Tag Archives: flower

Flowers, Holiday

Pick your holiday cactus

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I looked into it a bit last year and learned that my zygocactus, also known as schlumbergera, is a Thanksgiving or crab sort, not a Christmas cactus (hence it is about done blooming). Mine also tends to flower in spring, often around Easter, and sometimes again in summer. I guess it likes the bay window.

Close-up of a schlumbergera truncatus bloom.
Whenever it blooms and whatever you call it is is a handsome flower.

For Cee’s Flower of the Day and Macro Monday (officially on hiatus for the holidays).

Flowers

There's one in every crowd

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My first amaryllis bloom opened this morning. A welcome cheerful note on this gray day.

The stamens and pollen at the center of a red amaryllis.
A cheerful red on a gray day.

I got a group of three amaryllis for holiday cheer. Of course one of them has to be an over-achieving show-off… But in an amaryllis it’s cheerful and charming!

For Sunshine’s Macro Monday (I was sick on Monday) and Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Flowers, photo processing, photography, Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

Arty-choke

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Last Saturday we went to an art show featuring some watercolor painting by my husband’s very talented uncle. Beside the library where the show was held there was a pea patch garden. I love pea patches.

Even though it was a rather grey, drippy day I wandered about a bit. This patch of artichokes, past the harvest stage, caught my eye. From different angles the flowers* brought to mind roses and waterlilies.

An artichoke flower and bud.
An artichoke flower almost ready to blossom.
An artichoke flower starting to open.
A large artichoke flower starting to open and a small one you might be able to still eat.
An artichoke flower just about to open.

These were processed using various effects in Topaz Studio 2.

For Cee’s Flower of the Day

*The artichoke we eat is the bud of a large, thistle-like flower. This post shows the artichoke flower we found when we came home from a vacation last year.

Flowers, Snapshots from a Happy Life

A different kind of fall color: Hardy cyclamen

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I adore hardy cyclamen, more known for its wonderful variegated leaves than its flowers. In early fall they bloom naked, then the leaves come out. Because the small flowers grow close to the ground it is hard to see and appreciate the delicate beauty of the blossoms on their curlicue tendrils without crawling on the ground. Here is a slug’s eye view:

You have to get close to appreciate hardy cyclamen in bloom. The small flowers on their curling tendrils grow close to the ground.
One has to get close to really appreciate these delicate beauties.
You have to get close to appreciate hardy cyclamen in bloom. The small flowers on their curling tendrils grow close to the ground.

For Sunshine’s Macro Monday and Cee’s Flower of the Day