New Photo: Princess Irene Tulips

Princess Irene Tulips © 2012 Patty Hankins

I’ve recently added a new photo – Princess Irene Tulips – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

Tulips are one of my favorite spring flowers. The Princess Irene Tulips are some of the most beautiful ones I’ve photographed. I love all the colors in the flame pattern on the petals. Until I saw the Princess Irene Tulips – I’d never seen any tulips with this many colors in them. Princess Irene Tulips are early blooming triumph tulips, growing to about 14″ tall.

This photograph is available as either at 10 X 10″ or 20 X 20″ gallery-wrapped canvas. You can order Princess Irene Tulips from my website.

Celebrate with my Holiday Flower Collection

I don’t know about you – but I’m starting to get in the holiday spirit. I visited Longwood Gardens last week and saw some amazing holiday displays. And for me – in December – the flowers I love to photograph are pointsettias.

To help celebrate the holidays – I’m offering a set of three poinsettia photographs at a special price of $ 99 (save $ 66 off the regular price) until December 16.

My Holiday Flower Collection allows you to

• Create an indoor holiday garden of your own.
• Surprise nature lovers and gardeners with photos of what they love
• Bring your holiday party hostesses a unique gift

Each photograph is presented as a gallery-wrapped canvas - 10″ X10″. Each arrives in your home ready to display.

Christmas Feeling Poinsettia	Ice Punch Poinsettia
Monet Twilight Poinsettia

Or If these aren’t the photos for you

You can create your own personal Holiday Flower Collection

Choose any three small photos (10″ X 10″ or 8″ X 12″ – regular price $ 55 each) for the same Holiday Flower Collection price of $ 99 (save $ 66 off the regular price). My Holiday Flower Collection is available until midnight on December 16.

I’d like to wish all of you a Happy Holidays!

Paint Box and Apricot Courtier – Reflex Chrysanthemums

This year I finally photographed some varieties of Reflex Chrysanthemums. This is one of the thirteen classes of mums that I hadn’t seen before. Reflex mums are distinguished by their downward overlapping florets. The tops of the flowers are often full, and a bit flattened. What I really liked about the two varieties of reflex mums that I photographed was the color variations within each flower.

The Apricot Courtier reflex mums are a lovely pale apricot with some pale yellow petals near the top.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

The Paint Box Reflex Chrysanthemums are a rich shade of  reddish orange with bright yellow highlight petals

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Ladies Tresses – Spiranthes odorata

For the first time – you get to see some photos of flowers from my garden!! I’m not known for my gardening abilities – in fact – I killed a butterfly bush. In the past couple of years, I’ve been adding more and more native plants into my garden. Not only are they well suited for my climate (so hopefully will require less babying) but they also attract lots of birds, butterflies and insects into my garden.

This spring, I planted a Ladies Tresses plant. Ladies Tresses are a native orchid – and are supposedly reasonably easy to grow. My guess is that mine are the Chadds Ford variety – which is one of the easiest to grow in gardens. Throughout much of the summer, it didn’t look very good – then all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago – it perked up and started to bloom!!! So here are photos of my Ladies Tresses!!

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Ladies Tresses (Spiranthes odorata) is frequently the last native orchid to bloom each year. In the Washington DC area, it blooms in September and October. Further south, it can be found blooming as late as December. These lovely orchids are native to the Southeastern United States – their habitat ranges from New Jersey to Texas.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Known also as Fragrant Ladies Tresses and Marsh Ladies Tresses, Spiranthes odorata grow to about 2 feet tall. Small white hooded fragrant blossoms are found on spiral stalks. The twisting of the stems is a result of uneven cell growth. They prefer to grow in moist boggy soil in partial shade. The ones in my garden are in partial shade and not very good soil.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

There are close to 300 species of Ladies Tresses worldwide – 25 species in North America. Some practical uses of the plants have been recorded. A European variety was used medicinally to treat eye, skin and kidney diseases. In Chile, a local species was used as a diuretic. Native Americans used it for everything from a blood purifier to a treatment for venereal diseases. The roots were sometimes used in charms for hunters or as food.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos of my ladies tresses. They did well enough this year that I may add another few ladies tresses into my garden next year!

