Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Before and After

I'm still sorting through photos from June and early July, and I noticed that I seem to have a few before and after images of various plants around my place and Frank's, so I thought I'd make that the theme for this post.

clematis buds
Two clematis buds at different stages of opening. The outside of the petals are fuzzy and pale purple.



clematis plant
When in full bloom, the clematis blossom is a deep, rich purple.





clematis head
And after they're done, even the dead heads look attractive to me.




milkweed about to bloom
By now, the milkweed have all turned to pods but when this image was taken in mid-June, the buds were just about to bloom.




milkweed blooming
Same day, different plant. The tiny pinkish-purple buds are beginning to open.




milkweed in late day sun
A couple of days later, the early evening sunlight gives the open flowers a vibrant hue.




raspberries to be2
Raspberries are long gone now but back in early June, the fruit was just emerging.




raspberries ripening
Two weeks later, their colour was beginning to deepen.





raspberry
Almost ready to pick.




thistle 5
Thistle plants were in full bloom late in June. They attract butterflies and goldfinches.




thistle
The beautiful purple flower is so appealing to the eye despite the jagged spikes beneath.




thistle explosion2
By mid July, it has turned to seed - an explosion of feathery fairies take flight with the wind.




rose hips
Once the wild roses have faded, the rose hip remains. Some stay green and others become a pretty coral colour. Last year I noticed a few that were quite different from the rest so I kept an eye out for those, this year and was not disappointed.




rosehip growths2
A few hips turn punk, and grow wild, spiky orange hair. Some time later, I observed what appeared to be bright orange powder on the walking path and nearby grass where many of the rose hips were. It would seem they popped open to share their flamboyance.


I hope you enjoyed these before and after photos. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever catch up to current photos. Probably not, but I'll have more for you in a few days.

54 comments:

stephen Hayes said...

Love the colors. They seem rather Victorian to me, rich and velvety.

Dan said...

Macro finesse at its best... Bravo!

Rob-bear said...

Delightful photos! Thanks.

Cloudia said...

you make me want a real camera!


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Mimi said...

Hilary, you take the most beautiful photographs.
I love the raspberries! ours are not finished yet, I'm able to gather about 10 each morning from our garden.
The thistle pictures are really beautiful too; weeds are also things of great beauty.

Anonymous said...

Wow - what superb before and after shots. You've really outdone yourself this time!

Kerri Farley said...

Great to see Before and After shots!! I wish Milkweed grew all year long....such a great plant!!

Nadezda said...

Hilary, I love the first photo, this nice clematis bud looks like it's with frozen water drops!

Anonymous said...

Dead heads of flowers are attractive to me too. Just cut a lot of them out of our front walkway area over the week-end since they were done blooming weeks ago and falling over onto the ground. Even their dead head beauty was past prime. On to the next blooms of late summer.... :-)) Gorgeous photos!

Brian Miller said...

oo i really like the purple ones....and the raspberries....mmm...i want some...smiles...

Ruth Hiebert said...

Excellent set of images.It is nice to see how the flowers and plants change as they mature,but always there is beauty to be found.

Out on the prairie said...

Real nice macro images.The hips growth was interesting.They make a nice tea.

Daryl said...

lovely and again reminding me i really need to get that macro out

Leah J. Utas said...

So beautiful and colourful. The clematis deadhead is most Seussian.

DJan said...

Beautiful and elegant as always. I especially love the thistle series.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Oh, the raspberry photos made my mouth water. And the second photo of the thistle flower is just stunning.

TexWisGirl said...

your photos are just dreamy. i love the deadhead shot best. just fabulous!

ellen abbott said...

these are all so beautiful Hilary. that last one too. I've never seen a rose hip like that.

That Janie Girl said...

Love these photos…you are amazing.

Gail Dixon said...

I so enjoyed the before and after tour. The raspberry shots are absolutely delightful! Amazing how different the clematis buds appear from the actual flower. Excellent work!

