An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

April 15, 2010

Bloom Day - In Context

We are all familiar with the tools digital technology has given the photographer. It is now possible for nearly everyone with a camera and a computer to create beautiful images, especially of flowers, and I proudly embrace these tools. Macro settings, cropping tools and even digital erasures make it possible to hide undesirable elements. It is a shame these were not available when a good part of the world was ruled by politburos; it would have made the job of the official party photographer much easier as comrades and party operatives fell out of favor, defected or disappeared. Through current technology the garden photographer can hide the ugly pile of leaves, crop out the bug eaten petal, fade the stray street sign, or take dozens of pictures so that one will come out blog-worthy, all without spending a dime on film developing. The draw back to this is that you do not always always know in what setting the plant grows or get an accurate picture of the garden as a whole. So for this Bloom Day I thought I would show the pretty, cropped and edited photos and then the larger context in which they grow.

Our front porch is currently being devoured by the Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea') and super sweet smelling Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens).

Rosa banksiae 'Lutea' (Lady Banks Rose)


Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina Jessamine)


At the bottom of the steps I grow a Viburnum lantana 'Variegata' that I have kept in a pot now for over 10 years. The flowers are OK, but the foliage is fantastic with the bright green leaves touched with gold.

Viburnum lantana 'Variegata' (Variegated Wayfaring Tree)


Here in context are the above three plants.

Context 1


I grow two Loropetalums with this one being 'Pizazz' (Loropetalum chinensis var. rubrum 'Pizazz'). In context it is to the left of the front steps where it does not nearly have enough room to grow, so it gets pruned frequently.

Loropetalum chinensis var. rubrum 'Pizazz' (Pizazz Loropetalum)


Context 2


My side garden is very shady and seems the perfect place to grow a couple of thugs: Common Violet (Violet papilionacea), Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea') and the recently identified Corydalis heterocarpa (not C. lutea, thank you Denise).

Viola papilionacea (Common Violet)


Corydalis heterocarpa


At the sidewalk edge of the side garden I have been letting Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica) naturalize, which they have done on their own, but I supplement with a few more bulbs each year.

Hyacinthoides hispanica (Spanish Bluebells)


Now here is a shot of the side garden as it becomes the front.

Context 6


Before I knew about Loropetalum, I planted a Rose Glow Barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow'), mainly for the foliage, but the spring flowers are not ugly, especially in macro setting.

Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow'


Here is the barberry in context behind some Sunrise Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora 'Sunrise').

Context 5


Down by the curb is one of the few plants left over from the previous gardener, Creeping Pholx (Phlox subulata).

Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)


Here it is being kept in context by the monthly street sweeper.

Context 3


Around back the Variegated Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' ) is planted between the water garden and an old stump I hauled on my shoulders half way down Cedar Island Beach.

Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' (Variegated Solomon's Seal)


Context 4


If you would like to see what context other people garden in, or at least the context they blog in, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens where she hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day every month. If you like her efforts, please let her know.

34 comments:

  1. Thanks, Les. The context photos make a world of difference and are much more informative than the pretty flowers. Great idea to do them in combination.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great garden, thank you for sharing with us. The photos are great. Have a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Les, I am a huge fan of macro photos...the colors and details that a macro show are like no other. I also agree that anyone can do it these days, such as I. I'm so thankful! :) Your macros as well as landscape shots are really beautiful...your garden is gorgeous via any view.
    Happy bloom day!

    ReplyDelete
  4. VERY COOL. I always love to stop by your blog on bloom day, since only a few hours separate us.

    Ah, but the macros do hide the ugly!

    Actually, I love my garden, but I find it hard to photograph "en masse" or whatever. But, I, too, snuck in some "wide shots" this month. Maybe in May, I'll be even more brave!

    Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I was just thinking about context as I was doing my Bloom Day post (something along the lines of 'if they could only see what I just cropped out or how blah this was before I hit 'adjust auto levels!' While my new garden was growing in I stayed close, but now I've started pulling back a little; the combination of the two seems to be a winner. Thanks for the beautiful pics, your garden is lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  6. You always have such creative GBBD posts and this one is a treat. We are all shooting those little jewels and it is really nice to see them in context. Last summer I realized I had few wide shots of the garden in its current form and this post is a good reminder to take both kinds of pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kudos on your showing the micro and macro views...great idea! As always they are all beautiful...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Les, love your porch - do you get to just sit there and relax and admire your beautiful garden? Our dream house plan has a porch that goes around three sides of the house.

    You are spot on about today's digital photography - thank God for Photoshop. The clone tool is one of my best friends now.

    Do you have the loropetalum "Purple Pixie" - it is on my wish list this year.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I absolutely love seeing the context photos! Everything looks very lush and happy, too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Les I don't think I've seen wide angle shots of your yard before. The plant combinations are beautiful.

