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Category: photos and garden photography

Some of our favourite plant and garden photographs not featuring in other gardeners tips. tips for your own garden photography.

First Flowers of Spring

First Flowers of Spring

Spring sprung early this year and then lasted and lasted. Many are now faded and just a happy memory. Get your cameras in use to record what plants are where and how good they looked.
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You never tire of seeing the first snowdrops of the year.

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Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are also amongst the first spring bulbs giving a lovely dash of yellow.

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Both winter aconites and snowdrops do well in shady positions such as under trees. They are relatively low maintenance and once established can spread left to their own devices.
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Regal Pelargonium Images

Regal Pelargonium Images

Sumptuous flowers from a houseplant we often call a geranium.
Regal pelargonium

Regal Pelargonium prefer a clay pot and plenty of calcium, so hard water is ideal for watering rather than rain water which will be softer.

Regal pelargonium

Regal Pelargonium do not require as much cutting back and require a slightly higher winter temperature than zonals.

Regal pelargonium

Never allow Regal Pelargonium plants to dry out completely as the roots will seal and blackleg will kill your plant.

Regal Pelargonium Mrs Innes Rogers

Deadhead old flowers frequently and feed regularly with high potash so that they will perform as well as your Zonals.

Pelargonium regal
Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium

Regal Pelargoniums

Build Your Regal Geranium Collection

pink regal pelargonium

Crimped edges on some petals add to the allure.

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‘Apparently this is a Regal Pelargonium’ sure is David(ed).

regal pelargonium

Other links and information on Pelargoniums

Top 10 Scented leaved Pelargoniums
Pelargonium Grandiflorum and other ‘Geraniums’
Stellar Pelargonium – Bird Dancer Geranium
Photogenic Pelargonium
The Secret of Geranium (Pelargonium) Cuttings
Growing Regal Geranium Pelargonium
Miniature Pelargonium
Dwarf Pelargonium aka Geranium
Tips for Growing Geraniums (Pelargonium)

Credits
Regal Pelargoniums by Destinys Agent CC BY-NC 2.0
pink regal pelargonium by Chris & Angela Pye CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
IMG_2434 by DavidQuick CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Swanland Nurseries Pelargonium Cultural tips
Thompson & Morgan supply seeds and plants in season.

Lily Photos for All Seasons

Lily Photos for All Seasons

Spring, summer or autumn there are Lilies for all occasions, even hatches, matches and dispatches.
Asian lily

Beware garish garden centres selling plants that defy belief or at least defy the seasons. I have just returned from a weekend break and can contrast a plant nursery that I visited with a so called garden centre. The later was selling these lilies in full April flower.
These colours are not those you expect or associate with spring flowers! I am all for ‘shock and awe in the garden but you would want plants that last longer than a couple of days and look more natural than these Lily photos.

Asian lily
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Pictures of Magnolia in Bloom

Pictures of Magnolia in Bloom

magnolia

Magnolia in Full Bloom Outside the Radcliffe Camera, Oxford University.

Magnolia’s make an excellent garden plant, flowering in March – May. Early flowering varieties may be susceptible to frost. This can be avoided by protecting flowers with fleece on late spring frosts. With global warming,  late frosts may reduce in severity but do not hold your breath.

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Cranesbill Geraniums

Cranesbill Geraniums

geranium

The hardy perennial geranium is a good ground cover plant with many varieties to choose from. Many varieties are derivatives of Geranium sanguineum or Geranium cinereum. They all have seed heads that look hooked like a Crane’s bill hence the common name.
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Growing Good Snowdrops

Growing Good Snowdrops

If snowdrop leaves are showing can the delicate white flowers be far behind?

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Snowdrops for me signify the end of Winter rather than the coming of Spring. Tucked under this hedge row the snowdrop is left to multiply naturally by seed and by division.

Tips for Growing Snowdrops

  • Transplant snowdrops as soon as they finish flowering and have visible leaves. This is when they are ‘in the green’ and is the safest time to plant snowdrops. Many bulb suppliers sell them in the green.
  • The small bulbs are prone to dry out and these dry bulbs do not grow on as successfully as snowdrops in the green.

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Photos of Phlox Species

Photos of Phlox Species

Phlox 'wagon wheels'
Phlox adsurgens a mat forming evergreen with a cheery springtime display of star-like flowers in pale pink.

Phlox paniculata
Phlox paniculata

Phlox
Phlox subulata a rockery favourite

Various Phlox are available from Thompson & Morgan Including:-
Phlox drummondii ‘Phlox of Sheep’ an annual
Phlox subulata,
Phlox douglasii or Moss Phlox for fragrant ground cover.
Phlox divaricata ‘Clouds of Perfume’ also known as Wild Sweet William, Blue Phlox or Woodland Phlox
Phlox Hybrida Compacta ‘Peppermint Candy’
Zaluzianskya capensis Night Phlox with a honey fragrance in the late evening

Book Cover
Phlox: A Natural History and Gardener’s Guide by James H. Locklear

Downy phlox
Downy Phlox pilosa

Phlox hoodii var. canescens (Carpet phlox)
Phlox hoodii var. canescens aka Carpet phlox

Phlox stolonifera (Photo Credit: Dexter Hinckley)
Phlox stolonifera at UDA National Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Garden.

Phlox longifolia closeup DSC_0320
Phlox longifolia

Opal phlox in the Alpine House
Phlox opalensis flowering in the Davies Alpine House and in the wild in Wyoming and Utah.

