Links – September 30, 2011

String Lily © 2011 Patty Hankins

Here are some posts and articles that I enjoyed this week – hope you enjoy them as well

Photography and Art Links

Dan Heller has Busting Myths about Model Releases

Don Rosenberger has Lightpainting the Landscape at Nature Visions

The Copyright Zone has Free Photos!…Not Really

The Online Photographer has Is Bob Dylan a Plagiarist?

Plants, Flowers, and Gardening Links

BBC Nature has New species of genuflecting plant buries its own seeds

Wildlife Garden has Plant Local For Wildlife Health

TreeHugger has Invasive Tree-Killing Insects Cost U.S. Over $3.5 Billion a Year

The Christian Science Monitor has Worry climbs as puzzling bacteria leaves Florida palms withering

National Park and National Wildlife Refuge Links

National Parks Traveler has Climate Study Points To Much Warmer Summers, Less Snow, For Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, New Section Of Historic Trail Approved Along Blue Ridge Parkway

Chron.com has National Park offers glimpse of tallgrass prairie

CDApress has Bill could open up Glacier National Park to Homeland Security projects

Wildlife Links

Huffington Post has Keystone Pipeline Could Push Endangered Whooping Crane Into Extinction

PhysOrg has DNA confirms existence of NZ bird thought extinct

Environmental Issues Links

Reuters has Brazil farming revolution may slow Amazon demise

Mongabay has The Vietnam War’s Ongoing Effect on Conservation

Mother Jones has This Is What Global Warming Looks Like

The Guardian has Climate change may leave Mount Everest ascent ice-free, say climbers

Terra Daily has Time to begin anticipating and adapting to climate change

If you’re in the DC area – I hope you’ll join me and other flower lovers at our DC Flower Safari Meetups. Next one is scheduled for October 22 at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA.     Hope to see you there!

New Photo: Sunny Wind Hibiscus

Sunny Wind Hibiscus © 2011 Patty Hankins

I’ve recently added a new photo – Sunny Wind Hibiscus – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

I love hibiscuses. They are one of my favorite flowers to photograph since they have a unique shape. With their large petals and stamens that stick straight out – hibiscuses have a three dimensional structure that few other flowers have. And this makes them great fun to photograph! I love trying to convey the sense of depth of the blossoms, while still preserving the fascinating details of the flowers. This Sunny Wind Hibiscus caught my eye as I was visiting a local garden. Between the bright yellow petals and stunning red center, I knew I had to photograph it!

This photograph is available as either a 10X10″ or 20X20″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can order Sunny Wind Hibiscus from my website.

Engelmann’s Salvia – salvia engelmannii

 

Salvia & Blanketflowers © 2011 Patty Hankins

The Salvia’s are a very colorful diverse member of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family. While I was in Texas earlier this year – I had the opportunity to photograph Engelmann’s Salvia (salvia engelmannii) – which is native only in Texas. When I was photographing these wonderful purple and white flowers – I had no idea that Texas was the only state they grew in – so I’m very glad I spent time photographing so many of them.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Engelmann’s Salvia is named in honor of Georg Engelmann (1809-1884). Born in Germany, Engelmann immigrated to the United States in the 1830s where he practiced medicine. After developing an interest in botanical studies, Engelmann became well-known for his studies including work on identifying cactuses and vines. Engelmann’s reserach on grape vines played a major role in preserving the French wine industry when many vineyards in France were infested with Phylloxera vastatrix, a small insect. Engelmann identified varieties of native to the US grape vines that were resistant to Phylloxera vastatrix and arranged to have millions of shoots  and seeds shipped to France.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Engelmann’s Salvia blooms in the spring. It grows to about 2 feet tall with a single spike of flowers on each stalk. It is also known as Engelmann’s Sage

 © 2011 Patty Hankins

More information about Engelmann’s Salvia can be found at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the USDA Plant Profiles

© 2011 Patty Hankins

New Photo: Sunflower Center

Sunflower Center © 2011 Patty Hankins

I’ve recently added a new photo – Sunflower Center – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

This is one of those photographs that I’ve been seeing in my imagination for a few years – and finally was able to create with my camera and share with you. I love sunflowers. Every summer Montgomery County plants at least one field of sunflowers at McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Poolesville. I’ve photographed the flowers in the field several times, but I knew there were more photos waiting to be created there. I’m fascinated by the geometric patterns in the center of the sunflower, and how as the flower ages the center changes from the tight pattern to the circles of seeds that the birds love in the fall. I’d been wanting to create a photo with a tightly woven center, the beginnings of the seeds and the bright yellow petals. Finally this summer I found a sunflower in just the right light and in just the perfect stage of growth for the photo I’d been seeing in my mind. And so here it is – Sunflower Center. I hope you enjoy it.

This photograph is available as either a 12 X 18″ or 20 X 30″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can order Sunflower Center  from my website.

Links – September 23, 2011

Alligator Lily © 2011 Patty Hankins

 

Here are some posts and articles that I enjoyed this week – hope you enjoy them as well

Photography and Art Links

Alyson Stanfield at ArtBizBlog is You Promise Exposure, We Want to See Results

PhotoAttorney has Q&A – Copyright Registration Issues – Part 3

Plants, Flowers, and Gardening Links

Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens has Online Resources for Wildlife Gardeners

Karen’s Garden Tips has What is an Heirloom Plant?

National Park and National Wildlife Refuge Links

National Parks Traveler has Is The Time Right For A “Maine Woods National Park”?

Mother Jones has Will Climate Change Make National Parks More Dangerous?

