Secret Life of Flowers

Light of the Sunflower

"Why is she photographing that? That flower's dead!" I heard the lady say from the front porch of the guest house behind me as I photographed this sunflower. I politely turned towards her and casually said, "Because I'm a photographer and it interests me. Besides, it's not dead, it's just a different type of sunflower." Just goes to show, one persons seemingly dead flower is another persons sunflower full of light.

Butter and Eggs

When I first saw this flower, I thought it looked like a hot mess! This little jonquil was a riot of yellow bursting forth into flames of glory! I ran in the house and asked my mother what it was. She said it was an heirloom daffodil, highly prized and raised had once belonged to her mother. I was lucky enough to receive of few of these bulbs for my garden. I am eagerly awaiting their first bloom.

Two Lilies

This is one of my favorite pictures out of all the flowers I have photographed. These two lilies just make me happy looking at them. I shot these while walking through Alona's gardens in Jenner, CA. She has 3 of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen... other than Monet's gardens in Giverny.

Fire Tulip

I have a love hate relationship with tulips. On the one hand they are beautiful flowers that are one of the harbingers of Spring. On the other, they are very short lived. When Den and I went to France a few years ago, tulips were blooming everywhere and I had never known before how many different varieties there were. Why in Monets' garden, they actually had black tulips! This year I decided to to plant some that were different than the norm and this is one of them. I love the way this bloom looks similar to flames. It's simply beautiful!

Golden Poppy

This sweet little poppy is one of my favorites. I wish I could say it's from my garden but, it's not. I shot this at Robin's house a few weeks ago. She has some of the prettiest poppies I have ever seen. This picture, makes me happy, it puts a big smile on my face. I hope it does the same for you. Today, as you go about your business, let the light and love of this golden poppy fill you with joy. Then smile to yourself as others begin to wonder what you're smiling about... it can be quite infectious!

Red Poppy

We were all at Robins house to celebrate Mother's Day. I love going to Robin's, especially with my camera. There is always something to photograph, some vignette she has created tucked away to surprise and delight the eye. This visit was no different. The most interesting to me though on that day for artistries sake, were her poppies. This particular little guy is my favorite. Enjoy and... have a sweet poppy kind of day.

Pink Magnolia

I remember when I was child growing up in the South. Our magnolias were primarily the large, white, fragrant, dinner plate sized flowers you see so much. It never dawned on me that there were other varieties. As I've gotten older, this particular variety has become my favorite. I love the way each individual flower has a personality all it's own. The inside pistils seem to form their own flower as they slowly open. It's just lovely to me.

Clematis Pistols

Yellow Roses

I was out walking Payton one day when we came upon an upscale store in a series of art galleries. They were housed in an old textile mill in Mexico. This store always had a big half barrel full of water with dozens upon dozens of roses floating inside. On this particular day, the lighting was perfect and the yellow roses were simply beautiful. I couldn't resist them.

Field of Petals

These lovely, peachy pink petals remind me of lovely fields of fanciful bliss, a time of quiet, soft and mellow. Soothing to my soul...

Peach Camellia

I love the layers and layers of petals camellias have. They seem to endlessly open themselves to full, fat, soft and fluffy layers of pillowy softness. They are just yummy!

Bougainvillea

We were leaving a beautiful brunch on a perfectly overcast day, when this fountain with bougainvillea pulled me in. The leaves and flowers were mesmerizing. The delicateness of these small bits against the wetness of the cement just seemed perfect to me.

Amaryllis Heart

When I look deep into the center of flowers, I feel as tough I am falling. This the open mouth of an amaryllis. I keep thinking I see some symbol here and am just not sure what I see. Or is it the shape of an animals mouth... what do you see?

Water Lily

I shot this in my sisters garden. It was a perfect morning walking around. Coolish and misty, the dew still on the ground, and the morning was just waking up.

Gerber Daisy

Pink and vanilla white blended together to create perfection of a flower worth falling in love with.