Photo and other Credits

Downy phlox by eleanord43 CC BY-NC 2.0
Phlox hoodii var. canescens (Carpet phlox) by Tony Frates CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Phlox stolonifera (Photo Credit: Dexter Hinckley) by samantha.schipani CC BY-NC 2.0
Phlox longifolia closeup DSC_0320 by Tony Frates CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Opal phlox in the Alpine House by Kew on Flick CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
moss phlox　シバザクラ by microwalrus CC BY-NC 2.0

moss phlox　シバザクラ
masses of Moss Phlox subulata

Hosta Flower Photographs

Hosta Flower Photographs

Hosta flowers
A mass of purple flowers show that Hosta can produce the goods. They are also good for flower arranging.

Hosta slug fest

These flowers stand proud of the leaves which are just beginning to suffer slug damage. Flowers from June to October with funnel or bell shapes.

Hosta flower slugged

White flowers on this larger leafed Hosta are shown off by the blue-green leaves.

Jedburgh hosta

Another clear white flower – I am thinking I should consider Hostas for flowers not just the shape, form and colouring of the leaves. White flowering Hosta  plantaginea is strongly scented.

Old Hosta

Flowers are not as succulent as the leaves and snails and slugs go for the easy meal. Hosta flowers  are   members of the lily family and some folk say they are edible (but I will leave them for the slugs).

Hosta slug fest

Not as floriferous as many varieties the stems are shorter and few in number.
Hostas can be worth growing for the flowers alone – look at these flowers and see if the leaves are just useful extra features.

Flash Colchicum speciosum or Autumn Crocus

Flash Colchicum speciosum or Autumn Crocus

Colchicum speciosum produce autumn crocus flowers before any leaves. These plants were grown in a pot for display at alpine garden shows and competitions.

Autumn crocus

Photo Tips with Flash and Without

  • This photo was taken without a flash on the camera whilst the photo below had auto flash.
  • The colours appear more saturated if you can hold the camera still enough to avoid using a flash. Flash can burn out detail.
  • If information is available such as the variety name keep a record – I forgot
  • If the plant is in a competition or you know the name of the owner give them a credit. (West Yorkshire AGS group autumn show again I forgot the entrants name).
  • Use a plain back ground – I borrowed someones green card but I may carry a grey sheet for future.
  • Take care with framing, the plants are not going to move. My third mistake compounded by not cropping the resulting photo.

Autumn crocus

Colchicum speciosum is native to mountainous areas of northern Turkey. Do not collect wild specimens but acquire from cultivated stock or grow your own from specialist seed suppliers.
Other names for Colchicum speciosum include “Naked ladies” and “Meadow Saffron”.
Growing Colchium as Alpine Pot Plants – Colchium have 6 stamen crocus only 3.
True autumn crocus

Growing Calathea ‘Wavestar’

Growing Calathea ‘Wavestar’

Calatheas are a group of plants native to the tropical Americas. They are popular as pot plants for the house or conservatory due to their decorative leaves that often react to touch or light.

Calathea 'Wavestar'

Calathea Wavestar

  • Calatheas are now being cross bred amongst their 50 or so species and Wavestar is one of the results.
  • The leaves are soft,ridged, purple underneath and green when open in full light. The leaves close up in the evening.
  • I was surprised to see the yellow flowers at the soil level last time I watered this plant see above.
  • This variety is said to originate from Bahia in Brazil but if so why has it been granted PBR status?
  • The plant breeders rights are owned by Decorum a Dutch company

Korbmaranthe, Calathea bachemiana

Decorum Plants Calathea Wavestar

  • ‘Decorum Plants’ are a brand name that claims to be a leading specialist in the trade sector for more than 10 years.
  • Decorum Plants represents a selection of 1200 decorative and flowering potted plants under the well-known (to some)‘Decorum flag’.
  • Supplies to the trade via a web link may provide more information

Calathea majestica 'Albolineata'

Growing Calathea

  • Calathea need good light but avoid direct sun as it will scorch or fade the leaf
  • Keep soil moist and humid throughout spring and summer with less watering in winter.
  • Keep your Calathea warm preferably 15-23ºC.
  • Feed with a dilute fertiliser weekly during summer.
  • Soil should be light and free draining.
  • Repot annually and propagate at that time by division. Repoting tips

Calathea makoyana

Calathea varieties for Growing Indoors

  • Calathea makoyana the Peacock plant, features purplish coloring on the undersides of leaves, with white and green on top. Known as the peacock plant.
  • Calathea zebrina the zebra plant, has green markings on the leaf top and purple leaf undersides.
  • Calathea insignis also called Rattlesnake plant, is a bushy species with narrow, tapering erect foliage.
  • Calathea crocata has plain leaves but displays of upright orange-red flowers.
  • Calathea ornata. Reddish marking on leaf tops with purple undersides.
  • Calathea louisae has leaves broadly ovate, dark green with light green splotches along the midrib.

Other Facts about Calathea

  • Calatheas are closely related to Maranta, and often confused with their species Ctenanthe and Stromanthe.
  • Calathea can thrive in bottle gardens and terrariums due to their liking of high humidity.
  • Calatheas are propagated by divisions or tip cuttings, with nodes to form the roots.
  • Mist and reduced light are important during the early stages of propagation.

Calathea zebrina (Sims) Lindl

Calathea Photo Credits
Korbmaranthe, Calathea bachemiana by Dandelion And Burdock, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Calathea majestica ‘Albolineata’ by tuis CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Calathea makoyana by Bárbol,CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Calathea zebrina (Sims) Lindl by adaduitokla CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ‘Calathea zebrina (Sims) Lindl. Marantaceae. CN: Zebraplant. Native of southeastern Brazil. Ornamental. Low rosette herb with striped pattern on leaves; leaf texture velvety. Growth habit clumping up to 90 cm tall.’