Reb said...

Lovely series of photos Hilary. The second shot of the rose hips looks very sci-fi, maybe a relative of Audrey II ;)

Nancy said...

I loved watching the process of mother nature. You have such a gift for seeing the beauty in the natural world.

Pauline said...

all your flowers look like works of art!

Rita said...

If I could take photos like you do I'd be thrilled to have lots of extras. They'll be wonderful to see in mid-winter.

These were excellent. I love the plants that send off floating seeds to drift upon the air currents of life. Of course, spraying the earth with your very own fairy dust is pretty cool, too. ;)

Karen said...

Oh, this is a great idea! I love the July thistle! It looks like a fairy tale! :)

messymimi said...

It's okay not to catch up too close, you make it fun to look back.

cheshire wife said...

It is amazing how change is always happening in the garden.

Robin said...

A wonderful series - perfectly picked out.

yaya said...

Mother Nature is so magical if we just take time to look..and thankfully you did that for us! I love the raspberry pic...looks like you polished them "before" you too the "after" shot!

Country Girl said...

Loved it. Your photography is a joy to view, Hilary!

Liz Mays said...

You make me want to sit right next to that berry bush and grab them the second they're ready! Love your pics!

Mental P Mama said...

Gorgeous. Am I the only one who likes the smell of milkweed flowers?

Red said...

I really did enjoy your post. We're all aware of this process but it's great to see pictures side by side.

Kerry said...

These are great Hilary. Every time I see a picture of milkweed I get a stab of homesickness for the upper midwest, where I grew up, and where there was milkweed & monarch butterfly chrysalises hanging from the stems.

Claudya Martinez said...

Love these before and afters. Beautiful colors.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

Punk rose hips make me smile, even if my husband (who was sitting next to me) thinks they were merely infected with a fungus.

Unknown said...

oh, beautiful!! Especially love the feathery fairies!!

Indrani said...

Absolutely stunning macros! Such details... I get lost observing them.

Sueann said...

Gorgeous photos!! Love the atmosphere you created with them too
Hugs
SUeAnn

Gillian Olson said...

Beautiful before and afters, I really like the fuzzy clematis afters too. Thanks,

Unknown said...

Hilary: Such a beautiful collection, and how cool that you assembled odds and ends! The shades of Purple are nice!!! Very Cheery!!!!

Lisa Gordon said...

Each of these is wonderful Hilary, and although it is hard to choose, I think the raspberries are my favorite.
Beautifully done!

Thank you so very much for your kind words about Bert. They truly mean so much.

xo.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

oh GOSH those colors are so rich!

SandyCarlson said...

The depths of field of these shots has me thinking each one is its own universe.

lime said...

i love the progression of each plant. i'm especially fond of the milkweed and thistle shots.

Kat said...

Oh wow! What a great idea. Love these shots. :)

Jo said...

The photos and your writing are so lyrical...you seem to have a bit of a Victorian botanist poet inside you.

Love the raspberries, it's been ages since I've seen them growing. And the feathery wisps of thistle--love.

holdingmoments said...

Superb set of close ups Hilary.

Bob Bushell said...

Pictures galore, a genius has been there. Beautiful Hilary.

photowannabe said...

Love the macros Hilary. The Punk rose hips are fantastic.
I'm so glad you stop and take time to look deeply at the flowers.
We are the better for it.

Anvilcloud said...

You are so observant and also able to tie themes together so well. Not everyone has either gift, but you have both. The first photo is a winner.

Zuzana said...

Dear Hilary, your own progressive photography;)) Beautiful captures.;) I have the same clematis. Had one at the white house and planted a new one here in my new home, it is a baby now, but hopefully will grow strong in a few years. The buds you show here are identical;))
Have a great weekend,
xoxo

Christine said...

i adore this whole collection, the colors and light have me smiling as one shot dances into the next ... the dof on the thistle is fantastic :)

northierthanthou said...

That purple thistle plant is certainly gorgeous.