Environmental Issues Links

Cool Green Science has What a Waste: Why Human Sewage Is Laying Waste to Coral Reefs Globally

 

Prairie Smoke – geum triflorum

© 2011 Patty Hankins

One of my favorite wildflowers I discovered my trip to Yellowstone National Park in June was Prairie Smoke (Geum Triflorum). When I first spotted it – I had no clue what it was – but I knew I wanted to take lots of photographs of it. I couldn’t remember ever seeing a wildflower with the combination of uniquely shaped flowers, fuzzy texture and fascinating leaf structure that reminded me of antlers.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Prairie Smoke, also known as Old Man’s Whiskers and Purple Avens, is a member of the Rose family. Native to much of the Northern and Western United States and Canada, this wonderful wildflower grows to about 18″ tall. It is easily identified by it’s bell shaped fuzzy reddish-purple flowers. After pollination, the flowers turn upward to aid dispersal of the seeds. The flowers are less than 3/4″ wide. The leaves are up to 7″ long and divided into multiple tooted segments.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Prairie Smoke grows easily in many different ecosystems. It can adapt to dry, moist or wet soil – sun, partial shade or full shade. It is often found growing in open woods, mountain meadows and grassland prairies.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Many Native American tribes used Prairie Smoke for medicinal purposes. It was used to treat wounds and coughs. An infusion of the roots was often used to treat sore eyes. It was often given to horses as a stimulant before a race. and the seeds were used to create purfume.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Prairie Smoke can be grown from seeds or from a division of the rhizome. For the rhizome method of propogation the plants should be split and planted in early spring. Seeds should be collected in late summer, stored for the winter, and then planted in the spring.

More information about Prairie Smoke can be found online at

Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture

Kemper Center for Home Gardening

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Michigan Natural Features Inventory

Native American Ethnobotany

Native Plant Network

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network

USDA Plant Profiles

Texas Paintbrush – Castilleja Indivisa

© 2011 Patty Hankins

When I was Texas earlier this year, I photographed several Texas Paintbrush (Castilleja Indivisa) plants. A member of the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) family, they are related to the Orange Paintbrush I photographed in Colorado last summer.

© 2011 Patty Hanknis

Known also as Entire-leaf Indian Paintbrush or Scarlet Paintbrush, these showy wildflowers are native to Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. They are not listed as endangered or threatened any where in their native range.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Texas Paintbrush prefers to grow in sandy soils. It is commonly found in meadows, prairies and along open roadsides.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

The flowers of the Indian Paintbrush are actually small, inconspicuous and green. They are surrounded by the bright red bracts. Together the flowers and bracts form a paintbrush shaped spike that gives the flowers their name.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Texas Paintbrush should be propagated from seeds gathered in the spring when the capsules are dry and brown. The seeds should then be planted the following fall. Transplanting mature Texas Paintbrush plants will kill them.

More information about Texas Paintbrush can be found online at

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Plant Profiles

New Photo: Salvia and Blanketflowers

Salvia & Blanketflowers © 2011 Patty Hankins

I’ve recently added a new photo – Salvia & Blanketflowers – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

Yes – another photo of Texas Wildflowers. Whenever I head to a new location to photograph wildflowers I always hope to find a field full of local wildflowers. When I spotted this set of Engelmann’s Salvia (Salvii Engelmannii) and Texas Blanketflowers (Gaillardia pulchella)  I knew I’d found the scene that would represent a field of Texas wildflowers. The Salvia has wonderful shades of purple – that contrast so nicely with the bright yellow & red in the blanketflowers. I just smile everytime I look at this photo – it brings such great memories of the beauty I saw in Texas.

This photograph is available as either a 12 X 18″ or 20 X 30″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can order  Salvia & Blanketflowers  from my website.

Links – September 16, 2011

Columbine & Lupine © 2011 Patty Hankins

Here are some posts and articles that I enjoyed this week – hope you enjoy them as well

Photography and Art Links

Pixiq has How to use a grey card

ACLU has Know Your Rights: Photographers

PDN has You Decide: Does a National Portrait Gallery Contest Trample Artists’ Rights?

Take Off Your Mommy Goggles has About Pricing

National Park and National Wildlife Refuge Links

Wildlife Extra has New National Wildlife refuge declared in Florida

Refuge Watch has DHS Proposes Tripling Base Size Near Cabeza Prieta NWR

Environmental Issues Links

Thomas Friedman at the NYTimes has Is It Weird Enough Yet?

BBC has ‘No substitute’ for virgin forest

Colorful Cannas

For years, I’ve seen a family of flowers called canna or canna lilies. I always assumed they were members of the lily family since so many places refer to them as canna lilies. It turns out – they aren’t lilies – they are members of a separate family – the Cannaceae. The family that is most closely related to them is the Ginger family (Zingiberale). Cannas are known for their large leaves and showy flowers in amazing colors and patterns.

In addition to having beautiful flowers, the cannas are an incredibly useful plant. The roots are very starchy and can be eaten, livestock often feed on the stocks and roots. The seeds have been used as an additive to tortillas – and dried as beads or as elements of musical instruments. The fibers of the stalks can be woven to create a jute-like rope, while the leaves can be used to make paper. Dyes have been created from many of the flowers. In India, it has even been fermented into alcholic drinks.

On a recent visit to Longwood Gardens, I photographed several varieties of Cannas. I love the colors and the patterns in the blossoms. I hope you enjoy them as well.

First up is an as of yet unnamed hybrid. being developed by Longwood’s horticultural staff. It is currently known as # 10.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Carnival – with lovely shades of pink and peach

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Conestoga – a wonderful soft yellow blossom

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Ermine – a lovely white flower

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Tropical Yellow – a wonderful bright yellow with orange spots

© 2011 Patty Hankins