Photos, videos and docs of Janet Brien, with the keywords: "yellow"

283/366: Lovely Little Buttercup

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 03:02:47 +0000

This bright and happy little flower can be found all over our property from the start of spring until about mid-April. I took this picture back in 2012!

Backlit Beauty and More at Tugman State Park (+6 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 16:44:46 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!)

My Last Presentation (for this trip) From William Tugman State Park
I've gotten to share so many pictures from our visit--in fact, there were too many wonderful finds to process! This lush, beautiful area was just brimming with photo opportunities and I hope that you've gotten the general idea of this pretty park. It was such a nice place to stay, relax, and enjoy forest and lake views. Happily, we will be back this year so I'll be taking brand new pictures!

My favorite parks all have wonderful morning walks that take me away from other campers and allow me to enjoy the solitude of nature and a pretty trail that follows the meandering contours through forest and alongside lakes, rivers, or out to an ocean beach. I dearly love getting the chance to explore different terrain and its flora and fauna.

However, I enjoy strolling through campgrounds too, glimpsing the individual campsite stories and the temporary residents. It's a unique opportunity to see people out on vacation--from a single person to multiple families--including their pets and all of the stuff they bring with them. I'm quite the recluse but fascinated by people and their behavior so I love having the chance to see folks doing their thing as I walk by and soak up the details.

My Main Picture
I found this backlit dandelion peering out at Eel Lake one morning and knew it would be a fun picture to share--and I was right! :) I got lucky with that lens flare in the sea of bokeh, which shows the nine shutter blades of my 100mm 2.8L macro lens!

Today's Insets
The first pair of pictures show a side and front view of a lemon-colored Monkey Flower, and if you look closely at the front view you'll see a tiny insect crawling along the right-side edge! The second pair of pictures features a Yellowjacket Wasp feasting on the nectar of a Queen Anne's Lace. Next is a fossil-like image that shows a leaf that was once wet and stuck to the mud. The mud then dried and people walked over this leaf, slowly breaking off bits as it disintegrated and became one with the hard clay path. I couldn't stop looking at this whenever I passed by and finally got a picture to share. I'm so glad because I think it's so cool! Finally, a parting trail picture which shows a pair of red cedar trees shading the path.

I hope everyone is doing well with vaccinations on the horizon. For us, it looks like JULY unfortunately but no worries--we're staying safe and being careful! Take care and stay warm and dry!

Explored on 3/3/21; highest placement #3.

Bumble Bees, Hoverflies and a Mama Spider, Oh My! (+6 insets!)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 17:17:44 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+6 insets!)

Serenity Amidst Virus Insanity…Aren't We Lucky!
The news continues to boggle our minds but we are keeping our fingers crossed that we're able to camp as we wish! This is our third week out now and we're enjoying every precious moment!

I've changed the way I do my posts…now I am just writing whatever and whenever I like, and when it's time to post a picture, I'll grab a topic I wrote and add it to my post! This makes my uploads less of a time-intensive task and more in keeping with relaxing and not being too serious about everything. It's nice! So, here you go!

My Morning Walk
When I'm at home, I like to start my morning (after my shower, coffee, cider drink + vitamins, of course) with a 30+ minute tromp up and down our driveway. The grade is steep enough to promise good exercise and it's wonderful to listen to the birds and perhaps get the chance to watch our resident turkeys and deer wandering by.

When we're out camping though, I get the marvelous opportunity to go on a walk around the entire campground! Every one is different in appearance, size and number of areas to visit. It's such a great way to begin the day! Walking around each loop, I get to see everyone's RV (recreational vehicle) and see how they set up their individual campsite. There are plenty of traditional tent campers too and every single arrangement is interesting and fun to look at as I stroll by.

Another nice thing about visiting the whole campground is the added sense of community I get. As I make my way around, I say good morning to everyone I pass by or to whomever notices me. The cheerful exchange is so bright and happy--what's better than exchanging big smiles with others in this natural place?!

Steve and I don't have kids so, it's very interesting to see the variety of families and how they experience a vacation away from home. Sitting at picnic tables and eating meals, parents chat and cook, clean and relax. Kids play with their dogs, ride bikes around the loops and play games together. The situations are endless and such fun to take a peek at. It is so enjoyable to have these small glimpses into family life out on the road!

A couple of days ago I saw such a sweet exchange. A man was couched down in front of his beautiful liver-and-white spotted Springer Spaniel. The dog, who appeared to be glowing with health and happiness, was laying on its chest with feet out in front. The man gently hand-fed kibble from a gleaming metal bowl with such a tender look on his face, his dog taking each mouthful with great satisfaction. Unnoticed, I stood and watched with a beaming smile on my face, my hands clasped behind my back. I didn't want to disturb their dear story so after about 30 seconds I walked on, sighing happily that I got to see this love shared between two best friends.

