Thursday, October 7, 2010

Artistic lotus pods

There are many ways to use the lotus in artwork in addition to photography.  I made cement molds from the leaves and use them as stepping stones, garden decor, water fountains, and bird feeders.  The pods can be used for swatches for the door, arrangements, and holiday wreathes.  With a bit of spray paint, you can transform the pod into a very crafty object.  The attached photo shows me at a garden club event with my silver sprayed lotus pods arranged among Artemesia.

Monday, October 4, 2010

End of the season

Even the lotus leaves turn color at the end of the season.  They lose their chlorophyll and the yellows and browns in the leaves show through. Eventually, the leaves shrivel and die and fall into the water to decompose.  With the amount of leaves in the pond, one would think that the pond would fill with decomposed matter.  Fortunately, the process does not quickly change the pond and the spring will bring renewed growth. It has been a gorgeous season with about 500 lotus blooms decorating the pond for 2 months.