named Calypso. Some of the blooms are 4-inches across.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Phalaenopsis Orchid

Pin It

I love the orchid family, Phalaenopsis.  They are easy to grow, can withstand a lot of neglect,

and, with a little care, will bloom many times over.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Miltonia Orchid

Pin It

Another exercise in lighting contrast, I placed this Miltoniopsis orchid in a translucent gauze-covered west window during a bright afternoon, adjusting the exposure so I was able to photograph the orchid while the background became almost white. You would never know that there are shrubs just outside the window.

The image just above is not a crop of the larger one on top even though it looks like it could be. I was  intrigued by the deeper colors created by petal overlap as the bright light shone through them and wanted a closer look.

I'm not sure where these exercises are leading me, if they are leading me at all, but I am enjoying the ride.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Black Iris

Pin It

These two photos were taken as an exercise in lighting.  I stepped behind the flower, which was growing very near to a large clematis, and shot into bright sunlight.

I kind of like the washed out, over-exposed look of the background ferns and plants in contrast to the deep purple-black of the foreground iris petals, along with the bright light coming through and illuminating the veins of those petals further away from the camera.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Lilacs and Swallows

Pin It

The swallows arrived around March 15th this year and immediately began checking out last year's nests under the eaves of the house.  As usual, I don't have a photo. Someday I'll try to video their flitting flight but am not holding my breath; they're just too quick.

Then this morning, a lilac that I pruned severely last fall burst into bloom.

Days are longer, temperatures warmer.  And even if we are still having rain, it's a welcome change.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Bright Spots of Floral Color in Winter

Pin It

Small sparks of color are beginning to show up in my garden beds during this very gray and rainy winter.  I do not begrudge the rain, we need it so badly, but I must say that these small bits of color are doing a superb job of lifting my weary-winter-blues spirits.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Lavender Iris

Pin It

Getting iris to bloom is tricky in my garden.  It's too shady for the most part.  But mostly it's that the slugs think I plant iris specifically as a snack food.

Much to my delight, this one managed to bloom amid a tangle of thorny roses, successfully keeping the slugs at bay.

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

A Study of Cosmos

Pin It

Pale yellow, sharing a pot with lower-growing yellow larkspur and bunches of sweet white alyssum, this cosmos changes hue with the light: Shade brings out the yellow; sunshine softens it to almost-but-not-quite white; overcast skies give it a pearlescent quality not otherwise seen.  A fun study at any time of day.

Take a closer look - someone wanted their photo taken.

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Easter Calla Lilies

Pin It

Happy Easter!

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Morning Walks: Azaleas

Pin It

Early morning walks around my garden beds reveal small treasures: A deep pink rose perched high atop a climbing branch, way too high for me to capture; then this. I almost missed it, blooming so low while I was looking higher up; the azaleas and the rose are the same color. Hopefully I'll get to display the rose when it blooms within my camera's reach.

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Yellow

Pin It

The shrub lives behind a thicket of blackberry canes, a large Rhododendron, a Japanese maple, and many low-growing bulbs and violets.

Sometimes I almost forget that it's there.  This spring it stretched its branches out beyond the rest of the tangle of flora and proceeded to bloom like never before.

Deep yellow blooms that pop against the background of green.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I've forgotten its name.

[Ed note:  I found an earlier post of this flowering shrub and now have the name - Kerria Japonica, 'Pleniflora'.]

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Early Spring Sparaxis

Pin It

This is another one of those harbinger-of-Spring flowers that will pop up anytime in February or March. They are a sweet indication that Spring is just around the corner - and, yes, I do purposefully capitalize Spring; it's been a long time coming for so many.

Sparaxis are easy-growing, care free little bulbs that will drop their bulblets at the end of the season, which will then sprout and multiply for the following Spring. They come in myriad colors and patterns, seem to be slug-proof and deer-proof, and will bring a spot of much needed color to late winter/early spring.

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Spring Primrose

Pin It

These days, when the weather permits, I stroll around my garden beds picking up detritus from the winter storms, trying to not disturb any salamanders, just moseying from one bed to the next - my husband calls this my Zen gardening.

Yesterday as I lifted a few dried fern fronds from a wet and messy border, this perky little primrose seemed to pop out of nowhere.  I'd forgotten where I had planted it.  Now it is found.

Monday Mellow Yellows features photos that celebrate yellow every Monday. Check it out.

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Canterbury Bells

Pin It

No, this is not blooming in my garden at the moment, but it does come summer.  These winter days I have to reach back into my archives to find colorful photos.  And although today is (finally) sunny, very few flowers and foliage are photo-worthy.

I am linking this post to Macro Monday 2 where you can find more 'up close and personal' photos. 

And also to Blue Monday, a lovely blog all dressed up in blues. 

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Light Study of Narcissus

Pin It

I bought some paperwhite (narcissus) bulbs before Christmas, set them in a vase with the bases of the bulbs just touching water, and waited.

I was rewarded with many stems of fragrant, very white blooms.  And many opportunities to take photos.  Which I did, almost every day after the bulbs had bloomed, in all kinds of light.  Some turned out well, others not so much.  Here are four photos that I particularly like.

I have gone back to work after enjoying eighteen wonderful days off during the holidays. With our short winter days, I don't get out to take photos after I come home from work, so I don't post as much.

I really enjoyed the leisure time I had over the break, went out "shooting" almost daily, and joined a few memes (Shadow Shot Sunday Too, Sunlit Sunday, Monday Mellow Yellows, to name a few) and met some new photo bloggers, all of which I found very exciting.

Sadly, at least until the days get considerably longer, my posts will be fewer and farther between and I won't be visiting my newly-found blogger acquaintances as much.

Today I am linking this post to Monday Mellow Yellows and hope to get around to all the photographers who post there this week.

This is my way of saying I'm so glad I met you and I'll see you when I can.

Have a great week!

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Ruby Tuesday Too: Cymbidium in Ruby

Pin It

I know I've put this Cymbidium beauty on these pages before, but it is such a beautiful orchid, never fails to bloom December through January and sometimes beyond, and, well, it just begs to be photographed, over and over again.

Today, it appears here for the meme Ruby Tuesday Too.  Like the color ruby red in all its hues and iterations?  The photographers who post their photos at Ruby Tuesday Too would love it if you would go on over and take a look.

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Yellow-Eyed Daisy for Monday Mellow Yellows

Pin It

 

As I walk around my winter garden these cold days, I am hard-pressed to find the color yellow anywhere until I stop and just let my eyes rest.  Not looking anywhere in particular, I find little bits of yellow everywhere.

Beginning with this daisy, and a brand new year, I am casting aside the "I'm-too-busy-to-post-to-this-blog" blues, and instead am turning to yellows - Monday Mellow Yellows, that is.

Head on over and take a peek!

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Early-Blooming Camellias

Pin It

The camellias are blooming early this year; two months earlier than "normal", a word that I feel compelled to surround with quotes these days, as nothing climate-wise seems to be what we think of as normal.

I desaturated the photo to bring out the distinct shapes of leaves, buds and blooms rather than the colors, which I found distracting.  This bush will receive more camera study as it continues to bloom.

Looks like I need to prune an errant blackberry cane, too.

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Nasturtiums for the New Year 2015

Pin It

I am so glad I took this photo two days ago to share with you today because last night's hard frost turned this semi-hardy plant to mush.  And, two days ago, it was just one of a small handful of blog-worthy blooms in my garden, which I will share with you over the weekend.

Happy New Year bloggers!!

© Copyright 2006-2015, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.