    The funny thing about wide open shots (and I'm not referring to your post here, but in my garden), they tend to highlight what my eye edits out.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love 'Lady Banks.' Not sure why I haven't added it to my garden. With your inspiration, perhaps this will be the year.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looking good. I enjoy the macros to give a perspective that one doesn't otherwise see...for example that Barberry bloom. guess it might be the Georgia O'Keeffe in me.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Nice. Love corydalis -- mostly when I get down and get close to it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love this. I know people who see my macros and say ''you must have a beautiful garden". I feel a bit guilty. The plants can stand alone. However it is the whole composition/context that I feel responsible for and it is always a work in progress. I am waiting for the day I can take that panorama shot. That is the day I will have a beautiful garden. Right now macros and vignettes it is.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There was so many "Rose Lady Banks" in Charleston when I visited there over Easter Weekend, and I had never heard of such a rose before. Seems several Southern bloggers grow this rose, which makes me curious to check into getting one for my own garden (if only I had more space!). Great context, that's more helpful to see "the big picture".j

    ReplyDelete
  16. Your pictures "in the context" look great as well, compared to mine. That's why most times I only show macro pictures:) At least until I actually like the bigger picture as well.

    ReplyDelete
  17. It looks good tome, Les, in context and macro both. I don't know how to remove the unwanted parts of a photo with cropping, but would like to learn! We have these power lines, see. lol I am just learning about the joys of loropetalum, yours is certain worthy of the name pizzazz! We had to remove the Carolina jessamine, it was eating the house, sorry to see it go.
    Frances

    ReplyDelete
  18. As usual, just lovely, Les. Happy bloom day after! H.

    ReplyDelete
  19. You have a beautiful front and side yard. I'm one who always loves to see the long shots. Anyone can make flowers look good up close (even me sometimes). So thanks for showing the long shots. That evergreen in the side/front yard is awesome! Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your neighbors must love seeing your garden. My flower pictures are up close because things aren't so attractive when I take a wider shot. But I am seriously working on that! :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I enjoyed the close up and group shots! I must learn how to remove signs and power lines from my pictures :-) I like the way you have created a garden on the street for all driving past to enjoy. I am sure many smiles are brought to faces each day. The wisteria as well as the Carolina Jessamine did not last long in our heat. They seem to have disappeared overnight.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think my favorite shot is the one of barberry blooms. Not too many people would notice them -- except, of course, for sensitive and extremely discerning individuals such as ourselves.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I remember seeing all those wonderful areas of your garden. It is packed full of great plants. :) I love those Spanish Bluebells, I let mine get really thick and then spread them around to other areas of my yard. They do well in shade & sun. Have a nice weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Stunning...and a terrific idea. I need to show my azaleas in context. I didn't have time but think I'll do a post to show where they are and what they look like 'whole'. They've gotten quite large over the years. I love your yard, what you've shown of it...so many mature looking bushes/plants. Many are as x-rated as MMD's;-) Just lovely, Les. Where can I get me some Spanish Bluebells?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Les, I like how you did this. I also tried this bloom day to show the flowers, but also the context in which they are planted. As to "everyone" can take such pretty pictures, I think everyone has the tools, but not everyone has the good eye you do. It takes an artist's eye to decide where to place the crop, or which part to blur a bit. I don't use photoshop, but as you say, a lot can be done with simpler editing programs too.~~Dee

    ReplyDelete
  26. So true! You have beauty in both your macro and wide angle shots. I was thinking about this issue recently as well. My garden is designed to be packed full of plants, or in other words, viewed slowly, a square foot at a time. As such, it lends itself best to macro photography. I should get a bigger garden...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Nicely done indeed! It does help to see the bigger picture. In fact I'm inspired to look for the Loropetalum based on the combination of the two pictures. Somehow I don't remember encountering that plant before...

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thank you all for leaving a comment. I hope to find some time to visit each of you, but time is very precious for me right now. Once the spring season is over at the garden center, I'll have more time.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Beautiful, Beautiful photos Les! I could sit on your porch and be devour by your roses ... love that first photo especially! Gorgeous post!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thanks for the wide views, Les. The setting means so much, and viewers often miss out in its absence. I'm guilty of that since ours is such a small and new garden, that the sweeping vistas can look mighty bare, especially in spring. This is a great reminder to step back and let folks into the whole picture. Your place is beautiful, and that Solomon's seal looks really grateful for that cool stump! p.s. my bloom day post will be belated.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Great garden and flowers, they made my day, beautiful! Very intense colors and forms!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Phew,I barely have enough time to keep up with my blog, let alone take the time to photoshop my shots. By the way, your porch looks very inviting.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Success. My stupid Hughes ISP was in the mood to let your pictures load this morning. Les, if you have a garden tour in your area your garden would be a definite must see.

    ReplyDelete
  34. A clump of variegated Solomon's Seal - just after I was daydreaming about one of my own (in my previous comment somewhere above) - gorgeous. All of the 'broader' views - to me - only demonstrate how beautiful your garden is! Lovely (and I like barberry). Oh - and the Corydalis heterocarpa is something I've been lusting after for awhile (since my garden is increasingly turning into a shade garden).

    Happy belated Bloom Day!

    ReplyDelete