Snake’s Head Iris – Hermodactylus tuberosus

On a visit to Brookside Gardens earlier this month I was very surprised to see some taller irises already in full bloom. Usually the dwarf irises bloom in March – and then the Bearded Irises bloom starting in May. As I took a closer look at the iris – I realized I’d never seen anything like them before. Fortunately – the staff at Brookside Gardens is really good about putting up signs identifying the plants – and there was one for these irises. They were Snake’s Head Irises (Hermodactylus tuberosus).

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Originally native to Yugoslavia, Turkey & Greece, Snake’s Head Irises have been cultivated since the late 1500s. The flowers are very unusual with shades of green and a very dark purple – almost black. Also known as widow’s irises, they are one of the first flowers to bloom in the spring.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Snake’s Head Irises grow from tuberous root shaped somewhat like a hand. The latin name for the flowers refers to Hermes – messenger of the Gods and to finger like shape of the roots.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

These unusual flowers do well in Alpine & Rock gardens. They are hardy from USDA Zones 7a to 9b and grow to about 12 – 18″ tall. They should not be eaten since parts of the plants are poisonous.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

 

More information about Snake’s Head Irises is available at

Dave’s Garden

Pacific Bulb Society

Paghat’s Garden

Planting Flower Bulbs

The Telegraph

 

Grecian Windflowers – Anemone blanda

Recently while photographing at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland, I some lovely little white flowers under some trees. I took a closer look and realized that I’d seen something similar last year about this time at Brookside – and that they were called windflowers. With a little research I was able to identify the flowers as Grecian Windflowers (Anemone blanda.)

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Native to Southeastern Europe, Turkey and Lebanon, Grecian Windflowers are an early spring blooming member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. They grow in full or partial sun in moist, well-drained soil.  They come in shades of pink, purple and white. So far I’ve only seen the white ones.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

The grecian windflowers grow to about 6″ tall. The blossoms are between 1 and 2″ across. They are hardy perennials that will grow in USDA zones 5a to 10b. All parts of the windflowers are poisonous – so they should not be eaten.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

More information about growing Grecian Windflowers is available at the following websites:

Dave’s Garden

Fine Gardening

Gardening Central

 

Mother’s Day Special Offer – Set of 4 Bearded Iris Photographs

Are you looking for the perfect gift for Mother’s Day?

How about a set of 4 photographs of amazing Bearded Irises?

One of the surprises of doing shows was how many people looked for photographs of flowers that they remembered from their childhoods. Over the years, so many people have chosen favorite photos based on what their mother or grandmother grew in their gardens.

Bearded Irises seem to be one of the types of flowers that many of us remember from our childhoods. I still remember the big bed of bearded irises that my mother planted in the early 1960s. Every spring it was full of amazing irises. And from the reaction I’ve gotten to my Bearded Iris photos – clearly other people have similar memories.

So in honor of all those wonderful iris gardens that we remember from our childhoods – my Mother’s Day Special for this year is a set of 4 Bearded Iris photographs.

My Iris Collection allows you to

• Create an indoor garden of your own
• Bring the beauty of nature into your home or office for the holidays
• Share wonderful memories of irises by keeping some for yourself and giving others to your Mom or siblings as a gift

Each photograph is presented as a gallery-wrapped canvas - 10″ X 10″. Each arrives in your home ready to display.

Monet’s Blue Bearded Iris	Immortality Bearded Iris
Harvest of Memories Bearded Iris	Grape Adventure Bearded Iris

You can order the set of four Bearded Irises for the special price of $ 149 (save $ 71 over buying them separately) until midnight on May 3.

Cherry Blossoms at the National Arboretum

Earlier this month, Bill and I spent a few hours one morning photographing the blossoming cherry trees at the National Arboretum in DC. If we’re going to be photographing the Cherry Blossoms on the weekend – we usually head to the Arboretum rather than the Tidal Basin. At the Tidal Basin – there are always crowds. At the Arboretum, we’ll only see a few other photographers early in the morning when we tend to photograph.

