Broken and Beautiful

I noticed this blossom on Lizard's birthday. Three days later, it was on the ground. I think whatever critter tried to munch on it (or another plant next to it) must not have liked the iris. I have lots of iris because deer and bunnies don't like them. Even when they are hungry.

I lovingly picked up the severed blossom and put it in a vase. I didn't know if it would open, but I thought it would be worth the rescue attempt.

Three days later, it opened. It didn't last long. But it reminded me of how fragrant irises can be when you clip them and bring them indoors.

All the remaining flowers from the Celebration of Life had given up the ghost, and I'd swept up all the dead petals. I decided to fill one of the vases with flowers from my garden, which were just beginning to open. A few of the flowers from the Celebration of Life had lasted nearly four weeks. I don't have to go without flowers for the next three months. I've filled the vase twice more since. I think Lizard would have liked that.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Purple Power

I thinned my irises last year because blooms were getting far and far fewer. I know they need space, and I know a mother that produces a daughter never flowers again. I didn't have any idea what I was doing, but I was hoping I was getting enough space in between the

I had only five or six of my 12 or so colors this year, but I had a lot of flowers. Perhaps next year will have more variety. Although I may thin yet again later this year.

After one particularly heavy rainstorm, some of my top heavy irises were laying flat on the ground. Kids in the neighborhood had fun surprising their moms with my cuttings.

And I had enough left over to fill a vase in my kitchen! I had NO idea irises were fragrant!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday

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Time Flies

My Siberian irises didn't bloom well two years ago. Lizard and I dug them up in the fall and separated them a bit, hoping a little extra space might encourage flowering. We dug up all the other irises, too, and spread them out a bit more.

Last year none of my irises were very showy. I guess that's what happens the first year after you move bulbs around. Last year, I thought I'd ruined most of my irises. I've since learned they may be separated after blooming so the bulbs can rebuild until fall.

This year, my irises were magnificent after a whole year of bulb growth! Especially the Siberian irises!!! I had at least two or three a day every single day for about two weeks. I was in heaven!






The Siberica Strawberry Fair Iris is the most beautiful of my collection. I wish these babies could bloom all year!


I thought it might be fun to try another time lapse movie, this time, instead of a sunrise or sunset, I'd shoot one of my cut irises in a vase as the flower opened.

First tries sometimes produce significant fails. I didn't realize my Siberian irises take three days to open! I was shooting the blossom every hour I was awake the entire weekend. The flower bloomed while I was at work on Monday. Darn it!

Music is by Peter Hollens.


By this time, the chicory were blooming. Blossoms last only a day. I thought this might be the perfect experiment. I could correct one of the problems I had with the iris. I didn't realize flowers in a vase move and shift weight as they open. The following weekend, I cut a sprig of chicory and shot frames about every five minutes until the main blossom was fully open. I also adjusted the tripod and flash as necessary to keep the flower in the center of the frame and well lit.

Music is by Klaus Badelt from Pirates of the Caribbean.


Success!!! And with another gorgeous flower!!!

The next weekend, I tried again, this time with Cupid's Darts. I framed the shot so I (hopefully) wouldn't have to move the tripod or the strobe. I set the timer on my iPhone and fired photos with my D300 every minute for two and a half hours. I thumbed through about 18 old quilting magazines as the flower bloomed. Perfect way to stay awake while I photographed!

I do have a shutter release for the Nikon, and I should be able to set the camera up to fire by itself, but I haven't tried using the cable yet, and I'd rather experiment with it after I learn how to use it.

Music is by Lindsey Stirling.


Eureka! Blue Gold! I'm getting the hang of this!

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