Winter Color

Last week I took a day to myself to walk around the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. It was a cool, clear, beautiful winter day, and I had the garden mostly to myself. I really like all these ornamental kale, and I'm definitely going to use more of them in my own garden next fall.

There weren't many flowers in bloom this time of year, except the camelias and a few azaleas, but many of the hollys had brightly colored berries on them. This yellow berried holly I've never seen before.

Purple Beautyberry. I want some of these for my own yard. Not only is the berry a nice bright color, but it is also a native plant great for attracting pollinators.

52 Photos Project: All is Calm

Mallow, originally uploaded by Scarlett Design.

To photograph this week's topic, "All is Calm," I went to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens with the intention of finding something "calm" to take a picture of. I figured it would be easy, but I found myself stuck, perhaps because my brain was getting in the way, unable to find exactly what I was looking for. All the while I was enjoying having the garden mostly to myself on a remarkably still, peaceful winter day. It wasn't until I got home and began editing my photos that I found this shot, of some dormant mallow along the edge of a pond, that seemed to epitomize the feeling of walking in the calm, empty winter woods.

I really am in love with this photo, even if it was more of a challenge than I expected. It is easy to take a pretty picture of flowers in the summer, but for some reason I am more drawn to the desolate beauty of winter.

Bee and Hydrangea

Bee and Hydrangea, originally uploaded by Scarlett Design.

The men of experiment are like the ant; they only collect and use. But the bee...gathers its materials from the flowers of the garden and of the field, but transforms and digests it by a power of its own."
~ Leonardo da Vinci

Another photo from the Norfolk Botanical Garden last week, of a bee collection nectar from a hydrangea.

Sunflowers

This summer has been HOT, but last week we finally got some nice days and I went too the Norfolk Botanical Garden. As usual there was a lot to see, always something new as the seasons change. On this visit my favorite were the Sunflowers. Located in the children's garden, there were hundreds of sunflowers, of different varieties, with paths winding through them.

The bright yellow is so cheerful against the vibrant blue sky.

This one has a bee on it.

Flying Dragon

Check out this cool citrus shrub I found at the Botanic Garden last month. Love the interesting twisty branches.

Last week, covered with flowers for spring.

Unfortunately, the fruit is too bitter to eat. But I want one anyways.

Turning into Spring, part 2

More photos from my trip to the botanic garden a few weeks ago.

Someone placed camellias on the statue.

Little trees sprouting from a fungus covered stump.

A pretty mossy pathway.

Turning into Spring

Here in Virginia we have had a pretty mild winter and are currently having a beautiful spring. I love this time of year at the Botanic garden, there is something different every week. These pictures were taken at the end of February.
Some interestingly shaped seed pods on a dormant flower.

Magnolias getting ready to bloom.

An early flowering azalea.