If you’d like more information about ladies tresses, you can find some online at

Flora of North America

Kemper Center for Home Gardening

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Native American Ethnobotany

USDA Plant Profiles

Introducing Boxed Sets of Notecards

Do you struggle to find the perfect gift for the person who is impossible to shop for?

Do you need gifts for your favorite flower and nature lovers?

Do you rush around last minute looking for a gift you forgot?

Roses

If this sounds like your holiday season (and it certainly sounds like mine), I may have the ideal solution for you. I’m happy to introduce my new Boxed Sets of Notecards – Roses and Smoky Mountain Wildflowers. Each set contains eight 5X7” notecards – two each of four different flower photographs. The cards are blank on the inside – and have one of my favorite inspirational quotes on the back.

Smoky Mountain Wildflowers

Early Bird Bonus: Get a Free 2012 Wildflower Calendar Free (19.95 value) with purchase of any two sets of notecards

Early Bird Bonus only good until December 5 – order now.

Free shipping to all U.S. addresses (my gift to you).

So please visit my website to see all the beautiful flowers that are included in the boxed sets – and order yours today.

Irregular Incurve Chrysanthemums

In many ways, Chrysanthemums are the ultimate fall flower in the Washington DC area. They’re hardy enough to last through the chilly nights, they’re easily available, and they’re not too hard to grow. However, the ones we see locally aren’t the most spectacular types of chrysanthemums. If you want to see some chrysanthemums, you really need to head to Longwood Gardens in November. They have a chrysanthemum show that is incredible. Each year for the past several years, they’ve displayed at least one 1000 bloom chrysanthemum. 

The National Chrysanthemum Society recognizes thirteen different classes of mums. The Irregular Incurve Mums are some of my favorites. They’re known for their curved petals and closed centers. A few years ago, I shared photos of the Crimson Tide and Houston Irregular Incurve Mums. I’ve got a few amazing mums to share with you this year.

 

The Kokka Hougiko Irregular Incurve Chrysanthemums have wonderful pink & purple petals with a lighter center. I had fun photographing the way the petals overlapped.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

The Luxor Irregular Incurve Chrysanthemums are a wonderful soft pink & white flower. They remind me of big fluffy balls of cotton

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

The Edo 21 Irregular Incurve Chrysanthemums look very different from other Irregular Incurve Mums. The petals are longer, flatter and come to a point. But the flowers do still have the same basic structure as the other Irregular Incurve Mums.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Wildflowers – A Not So Hidden Beauty

Yellow Trillium & Purple Phacelia © 2009 Patty Hankins

 

I love photographing wildflowers – especially in the spring.  For the past several years, I’ve spent part (if not most) of the month of April in Tennessee and North Carolina in what can only be described as the most beautiful place on Earth for wildflowers. Be it alongside the road or under a tree, it seems that whereever you look is another wildflower waiting to be discovered and photographed.

The combinations of colors, shapes and textures have to  be seen to be believed. I took this photo of the Yellow Trillium (trillium luteum) and Purple Phacelia (phacelia bipinnatifida) quite literally along the side of the road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park three years ago.  It has the wonderful combination of the triangles in the trillium and the rounded edges of the phacelia. The complementary shades of yellow and purple bring additional balance to the scene, while the pattern of the trillium draws you into the scene.

It’s not just the beauty that attracts me to the wildflowers – spending time among the flowers brings me an incredible sense of peace and connection with the greater natural world. Not only do I see the flowers – but also the settings where they are. I’m often photographing in the mountains, or alongside a stream. I can hear the birds singing in the trees, the insects buzzing, and the wind rustling through the leaves. I also know that the amazing colors and shapes serve the purpose of attracting just the right pollinator to the flowers to ensure the future of the species.

When I’m out photographing wildflowers people often stop and ask me what I’m photographing. They are so used to looking for the big wildlife or grand landscapes – that they don’t think to look down at their feet to see what’s growing. As I was photographing the trillium and phacelia, two people asked the inevitable question that people seem to ask when they see a photographer with a tripod the park – “Is there a bear?” Umm – no. Given how short of a lens I was using and how close I was to my subject – if I had been photographing a bear at that particular moment – I could easily have been his next meal!

