Blossomville

[aster]

The title says it all...blossoms that put a smile on your face ...

Yildiz

A100 with CZ 16-80mm; Spring 2009 in Istanbul.

[Greg Beetham]

That's a nice bright cheerful bunch of flowers Yildiz....I'm guessing spring is breaking out in your neck of the woods, a nice time of the year, plenty of flower opportunities, hmmm those sort of look familiar but I can't think what they are.
Greg

[aster]

Thank you Greg,

Yes, it's indeed spring in full-throttle here!
I knew what it was called in English but I can' remember at the moment. Later in the season it begins to bear fruit bunches that resemble green apples in shape but which taste a bit bitter.

I'll look up for its name.

Yildiz

[aster]

Hi,

The species is called 'Chaenomeles Japonica' in Latin but is commonly known as 'Flowering quince'.

From the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaenomeles

" Chaenomeles sp. bisected fruit, probably C. speciosa or cultivar . The species have become a popular ornamental shrubs in parts of Europe and North America, grown in gardens for their bright flowers. Some cultivars grow up to 2 m tall, but others are much smaller and creeping.

They are also suitable for cultivation as a bonsai.

The fruit are very hard and astringent and very unpleasant to eat raw, though they do soften and become less astringent after frost (when they are said to be "bletted"). They are, however, suitable for making liqueurs, as well as marmalade and preserves, as they contain more pectin than apples and true quinces. The fruit also contain more vitamin C than lemons (up to 150 mg/100 g). "

Yildiz

[Birma]

Great colour Yildiz. I can see that spring is really getting going in Istanbul.

[Dr. Harout]

... fruit bunches that resemble green apples in shape but which taste a bit bitter.

Yildiz

Yildiz, you mean quite bitter, sometimes even suffocating (well, sort of).

[David Kilpatrick]

In the 1980s Shirley and I went to Kos. We hired bikes, and cycled up to to the interior, ended up outside the airport fence. We were hungry and tried from a long uphill ride, and there was a tiny cafe - just in its own, nowhere, on the road. We went in, and all they had was souvlaki, goat kebabs with herbs. It was very simple, just a couple of kebabs each, and they were the best I have ever tasted. Just pure and simple with herbs from the fields, the same ones you could smell when cycling. They cost us 40 pence each! This was such a tiny amount it was less than the tip you would give to a restaurant in Kos town at that time.

It was almost embarassing to pay so little, but when we had paid, the old couple who ran this cafe made us sit down, and brought a plate with very thin slices which looked like pear or apple. We do not speak Greek, and they did not speak English, so I don't how we communicated but the fruit was quince. They would not take any more money, the quince was a new flavour, and I still think that meal was one of the best I have ever had - anywhere in the world. It was small, and very simple, but perfect. I have never had quince again except (I think) quince jelly served with meat.

Spring arrived here today, properly. We have no flowers except daffodils and some bushes like flowering cherry and currant. I cut down and cleared a lot of brambles and thorns and removed a huge amount of wild garlic from a flower bed, then mowed the lawns for the first time, and sowed lupins, nasturtiums and lots of fancy poppies which are good to photograph. But there's nothing worth photographing yet.

David

[aster]

Thank you Birma,

The japonica really has beautiful flowers and the colour is not processed afterwards to make it appear so, in fact I desaturated a little so the details could show properly.

Dr. Harout, you're right. The taste in fact is very bitter as this is not the type of quince that they cultivate for the humans to eat. This one has a smaller fruit and has more of medical benefits.

David, I know how it feels to almost pay nothing for food, fruits, and beverages while travelling. My father loves travelling in every opportunity he gets. When I was a toddler I had already seen almost all of Turkey driving in our Volkswagen. The villagers and plantation owners were great and generous people. They used to invite us into their plantation when we used to make stops on the road so my father could stretch his muscles and get fresh air and offer baskets full of fruits, fresh bread, and even kebabs. Some would accept money but most would be shy to take anything at all and feel offended in fact. It's all changed now, those generous people are replaced by those who'd rather trick you into buying stuff. Not everyone of course, but still, one misses those generous and kind souls.

Please don't refrain from uploading your own blooms in this thread..

Yildiz

[Greg Beetham]

Hi Yildiz, no it wasn't one I was familiar with after all, I saw the brambly appearence and spikes and must have made an association that it was a kind of boganvilla, but now I don't think so, (thanks to your excellent research).

I saw this flower on a tree the other day (it was covered in blossom) that I had not noticed before, one of the eucalypts I'm certain of that much, don't know which one though, I thought it was worth photographing, as it's rare to see one with so much blossom.

KM5D 24-105

[braeside]

We have cherry trees in the garden and the first one is now in full blossom.

[aster]

Hi Greg,

That's a beautiful blossom with a nice colour. The eucalyptus flowers vary in colour so I looked up from a source on the Internet. Yours may be 'Eucalyptus leucoxylon rosea'.

Here's the link: http://www.australiaplants.com/Eucalyptus_flowers.html

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[aster]

Hi David,

The first photo is like a fragment from a blurry dream. But the second is the most beautiful to me; embodiment of a spring tiara on the bark of the tree.

All so lovely and pure.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[braeside]

Hi Yildiz, I should have commented on your photo, very strong vibrant colour and such sharp thorns must keep animals from eating the plant?

[aster]

Hi Yildiz, I should have commented on your photo, very strong vibrant colour and such sharp thorns must keep animals from eating the plant?

Hi David,

Thank you for the compliment.

I suppose the logic behind the thorns is exactly what you suggested. The cats in our garden make sure that they steer away from it. In some countries the thorny type is not permitted to be planted as hedges along paths and as garden borders where human traffic is in full action.There's a thornless type which is advised to be planted for such purposes. In rural environments with farm houses the thorny type is used as hedges to keep offensive animals out of the gardens.

Yildiz

[bakubo]

I rarely take flower photos, just not my thing, but here are a couple.