Sweetness like Butter

When I was little, we would hold buttercups under each others chin to determine if we each liked butter. Of course, our chins always turned slightly yellow. We all LOVED butter!

Little Blue Violet with Forget-me-nots

This jaunty little flower is a wild violet. They grow in my fathers yard underneath the cool shade of the trees. I spend quite a bit of time when I visit, laying on my belly taking their portraits. They seem like happy little flowers that never cease to surprise and delight me. They have big personalities!

Forsythia Dress

I am not a fan of forsythia. That being said, I really like this picture. I shot it at my parents house. For some reason, it was pulling me in, and then I found this. What a beauty!

Sweet Betsy

This flower smells of summer apples... I'm not kidding. Because of it's name, it also reminds me of an old folk song, "Sweet Betsy from Pike". I can't help but hum it to myself whenever I see or smell these.

Flower Heart

My husband visited a flower market and brought back an unusual vine with a flower that looked like a butterfly. When I looked through my macro lens, I saw these delicate little red hearts. I have never seen anything like it before. Lovely!

Pink Rose

As I was shooting this rose, my friend is watching quietly and then says... "Ahhh, I see what has your interest!" I like to look deep into the nether regions of roses. Their shapes and textures have a sensuous beauty.

I think Dahlia's are amazing! When I look at this, I see pinwheels and windswept women standing on the cliffs in their long cloaks, staring out to sea. There is a wildness about them that I find both expressive and irresistible.Then I look closer and see the flower that has lived life, bug eaten and torn, and still loving every minute.

Hot Pink Dahlia

I love Dahlia's. There... I said it. They are truly one of my top three favorite flowers. As in all things, no two are exactly alike. They flirt and entice you with all kinds of delight, drawing you ever closer to their inner beauty.

The Daisy and the Bee

I like Daisy's but, they don't like me. Put me in a field of them and I start sneezing, my nose gets stuffy and my eyes get puffy. That being said, I do love to photograph them and when there is a bee involved, well who can resist that?

Fuchsia

I do like photographing flowers along rail fences. I like the mixture of dry wood combined with the softness of the flower petals. This fuchsia was no different. It drew me like a moth to a flame. Such a delicate dance.

Japanese Wisteria

I was visiting my sister and noticed an small, unusual Wisteria. I couldn't help but notice that it reminded me of a Japanese Pagoda. It's quite beautiful!

Good Morning, Glory!

I like to walk around in the morning when I'm in the mountains. The mist gently lies low in the valley, the light is just so... and there, freshly opened, is the perfect morning glory.

Silly Daisy

This particular daisy reminds me so much of Phyllis Diller. I remember she had crazy hair and sometimes even crazier hats. I don't know what the variety is called but I really think it should be named after Phyllis Diller.

Pink Poppy with Seed Pods

I shot this poppy and her pod cousins while driving along the California coast near Jenner.

Pink Flowers of the Wood

I honestly don't know what these flowers are called but, I like the way they work with the tree to create this bit of flower art.

Pink Dahlia

This unruly dahlia reminds me of all the people I know with curly hair. A little bit non-conformist, beautiful, sweet, a little bit wild and attempting to fit in as best we can in a world full of people with straight hair. Okay, I know this isn't the best description for this flower but hey, it works.

White Dahlia's

This is one of my favorite Dahlia pictures. I love the the way the shadows of pink peek from behind the white adding to the texture and color of the flowers. For some reason, when I see this image, it reminds me of the innocent beauty of white weddings.

Queen Anne's lace with Pink Flower

I have always liked the delicate nature of Queen Anne's lace. Though I have to admit, I never liked the chigger bites I received while picking them as a child living in the south. On this particular day, I was able to take this sweet photography without risking my skin to those nasty chiggers. I particularly like the way the pink flower pops up through the delicate lace of the flower.

White Gladiolas

I think Gladiolas have an incredible personality. This is one of my favorite Gladiola pics. I like the way each individual flower on the stem seems to have it's own unique personality. Why, one of these actually reminds me of a duck! Interesting how that happens, no?

Dancing Cactus