Sunday, April 18, 2010

102 ~ White Roses

Iceberg 4
I love white roses and never seem to tire of photographing them! Since we've had some heavy winds lately, most roses have had their petals blown away and one of my bushes of Iceberg has also suffered. But they will come back with a new flush of blooms very soon. In the meantime here are some photos I took a week ago.

(Click to enlarge photos below)


Iceberg bud 2

Iceberg

white rose bud 1 Iceberg

Did I say I love my white roses?

Iceberg 3
When I'm not taking closeups of Iceberg I go over to Margaret Merrill and admire her pretty rusty pink stamens.
These photos below were taken last year.

Margaret Merrill 1

Margaret Merrill 2

Margaret Merrill 3Margaret Merrill

I wish everyone a happy weekend! Here's hoping the clouds of volcanic ash from Iceland which has halted most European air traffic will soon abate so people can continue with their travel plans.

Thanks for dropping by, and hasta la vista!


Wednesday, April 14, 2010

101 ~ In a Tenerife Garden

pool 1
Recently I have been taking some photos of a private garden here on the island of Tenerife. I've always been impressed by the way the owner, who has style and a great love of plants, can combine eclectic items to create so much beauty. The islands are in a subtropical climate zone and so there are many tropical plants which will grow easily from a cutting or root. She takes advantage of every chance to root a plant that she doesn't already have in her garden. We are blessed with a mild climate here, and so the phrase ...'Islands of Eternal Spring' is very fitting.

water filter Old Canary Stone Water Distiller

The stone water distiller has been a traditional item in Canary Island homes, being used for filtering and cooling drinking water. It consists of three parts: the top stone basin into which water is poured. A central shelf where the water is collected after it has filtered by dripping down through the stone and a lower basin which collects any overflow from the level above. The system is enclosed in a wooden hutch made from the heartwood of Canary pine. These water filters are now prized as antiques but many are still in use in Canary homes.


statue

pool 2 Koi Pond


helecho Canary Fern - Helecho de Metro (Goniophlebium Subauriculatum)

The long trailing fronds of this beautiful Canary fern are seen here displayed on top of a closed water distiller. These prized plants are often passed on from one generation to another. The folk name is 'ferns of a meter',
'helechos de metro' referring to their length, when in fact they grow much longer than one meter. I had quite a job tracking down their biological name as even plant nurseries I visited didn't know. Finally I had success in the offices of the Botanical Garden, where the question was put to their computer database. At last I found it to be Goniophlebium Subauriculatum. So if you are ever searching for such a beautiful fern, do take note of the name now because few people know it.

Here's a SLIDESHOW of photos I've taken there. I hope you will enjoy looking!

Thanks for dropping by, and hasta la vista!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

100 ~ Spring Garden Macros

Tamora 1 Tamora

I'm now at one hundred posts here and to mark the occasion I put on my macro lens and went out to take a few garden photos. We pruned the roses around January 20th so they are now in full bloom.

Tamora 2

larkspur Pink Larkspur


Larkspur 2

Iceberg 1 Iceberg

Iceberg 2

pink
Oh Dear - What's her name?

needs name

Tibouchina Tibouchina

This morning a friend invited me into to her garden to take some photos, and in particular of her Iceland Poppy which is blooming. I am always delighted to visit her beautiful garden and will dedicate another post very soon with photos taken there. For the moment, here is one I took this morning of her poppy and her Lady Banks Rose.

Iceland poppy Iceland Poppy - Papaver nudicaule

Lady Banks Lady Banks Rose - Rosa Banksiae Lutescens

And back to my garden:

Iceberg 3

Petrea Petrea Volubilis


I hope you also have a garden full of spring flowers to enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by and hasta la vista!

sig

Camera used: Canon EOS 30D DSLR with EF 100mm f/2.8 USM macro lens.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

99 ~ Portraits of My Daughters

Mich & Gill My Girls

Leaving aside the Canary Islands for a while, I've been looking back at some of the early photos I took of my two girls when they were small. These were taken around 40 years ago with a 35mm East German Voigtländer camera using slide film. A friend in Germany later digitized them for me using a slide scanner.

The photos were taken in Vancouver, B.C. when we lived there. Not all slides have stood up to the years, with the emulsion wearing off in a few but I'm so glad that I now have some of the best ones saved as digital photos.

Michelle

Mich & Gill
When little girls went out to play wearing dresses


Michelle
Gillian
Gill Stanley Park In Stanley Park

with girlfriends With Playmates

There's a complete slideshow on this link.

I hope everyone has had a lovely Easter Holiday!

Thanks for your visit and ¡Hasta la Vista!

Friday, April 2, 2010

98 ~ For Easter


Sheep May Safely Graze - Aria from Cantata bwv 208 - J.S. Bach

Sung by Angela Maria Blasi, with Concentus Musicus Wien, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

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