This year, I photographed two varieties of cherry trees. The first was a Prunus sargentii tree. Named for the American plant collector Charles Sprague Sargent, these trees were discovered in the mountains of Japan in the 1890s. They are known for their reddish bark and wonderful pink flowers.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

The second cherry tree I photographed was a Yoshino cherry tree. When people think about cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in DC – most often they are referring to the Yoshino Cherry trees given as a gift in 1912 to Washington DC from Japan. In the 1970s, botanists from the National Arboretum took cuttings from some of the 1912 trees to preserve the species. Several of the trees at the Arbortum were grown from these cuttings, including the one I photographed. These trees are genetically identical to the trees originally planted at the Tidal Basin.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

The cherry blossoms are one of the highlights of spring in the Washington DC area.  Each trees blooms for only a few days. At the National Arboretum there are enough different varieties of trees that some sort of cherry trees are in bloom for at least two weeks in the spring. I’m already looking forward to photographing some more cherry blossoms next year.

Yulan Magnolia – magnolia denudata

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

One of the truly spectacular early blooming trees in the Washington DC area is the Yulan Magnolia tree at the National Arboretum. Located along the side of the road just before the Asia Garden, this tree blooms beautifully in mid-March every year.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Yulan Magnolias (magnolia denudata) are native to Central and Eastern China. They grow to 40 feet tall – with amazing white flowers that bloom in early spring. They prefer either full or partial sun and will grow in zones 6 – 10.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

The Yulan Magnolias have been cultivated in China for at least 1500 years. They were recorded as being in Buddhist temple gardens in the 7th Century A.D. During the Tang Dynasty, they were planted in the Emperor’s Garden and were considered a sign of purity.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Once I see the Yulan Magnolias blooming around the 20th of March – I know that some of my other favorite spring flowers will be blooming soon

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

New Photo: Blue Mystique Orchid – Center Detail

Blue Mystique Orchid – Center Detail (c) 2011 Patty Hankins

I’ve recently added a new photo – Blue Mystique Orchid – Center Detail – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

Blue Mystique is one of the newest orchids available. Introduced earlier this year – the Blue Mystique orchids start out as white orchids – and then the blue color is infused into the orchids. They seem to be getting a mixed reaction from orchid fans – many of whom view them as artificial. I found the center of this orchid to be absolutely fascinating – multiple shades of blue, bright yellow, and spots! I knew as soon as I took a close look at this amazing flower that I was going to do my best to get a photo of the center details.

This photograph is available as either a 12X15″ or 20X26″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can order Blue Mystique Orchid – Center Detail from my website.

Links – April 15, 2011

http://hankinslawrenceimages.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

Fiesta del Sol Mexican Sunflower (c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Just a few links this week – and not very organized since I’m writing this post on the road. I’m in Tennessee photographing wildflowers for the next couple of weeks

PhotoAttorney has Diary of a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit – 1

Plagiariams Today has 4 DMCA Notice Generators Compared

National Parks Traveler has Sixty Years Later, “Permanent” Oconaluftee Visitor Center Opens In Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Stripping ESA Protections From Northern Rockies Wolf Packs Could Harm Yellowstone National Park Wolves

BBC News has Penguins suffer as Antarctic krill declines

Envrinomental Graffiti has  Animals Quenching their Thirst from Inside an African Watering Hole