So next spring – whether you are photographing locally at Turkey Run Park or in the Smokies – I hope you’ll take a few minutes to check out the wildflowers. You might find some wonderful subjects to photograph.

 

This post first appeared as a guest post on the Nature Visions blog earlier this month. If you live in the DC area, I hope you’ll consider attending the 2011 Nature Visions Conference on November 11 – 13.

New Photo: Sunflowers All in a Row

Sunflowers All in a Row © 2011 Patty Hankins

 

I’ve recently added a new photo –  Sunflowers All in a Row – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

As you probably know, the sunflower fields at McKee Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Poolesville, Maryland are one of my favorite summer photography spots. So often when I’m at McKee Beshers I feel like I’m standing in a field of sunflowers that goes on forever. With this photo, I tried to capture the feeling of endless sunflowers. I really liked the way the sunflowers recede into the distance adding a sense of depth to the photo. To say nothing of the fact that I just always want to smile when I see sunflowers – either in person or in a photograph. I hope these sunflowers brighten your day as much as they brighten up my day!

This photograph is available as either a 8X18″ or 14X30″ gallery-wrapped canvas.  You can orderSunflowers All in a Row from my website.

New Photo: Yellowstone Gerbera Daisy

Yellowstone Gerbera Daisy © 2011 Patty Hankins

 

I’ve recently added a new photo – Yellowstone Gerbera Daisy – to my Beautifulflowerpictures.com website.

For years at shows and via email people would ask for photos of Gerbera Daisies. They are an incredibly popular flower. And my answer was always – I didn’t have any photos of Gerbera Daisies – and I didn’t know if I’d ever have them – since I prefer to photograph flowers where they are growing. That way I’m not interrupting the cycle of life by preventing insects and birds from pollinating the flowers, nor am I preventing anyone else from enjoying the same flowers that I’ve photographed by picking them. Most Gerbera Daisies I see in the Washington DC area are cut flowers at a florist or grocery store. Recently, at a local botanical Garden I found several varieties of Gerbera Daisies in full bloom. This Yellowstone Gerbera Daisy was in great shape, beautiful shades of bright yellow contrasting with the dark green leaves. I knew I’d found the first Gerbera Daisy that I’d be happy to offer as a photo on canvas for all the Gerbera Daisy lovers. So now – I’m in search of more varieties of Gerbera Daisy growing in the area for me to photograph.

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

Wildflowers at Yellowstone National Park

One of the big surprises of my trip west in June was how challenging it was for me to find wildflowers. After all, it was June – they should be all over the place right! Well not really – it was a long winter so there was still lots of snow on the ground when I arrived in Yellowstone National Park in early June. I spent my first several days at Yellowstone exploring the southern and eastern parts of the park. While the geysers, lakes and river canyons were wonderful – I was getting frustrated by the lack of wildflowers.

Later in the trip, I visited the northern areas in the park – and it was in the Lamar Valley that I found lots of wildflowers. While talking with one of the park rangers about my challenge finding wildflowers – she very nicely explained about the Yellowstone Caldera – which is where all the volcanic and thermal activity in the park takes place. And that one of the characteristics of the caldera region is not great soil condition for wildflowers. So now I know – if I want to photograph wildflowers at Yellowstone – I’m more likely to find them in the non-Caldera region. And I did find some wonderful wildflowers in the Lamar Valley region of Yellowstone National Park!

Here are some of the wildflowers I photographed at Yellowstone National Park.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot – Balsamoriza sagittata – a member of the sunflower family

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Meadow Death Camas – Zaigadenus venenosus – a member of the Lily family – and yes – all parts of the plant are poisonous.

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Glacier Lilies – Erythronium grandiflorum – another member of the Lily family

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Prairie Smoke – Geum triflorum – a member of the rose family

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Sugar Bowl – Clematis hirsutissima – a member of the Buttercup family

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Mountain Forget-Me-Not – Myosotis alpestris – a member of the Borage family

© 2011 Patty Hankins

Phlox – possibly Rocky Mountain Phlox – Phlox multifloral

© 2011 Patty Hankins

I’m thinking about heading back to Yellowstone next summer – and if I do – I’ll definitely plan on spending most of my time in the northern sections of the park.