August 2010

Sunflower-Helianthus annuus-pictures

Sunflowers, Helianthus_annuus, these beautiful, bright flowers with simple petal layers, double or the fluffy, teddy bear petaled Sunflower, they are among my summer favorites.
There are so many garden varieties of sunflowers, in colors from very pale yellows to dark, burgundy reds and all shades of yellow that it is hard to choose from the gorgeous bouquets at the flower market.

Visit Macro Flowers Saturday and Macro Monday for amazing macro photos.

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Visit to the Flower center

Flower centers are usually out of town and therefor not easily accessible if you don't have much time. But that has changed now, a new flower center opened at the western city border and that's a 30 minutes walk for me.
I just discovered this wonderful place and I've spent about three hours there, photographing.

Summer is almost over and garden flowers are not exactly the sensation of the moment but they still catch your eye.

Inside the center, the many exotic flowers and tropical plants are breathtaking for those like me, who can't see such beauties in nature.

A corner of cactus world.

This is the gorgeous Medinilla Magnifica, native to the Philippines.

Those who named it, found it magnificent too. It's a petty, it's too big for my home.
I was lucky that my batteries died and I left voluntarily, spearing the employees from the unpleasant situation of throwing me out.

That's it for now, you can see more beautiful flowers from this visit at my other blog at Macro Flower pictures.
This last picture is for Macro Flowers Saturday.
Visit Scenic Sunday for beautiful scenery.

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Evening walk-sunset at the river

An evening walk at the river banks at sunset is what most people prefer on a hot summer day.
The river is at five minutes walk from my place and a nice walk is the only escape from the afternoon heat. All the neighborhood is out there to cool down, old and young, bikers and dogs with their owners enjoy the beauty of a summer sunset.

Those just learning to walk,

those tired of walking,

or those who want to capture on film wildflowers , cattails and nature's beauties have their place here.

This cattail close-up is for Macro Flowers Saturday,

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Crepuscular beams at sunset-spotlight in the sky

Today at sunset, mostly because of the heat, but also to take some photos, I decided to take a walk in the neighborhood.
When I looked up at the sky, there was this beautiful spotlight among the clouds.
I find these crepuscular beams a fascinating natural phenomena, so I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and began to take photos.

The display on the sky was changing every minute, still I've got more admiration (or pity) from by-passers than the beautiful show on the sky.

See another amazing sunlight column above the forest I see from my window.

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Bouquet in reflection-raindrop macro

Raindrops on a lovely pot marigold bouquet is today's setup. Raindrop reflections are my favorite photo subjects lately.

See many other beautiful macros at Macro Flowers Saturday and at Macro Monday at Lisa's.

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Rose of Sharon-Hibiscus syriacus

This beautiful flowering shrub, the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), loves the summer heat.
In midsummer, the Rose of Sharon, also known as hardy hibiscus or althaea, bursts into bloom and bring a bit of tropical beauty to more temperate climates.
The delightful flowers with satin-smooth petals, come in shades of white, lavender, pink and red with lots of variety in between.

Rose of Sharon bushes grow to a medium sized shrub 2m(7ft) tall and are very popular as hedges and border plants. They can be trimmed for a neat, colorful hedge at the desired size and they blooms from summer through fall.

Rose of Sharon bushes love to be in full sun all day long and they don't need much care.

Althea bushes attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, though here by us, we have just the tropical look of the flowers, no hummingbirds. I've never seen such a magic little bird, that can also fly backwards.