Sophie asks us “to think of how we either capture them [flowers] or how we process the image afterwards.” One of the goals for my gardens has been to plant perennials that provide color and beauty throughout the seasons. Spring brings a riot of color and fragrance every week, so I’m excited to join Sophie’s challenge to showcase what’s in bloom today.

With this close-up of one bloom in the cluster that is a Rhododendron blossom, I wanted to draw the eye into the center and focus on its rich colors and soft lacy texture. Rhododendron, the state flower of Washington, is an evergreen shrub that blooms for a short while, and provides glossy leaves year-round.

Another goal for my gardens is to have plants that attract and nourish birds, bees and butterflies. On Memorial Day in Vancouver USA, as the sun shone through a partly cloudy sky, bees were very busy! Golden Mockorange brightens dark spots in the landscape with its feathery chartreuse foliage, and produces clusters of fragrant, small, creamy-white flowers. I cropped and enhanced this shot to provide a perspective on the size of the blossoms relative to the bee.

Though this large climbing vine is vibrant, I preferred this close-up of one Clematis Nelly Moser blossom. I cropped it to bring focus to the center and radiating petals. Nelly has graced the railing of our entry-way for years. She is a vital climber that enjoys sun in her face, and shade at her feet.

Cistus Mickie on the left and Chardonnay Pearls on the right are both lower to the ground shrubs that have attractive foliage as well as interesting spring blossoms. With both of these photos, I cropped and enhanced the images to bring out the gentle beauty of their white blossoms

Native to the USA and non-invasive, Honeysuckle Major Wheeler puts on a show of coral/red trumpet blossoms all summer. A favorite of hummingbirds, it also attracts bees and butterflies. The close-up photo didn’t need cropping, though I did boost the light to show-off its razzle-dazzle splendor!

I could go on and on, however since I often feature photos of flowers from my gardens in my blog, I’ll end right here with a big thank you to Sophie for this challenge!

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾

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