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Photo of the Month: November 2013 (Fountain Grass)

8 Dec

Yes, I realize it’s December, but November got the best of me and before I knew it, the month was gone. It wasn’t until this very moment that I realized I forgot to post a Photo of the Month for November (it was one of those months, is all I can say). So I am double cheating: I am posting now for November — and the photo was taken yesterday. But I justify this deception by telling myself the ornamental grass in question would have looked just the same at the end of November as it does at the beginning of December (or so I hope). I saturated the color slightly because snow is falling and I am feeling festive.

Photo of the Month: Happy Halloween

31 Oct

With regards from a spider that has taken up residence on our porch.

Photo of the Month: September 2013 (Velvet Plant)

30 Sep

There are all sorts of reasons a photo may catch someone’s eye: the lighting, the composition, the subject, the colors. I liked the way this one showed texture.

Photo of the Month: August 2013 (Splash)

31 Aug

Close-up of a splash of water from a memorial fountain.

Photo of the Month: July 2013 (Japanese Holly Fern)

31 Jul

Japanese Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum). Bright green foliage against a dark background, from the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley.

Photo of the Month: June 2013 (Echinacea Ruby Star)

30 Jun

An Echinacea (Ruby Star), petals just beginning to open–in soft focus.

Photo of the Month: May 2013 (Poppy Bud)

31 May

Red Poppy Bud, unfurling
Montpellier, France: Jardin des Plantes

Photo of the Month: April 2013 (Wallflower)

30 Apr

I have a thing for the color orange, and I especially love how it combines with blue. So when I had to decide where to put this potted Wallflower (Apricot Twist), there was no question: it had to be on the porch, against the blue wall of our house. And then I stepped back and let the magic happen.

Photo of the Month: March 2013 (African Daisy)

30 Mar

This is the photo of the month for March because it reminds me of spring, which at long last seems to have arrived here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. We took advantage of the glorious weekend to embark upon a much-needed garden cleanup,  which included creating a small rose garden, relocating numerous plants to better spots, and making multiple trips to the nursery.  And that is where I saw other African Daisies, which made me think of this photo I took during our trip to California at Christmas.

Photo of the Month: February 2013 (Bark)

28 Feb

I love how flowers and foliage — and tree trunks and bark — look after it rains. The colors pop, and any beads of water that linger add nice visual interest. I recently walked around our neighborhood just after a rainy spell, and came across this very colorful, wet tree trunk with speckled bark. I’m not certain what kind of tree it is (any clarification on that is welcome), but the mossy green of the bark that remained on the trunk and the contrasting yellow-orange layer underneath really caught my eye.

Update 3-3-13: I think this may be either a Chinese or Lacebark Elm.