Blossomville

[aster]

While awating David's (breaside) magnolia photos to be sent to the thread, I found that our small tree was getting more seriously into action and the magnolia flowers are actually slowly changing colour to a darker shade on the outside and lighter on the inside of the petals.

Here are a couple of impressions from today's shots.

Greg; I certainly wouldn't wish you to sink any boats let alone battleships...even if the load was of tulips. You're granted full permission this year to go have a nice long rest and relieve your backbone and enjoy your favourite drink!

Yildiz

A general look at the fuschia 'candlesticks' from the side.



Looking closer at a new bloomer from top.



Looking closer at one of the still-close 'candlesticks'.

[Javelin]

Finally something popped out of the ground here that wasn't frost!! Not sure they qualify as a blossom but it was good enough for me.

[aster]

Congratulations Javelin,

Spring has sprung for you!

Yildiz

[Greg Beetham]

Pretty colour for a wildflower? Javelin, nice violet blue.

Yildiz, I have a confession, they weren't Magnolias in flower here, they were Azaleas, duh, so much for my memory for names.
Do Magnolias drop all their leaves when blossoming? It's an arrangement I'm not used too...interesting, quite nice blossoms tho.
Greg

[aster]

Yildiz, I have a confession, they weren't Magnolias in flower here, they were Azaleas, duh, so much for my memory for names.
Do Magnolias drop all their leaves when blossoming? It's an arrangement I'm not used too...interesting, quite nice blossoms tho.
Greg

That's alright Greg, azaleas are very nice too and some blossom colours may be misleading with their resemblence to magnolias.

No, magnolias don't drop their leaves when blossoming. In fact, it's just the opposite; the blossoms come earlier than the leaves do. That's why the branches look so empty, because the leaves' buds are still not open. By the time all leaves grow into their mature sizes and and fill the branches the blossoms have finished their jobs for the season and start dropping their petals one by one until there's no flower in sight. All that's left from the flowers are mature seed sacks/pods.

Interesting life cycle for magnolias as one expects the leaves to come first.

Yildiz

[Javelin]

Today ... blossoms.. these weren't there yesterday. Apple blossoms are going to be a few weeks yet so these will have to do, as impressive as they are

[aster]

Hi Javelin,

First ones were the crocuses but I can't recognize these yellow ones. Looking mysterious but lively.

Time works fast on the magnolias, and they are in full bloom this time also marking the end of my submissions of magnolias. The leaves are still young because they mature much later than the flowers do, as this is the way this plant grows.

Yildiz

[Greg Beetham]

Nice, Yildiz.
Greg

[aster]

Thank you Greg!

Yildiz

[Dr. Harout]

The colors are great, Yildiz.

[aster]

The colors are great, Yildiz.

I'm patiently awaiting your blossoms, Dr. Harout.

Let's see how colours of nature break the silence and sing tunes of spring in their own style.

Thanks,

Yildiz

[jbtaylor]

Nice shot Javelin. I feel like those blooms are crawling from the wreckage.
Aster, you have been busy and it looks like fun.
The image below is from the front of my house. In 2 weeks the bloomes from these peones (sp?) will be bigger than my camera.

[Birma]

Love the magnolias Yildiz, and it is great to see spring struggling to life with you, Javelin.

I was out in the woods today (also see the Derelict Building thread) and the Bluebells are really getting going. Photography credits to my wife as I'm in charge of the baby carrier while on family walks, and my wife takes the pictures. All PP is my fault. Both taken with my trusty 17-50.





On the second picture, I used a technique I read about here http://www.naturephotographers.net/arti ... 106-1.html. I'd be interested to know what people think, and if anyone has tried this sort of thing before.

[aster]

jbtaylor; that peony may be the 'Tree Peony Feng Gong Wei Ji'. I am not sure but the leaves look similar to the leaves of the species in this link:

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/plants1/ ... 878/1.html

Peonies indeed have beautiful flowers and many varieties. I ran a simple search and almost hundred different plants showed up.

Birma;
Congratulations to your wife for the photos while you were guarding your daughter.
Bluebells made a very soft, attractive carpet at the foot of the blossoming trees. I like the choice of processing in the second one. It has taste and is encouraging.

Yildiz

[Allam2009]

Another picture from the trees outside my house. This is just a baby tree compared to the others as it was planted by my neighbour last year (that is the trunk of the tree in the shot and not a branch):