Magnificent Coral Peonies

My friends in Lansing have an exquisite selection of peonies, both regular and tree peonies.  My favorite is the coral peony that is magnificent in display each year.  Here are a couple shots from this week, one of which was an unadjusted image while the others were "played with" in Photoshop.

Macro photography of peonies

I set up a photographic arrangement inside with access to ambient sunlight, using both black and white screens for background.  This was one way to avoid the heavy winds this week that prevented outside photography.  I used a 60mm macro lens on my Canon Rebel camera. Let me know what you think of this approach.

June 1 Garden Flowers

After weeks of rain and a soggy backyard, the perennials are coming into bloom. Early!  Today, I took pictures of the pink and white peonies, the orange poppies, giant allium, and the blue and purple iris.  The pond is encircled by yellow iris that have spread by their own methods of distribution from the original plant.  On the surface of the pond are many first leaves of the lotus flowers, which look very similar to water lily leaves, but are too numerous to be the latter.

Hope you enjoy these images.

Rhododendron Collection of the Cornell Plantations

Let’s take a tour of the Comstock Knoll and the Clement Gray Bowers Rhododendron Collection of the Cornell Plantations.  I am a docent for the plantations and want to share a few highlights with you.

            About 12,000 years ago the glaciers receded and Fall Creek carved out the surrounding area, leaving the mound that is now the knoll that houses this garden.  The knoll is named after John and Anna Comstock, famous professors at Cornell University.  John Henry Comstock was a professor of entomology. Anna Botsford Comstock was a professor of nature studies and  wrote the Handbook of Nature Study: A Guide to the Variety and Beauty of the Natural Universe in 1911.

            Dr. Clement Gray Bowers, considered a world authority on rhododendrons, bred varieties that were suitable for the cold winters in Ithaca.  The knoll is a well-drained and sheltered environment that enhances a mixture of shrubs, but the rhododendrons and azaleas are the highlight at this time of year.

            All azaleas are considered rhododendrons but not all rhododendrons are considered azaleas.  The latter are usually deciduous and the former evergreen. The rhododendrons have 10 stamens per flower and the azaleas have only 5. Check this out on your next visit to the garden.

            When visiting the knoll, you can find 302 accessioned plants that represent 123 different classifications of rhododendrons, many of which are hybrids.  There are also perennial ground covers and canopy trees.   I hope this information encourages you to visit the Cornell Plantations.

Cornell Plantations Grand Opening

Today was the grand opening for the new visitor's center at the Cornell Plantations. The "green" building has been cited for architectural awards and is very attractive.  The Brian Nevin center fits nicely against the Rhododendron Knoll, with wheelchair access to the bottom of the knoll from the second floor of the building.

As a docent for the Plantations, I volunteered to help out today and enjoyed seeing so many people come out to enjoy the new facility.

The Rhododendrons are in excellent bloom and were hybridized to handle this ecological region.  Attached are a few images I took with a point and shoot camera, since I did not bring the Canon Rebel with me.

There is always something to enjoy at the Cornell Plantations, with drop in tours on weekends and scheduled events for other times during the season.  The Botanical Gardens include the Rhododendron Knoll, the Herb Garden, the Ground Cover Garden, the Young Garden, the Winter Garden, and the Container Garden.  Extending outside of the Botanical Gardens are the Arboretum and the Wildflower Gardens, in addition to several other gardens on the main campus.

Check out the website for visitor information and other programs.  http://www.cornellplantations.org/

Where is the Lotus Pond?

The constant rain is great for the gardens and lawns and is quickly filling the Lotus Pond to overflowing. The mist is poetic, but I yearn for the sunny days for photographic moments. While out capturing images of the pond, I also took some shots of the tulips and bleeding heart.  Hope you enjoy them. Always interested in your feedback!

Backyard Blues on a Rainy Day

After a week of luscious sunlight, the forecast is for a week of rain. Actually, the gardens needed the moisture and the plants are sprouting quickly early in the season. Right now, the garden has a blue hue of Forget Me Nots and will continue with this color scheme for about a month with various perennials in bloom.

I also photographed some Bleeding Hearts and the Crab Apple tree. I do prefer the image with some backlight, but there is none of that today.