Pink Lady’s Slipper – Cypripedium acaule

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Ok, I’ll admit it – like many people – Pink Lady’s Slippers (Cypripedium acaule) are one of my favorite spring wildflowers. I first saw one growing the wild a few years ago – and ever since – have loved finding them growing in the woods and photographing them. What surprised me was how many other people love them to. At shows, the pink lady’s slipper photograph is one of the most popular wildflower photographs I have. Usually several times a show, people would say -”oh wow – pink lady’s slippers – I haven’t seen them since I was a child . . .”  and then tell me about how often they used to see them – and how rarely they see them today.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Last year, I was fortunate to photograph Pink Lady’s Slippers in several locations – including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Delaware Water Gap. Varieties of pink lady’s slippers can be found throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada. They are considered endangered or threatened in Illinois, Tennessee, and New York. The biggest threats to the Pink Lady’s Slippers are loss of habitat and harvesting of wild plants for sale. Since the lady’s slippers require very specific growing conditions – harvested wild plants rarely survive when transplanted.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

 

Pink Lady’s Slippers have a very distinctive look. Members of the orchid family, they grow to between 8 and 16 inches tall with a pink inflated slipper-like lip petal, red veins and a fissure down the front. It has two basal leaves – oblong with pointed tips.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Lady Slipper’s grow in many environements – shade/partly shade. Some prefer moist soil – other prefer dry conditions. One set I’ve photographed several times in the Smokies are growing in very shallow soil on top of a rock.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Known also as moccasin flowers, lady’s slippers get their name from an incorrect Latinization of the Greek word for Venus’ shoes.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

Pink Lady’s Slippers were used for several medicinal purposes. The roots have been used to treat everything from menstrual pain to kidney issues. It has been used to treat bites of mad dogs and as a love potion. And when taken with whiskey – it supposedly was used to treat general ailments. As always – please do not use this information about traditional uses as a recommendation of any plants for medicinal use.

(c) 2011 Patty Hankins

If you would like more information about Pink Lady’s Slippers – additional online information is available at

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Mountain Wild Flowers of America

Native American Ethnobotany

USDA Plant Profile

UW Stevens Point Database

Star Magnolias – magnolia stellata

Rosea Star Magnolia (c) 2010 Patty Hankins

One of the first trees to bloom in the spring in the Washington DC area are the Star Magnolia (magnolia stellata).  They are usually in full bloom by mid-March – usually a week or two before the Cherry Blossoms hit their peak bloom.

Royal Star Magnolia (c) 2011 Patty Hankis

Star Magnolias are native to Japan. They grow up to 20 feet tall – with blossoms that form the shape of a star. There are at least 12 and up to 30 petals in each flower. The flowers can be found in shades of white and light pink.

Rosea Star Magnolia (c) 2010 Patty Hankins

Star Magnolias were introduced into the United States in the 1860s and quickly became a popular plant for landscaping. It is fairly slow growing and produces beautiful flowers early in the spring. They are commonly found in botanical gardens in the Washington DC area. I’ve photographed them at both McCrillis Gardens in Bethesda and the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.

Kikuzaki Star Magnolia (c) 2010 Patty Hankins

I hope you’ve enjoyed my photos of the Star Magnolias. I know I’m already looking forward to photographing more of them next year.

Royal Star Magnolia (c) 2011 Patty Hankins

 

 

New Photo: Small Purple Fringed Orchid

Small Purple Fringed Orchid (c) 2011 Patty Hankins

 

I’ve recently added a new photo –Small Purple Fringed Orchid – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

When I’m out photographing wildflowers, I always keep my eye out for native orchids. I don’t know what it is about them – but I really enjoy photographing them. Last spring, I was driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway and spotted a couple of splashed of purple along the side of the road. So I pulled over and was absolutely amazed to see that I had found some Small Purple Fringed Orchids (Platanthera psycodes). It was the first time I’d ever seen them in person – and I just loved the texture and shape of the flowers. They reminded me of tiny dolls dancing in the wind. After I photographed the first set – I spotted (and photographed) several other sets of the Small Purple Fringed Orchids. I’d love to find more of the native orchids to photograph – so I’ll be keeping my eye out for them as I’m photographing this spring and summer.

This photograph is available as either a 10X10″ or 20X20″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can order Small Purple Fringed Orchid from my website.