Flowers

I start looking for Crocuses in late February. While we've had them as early as February 26, this year we had our first open flower on March 26. Welcome! Glad to see you! Bring your friends!

I spent July 3, 1993, planting several dozen lily bulbs in a bed I'd made behind the garage. When Joan joined the household, the Shasta Daisies came along from her old place. This was the delightful result. The picture dates from July of 1997. The flowers were wonderful, but it was difficult to keep the weeds under control. So a few years ago we transplanted some of the flowers and tore out the rest. This plot is now part of Joan's vegetable garden. I already showed you the Sprouts. A good trade.... Camera: Chinon Genesis III

What remains of the firewheels. I was outside, looking at the crocusii (finally!), and took this shot. Turned out well, methinks.

Summer, 2002

Joan's harvest, October 2003.

Spring flowers are surprisingly difficult to photograph. The problem I find is context: Everything else is still brown. Of course, that's also what makes spring flowers exciting .

That's our first tulip of the year. Somehow Joan's managed to transform a rather ugly flower into this interesting image. Not sure how, but I like it. Camera: Olympus Stylus 410 Photo by Joan Bennett

Columbine, in our "show" garden. The neighbor's grandkid, Dakota, helped Joan plant this, so he tends to think it's his. We don't mind....

I planted three small white pines--two side-by-side in the front, the other near the yard's back corner--early in 1992, hoping they'd eventually grow to reasonable size. (Small, indeed--I carried them home in my Chevy Nova. Took three trips.) They've grown to be fairly substantial trees, and I'm satisfied. The trees sat in the wind tunnel for a week or so before I found time to plant them. A pair of wrens figured they were fair game, and started to build a nest in one of the trees. They got quite upset when I moved their home into the yard....

One of the mementos Mom received when Dad passed away was this Azalea Quince (there's a story about that strikeout). When she couldn't get it to flourish in her yard, Mom offered it to me. In my yard it's been very successful; in fact, we've found it necessary to trim it back a couple times a year. If I'd known how well it would grow, I'd not have put it by the house. It's about to flower.

Camera: Nikon N90s Photo by Joel Dinda More information

Turns out Joan's also been photographing the Azalea. Nice shot. Camera: Olympus Stylus 410 Photo by Joan Bennett

Commentary on a dabbler's journal

These pretty flowers open with and among our daffodils every spring, to our great delight. This year's the first time I've managed a satisfactory photograph....