Sunday, August 23, 2015

Summer Flower Garden

Every spring my hubby plants a backyard flower garden for me to enjoy (and of course photograph!)




This year was no exception.  In early April, he buried several bulbs.  Throughout the spring, I watched green stalks rise from the soil.




Then in late May, flowers began showing their colorful faces.





First were the lilies, in many different shades of pink, orange, and yellow.




Then came the dahlias, with their neat rows of multi-hued petals radiating out from a central core.





The gladiolus opened next, their tiers sporting gorgeous ruffled petals.




Many early mornings found me grabbing my camera to capture perfect light on the flowers.




I filled many a memory card with gorgeous images.




There were other bloomers - deep purple flowers, whose names I didn't know.




We even coaxed a half dozen coneflowers to rise from the dirt.  With their slender pink petals and large fuzzy center, these became my favorites.





Sadly, by late July our flower garden began to dry up, a casualty of this year's unseasonable hot and dry weather.




Now nothing but a patch of brown, dried-up stems, I'm sad every time I look at it.  But I'm very thankful for the hundreds of photos I've taken throughout the summer.  At least I have a photographic record of the lovely garden that was.  Seeing these colorful images always cheers me up.

I've posted some of my favorite flower pics here today hoping they will bring cheer to your lives too!


Sharing with:  Through My Lens and Our World Tuesday.

44 comments:

  1. OH wow, what a fantastic collection of pretty blooms. They are all gorgeous. It is sad that your rain has gone missing, I hope you have some rain soon. Your photos are gorgeous! Have a happy day!

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  2. How wonderul that your husband does all the gardening and then you are surprised with the plants blooming. These are glorious photographs.

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  3. Linda, this series is absolutely stunning! Thank you so much for sharing these photos, you have made my day! :)

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  4. I am so pleased to see these beautiful flowers growing in your garden. We tried planting some in spring but they didn't grow. Perhaps the soil was too cold for them.

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  5. Thank goodness for photographs AND a blog to share them on! Beautiful!

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  6. Just magnificent. I'd have them scrolling constantly on my screen.

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  7. The flowers are lovely. I think the purple ones are clematis. My hydrangeas didn't like the heat at all so they didn't bloom well. I've had to water them every other day to keep them alive. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. These are stunning images! It is always a joy taking photographs in a garden.

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  9. Gorgeous pictures! And this is a clever way to share flower photos, taking us on a trip through the season.

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  10. Nice to be able to look at the photos even after the blooms have withered and died, though hopefully there'll be some seed there for next year.

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  11. An absolutely delightful series of floral captures Linda - thank you for sharing.

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  12. Your flower photos are fabulous!

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  13. Very nice pictures - I like the little hoverfly in the last

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  14. He chooses great plants for your garden! Lovely photos!

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  15. Thank you, Linda. I've missed all the blooms and beautiful wildflowers we usually have in the mountains, too. It's so dry and sad, but your pictures! They are anything but. Thank you for sharing with me. :-)

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  16. Hi! Nice collection o beautiful flower photos. Your husband is very tender. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. Love the up close shots, Linda.....very beautiful colors.

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  18. They were beautiful! The deep purple ones are Clematis the variety is most likely Jackmanii. But you can just call them BPF's Beautiful Purple Flowers:)

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  19. Wonderful collection!!! Tom The Backroads Traveller

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  20. I LOVE flower - can't ever get enough - more the merrier in my yard for sure.You blow me away with your skill of capturing the flower is such perfect light and shot.
    My favorite photo of yours is #9..what is the name of that flower?
    Hugs

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  21. What a beautiful record of your flower garden. The colours are so vibrant.

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  22. Hubby does a beautiful job! Gorgeous macro floral shots! All very beautiful!

    Happy Week to you,
    artmusedog and carol

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  23. Beautiful flowers, great macros you made of them!
    Visiting from Mersad Donko Photography "Through My Lens".
    Greetings from Belgium, Hilde

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  24. Your captures are just beautiful. I love the ones with the rain drops. So sweet of your hubby to plant you a garden to photograph and to enjoy....

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  25. That's a great batch of flowers you have there, and lovely photos of them!

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  26. Such pretty flowers, ours seem to be coming to an end already...grateful for the black eyed Susan's.

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  27. Beautiful and colorful flowers.

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  28. Gorgeous macros of the flowers! My favorite is that first lily but they are all so magnificent!

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  29. A good combo hobby for the two of you, and so pretty!

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  30. Beautiful and very cheering!
    Thanks!

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  31. Great to have hobbies that work in tandem! I tend to eat the products of my wife's endeavours rather than photograph them!!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Jakarta (for this week!)

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  32. The purple coneflower is my favourite...!

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  33. Thanks so much for linking in with "Through My Lens". Wonderful photography Linda!!

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  34. Every one of these images is an artistic work of work. So beautiful and impressive!! P.S. Today I posted 'The Rest of the Story' about my Milky Way shot.

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  35. Truly beautiful captures. Love how you presented them.
    Great post!

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  36. Lovely set of photographs. The raindrops add extra sparkle.

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  37. That is so wonderful that Roger plants these flowers for you to enjoy! They are gorgeous.
    I used to have dahlias, I found them to be a small hassle, digging the bulbs up every fall, and one year they didn't store well.. so I don't have them anymore, and I all the more salute the effort and care given to yours. I do have a huge wall of clematis though, which brings my big smiles - they are the dark purple stars in your photo!
    Purple cone flower are usually one of my favorite, but looking at this great variety of blooms and brilliant color.. I could never choose. They are all fantastic - great job to you both! Next year I hope you get to enjoy them longer.

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  38. Excellent shots. I especially loved this orange lilyon the 4th photo.

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  39. Gorgeous flowers all of them and the colours are wonderful!

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  40. Simply beautiful. I love flowers and these are great choices.

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  41. Gorgeous macros of your beautiful flowers, Linda! They remoind me of a Georgia O'Keeffe painting!

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  42. Wow Linda, like I said; breathtaking photography! Glad you captured them before they met their demise. I love how they are kissed with dew!
    hugs,
    Jann

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