Today's Pictures
With time to relax, I'm doing macro photography like crazy and getting so many satisfying images. I've gotten some insect pictures too, including today's bumble bee and hoverfly pictures! I'm also including a pair of pictures that show a mama spider with her babies clinging to the hairs on her back!

What a marvelous surprise that was! I'd gone on a walk down to the beach at Humbug Mountain State Park when I noticed a spider racing across the sand. I couldn't resist taking pictures when it stopped nearby, but I had no idea how special these photos would be. When I transferred my pictures over and took a closer look, I almost fell over! Why, she had babies all over her back, all clinging to her hairs like little troopers! Aren't they cute?! I must admit my great luck with these rare sights…my last inset is a picture I took last year when we were camping at Diamond Lake. I found a mama spider carrying her egg sac with her as she ran along!

Thank You All!!
You've all been so wonderful with your lavish comments, stars, and warm messages…talk about making a person feel great! *hugs all around* Here's hoping everyone is doing well and having a nice time too!

Explored on 7/16/20; highest placement #2.

Pictures for Pam, Day 131: Welcome to Spring!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 00:36:01 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+10 insets!)

Welcome to the first day of spring!! I cannot tell you how happy I am to have reached this wonderful day! I know that some of you are still waiting impatiently for spring to arrive where you live --> Ron Hanko is one who would like winter to please be on its way! I know there are many others who are frustrated by the cold and storms that don't want to leave. On the opposite side, spring arrived early for many and some didn't even get a proper winter. What a strange year for weather it's been.

I've mentioned that we are about a month behind our normal spring schedule, and this seems very accurate. I went out today to wander around on our property and see how things were progressing. I found a bunch of new species to add to the list but a bunch of the flowers that should be in bloom are nowhere to be found. Hopefully when these flowers eventually bloom they will be properly pollenated.

I ended up spending at least an hour looking around for flowers and I didn't actually look everywhere. We are so very fortunate to have 26 acres and a chunk of it is on a very steep hillside. Another part is in dark forest on the opposite edge from where I was. It can take quite a bit of time to walk from one side to the other when looking carefully for flowers along the way. However, I do know this place from living here for over 10 years. I am sure I've missed dozens of flower species but I'm familiar with what grows where so I felt pretty comfortable with my choice to come in after an hour. Definitely a balancing act to stop before you get burned out, and also, I needed time to work on my pictures and write my post! :)

Today's image is a buttercup, and to me, it signifies spring perfectly! Bright and shining gold with lovely petals and such a joyful appearance. They can be a challenging flower to photograph because of their shiny petals. In direct sunlight, the shiny spots will blow out without artificial measures. But if a flower is photographed from below or behind, what you get is something very special…a magical view of what this lovely flower sees as it looks out upon its tiny world. :)

I have to mention that I nearly went right back inside when I stepped out today. Though it was bright and sunny, the wind was gusting relentlessly. Looking over at the gorgeous daffodils waving around like dancing machines made me laugh. Pictures indeed…HAH! I didn't bother but I also thought that even if I didn't get a single photo today, it would be fun to see what was blooming on the first day of spring!

I had an absolutely blissful time crossing our meadow and discovering buttercups. They were protected from the wind by bushes and yet were still in the sun. I was so happy. Then I found a gorgeous little hoverfly species with irridescent wings which hung around long enough for me to take dozens of pictures! YAY!

From there I wandered here and there, discovering newly blooming species and feeling very connected to our land. It is so peaceful out there feeling as one with nature. What a gift. I am forever grateful that we live in such a pretty place with so many treasures to take pictures of. :)

I didn't have time to process more than one picture today so I'll be sharing lots of neat images when I can…I haven't even had the time to look at the majority of them…to be honest, this was the very first subject I photographed and the fourth image of it! How's that for luck! :) Since I don't have other pictures from today I've added insets of some other buttercups I've photographed in the past. HOORAY FOR SPRING!! IT IS FINALLY HERE!!! HUZZAH!!! HUZZAH!!! HUZZAHH!!

Pam, I did a search for buttercup and was totally amazed that you have exactly ZERO on your stream! Do you not get buttercups? I thought they were everywhere! But of course that's silly…so maybe you don't! Instead I found a wonderful image of a False Sunny from behind! It's just beautiful and I'm so glad that you shared it for all of us to enjoy! I sure do hope that this wonderful day treated you well my dear! :)

Explored on 3/21/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 70: HFF: Flowers & Fence

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 22:52:24 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+2 insets!)

I woke up to the pitter-patter of rain on the windows and smiled because we're behind on our water levels here in southern Oregon. Actually, the forecast suggests rain for the next week! Wonderful!

Splashing down the driveway in my new waterproof and stylish sneakers with rain tapping enthusiastically on my umbrella, I noticed our newly made rain diversion channel that's made such a difference to the condition of our road.

Since we've lived here, our dirt and gravel road has been a big problem during the rainy season. The water pours down the side of our steep hill and some of it ends up running down the road and making a mess of things. It's required Steve to fix the driveway with our tractor's scraper. And still, the water is relentless and soon erodes new gullies across our driveway.

A few weeks ago I was on my morning walk during a heavy downpour. I couldn't help but notice the water racing down the driveway and across to the other side in several places. It was going to be a problem soon and I wondered if there was something I could do. I saw an old metal fence post laying nearby and I thought, "What if I drag a furrow off the side of the road to divert the water?" It took just a few minutes in the softened clay mud and immediately I could see that my idea was working! The water that had been streaming down the road was now redirected down my new pathway and off to the side! Hooray!

I worked my way down our driveway, dragging out furrows wherever it made the most sense. Half an hour later I'd gotten most of the water to run off the left or right edge. As I surveyed my handiwork, I was delighted that such a simple solution worked so well.

When I walked back up the road, I looked at the only place I couldn't fix by myself. It was the worst spot requiring a deep, large furrow and using a puny metal fence post was not going to do the job.

I decided not to tell Steve what I'd done, and instead let him discover my project for himself. A while after I got back to the house, Steve went on his walk. I was absorbed in my photography processing when I got a text from Steve. "Come out and see what I did to add to your great idea!"

I bounced outside and joined Steve on the driveway. As we walked down, Steve complimented me on the easy and perfect solution to our water woes and together we wondered why we hadn't thought of this ten years ago. No matter, we'd figured it out now!

"WOW!!! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!!!" I couldn't contain my excitement as I stared at the deep diversion channel that Steve had dug. At this spot, the large stream of water that properly ran down the gully at the edge of the road used to overrun the bank and cut across the driveway. But now everything would change! Steve used a shovel and pick to dig a channel which captured all of the water and directed it back off the road. Furthermore, he had continued by digging a channel for 50 more feet to connect the channel to the original gully. It was perfect.

Together Steve and I stared in satisfaction as the water poured into his channel and off the road. We looked down the driveway and could see no more puddling at all! No rivulets of water, nothing! We walked down to the gate and Steve showed me how he deepened and lengthened the furrows I'd made and both of us bubbled with happiness.

You will see an inset picture of the channel that Steve dug and our road falling off into bokeh beyond. It's a fun picture to show the solution of something that's plagued us for years!

Today's main picture is for Happy Fence Friday! It was taken in San Anselmo on our second hike as Nathalie led Steve and I down from the open space into the lovely neighborhood streets. As I tried to catch up to them, a splash of light caught my eye and I turned to see these gorgeous African Bush Daisies glowing next to a fence. What a perfect opportunity for a colorful HFF picture! Steve and Nathalie were out of sight around the bend but I couldn't pass up this chance…and I'm so glad I got this image to share today!

I also have a picture of our gate and fence that I took the other day--it turned out nice enough that I'm including it as an inset too. :)

Pam, do you guys have any problems with flooding? It can be such a pain to deal with. Our road has been our worst nightmare, but other than that, we don't have any issues. Thankfully our house has ditches to keep the water from being an issue. However, in the house where I grew up in San Francisco, the water would pour off Mount Davidson and right through our basement. My dad tried everything to stop it but the mighty mountain won every time…my oldest brother now has to deal with the issue every year. UGH! Here's hoping that today has been good for you Pam. I know it's a big deal and I'm sending all of my healing energy your way, my dear. *BIG HUGGGGGGSSSS*!!!!

Explored on 1/18/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 69: Lovely Light on Lemon

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:13:29 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+3 insets!)

Ugh…so tired…

My ever-cheerful feathery alarm started going off this morning with a happy "PEEP!" and blearily I reached over to grab my clock…"Please say 5:30…please say 5:30…" I blinked and hoped what I saw was wrong: 6:55. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! *whimper*

I had the worst time sleeping last night, and it all had to do with photography. Specifically the next theme for Macro Monday, which is "Perfume Bottle." See, I don't wear perfume. I don't mind a slight hint of something natural smelling like vanilla, but that's about it. Thus, I don't have anything like that in my house. When I went to sleep last night, I couldn't stop thinking about where I'd get a bottle…Dollar store?...Thrift store?...Garage Sale?...Heck, any store would do, it's the bottle that I want so I should find something easily.

Then I was thinking about alternatives. Couldn't I use any bottle and fill it with my own perfume recipe? Technically that would be a perfume bottle! Ooooooh…don't we have some super cool crystal salt and pepper shakers? What a neat idea! I wonder what box they are in…hmmm… I wandered around our garage in my mind, mentally opening boxes and peering inside.

Then I began thinking about the concept of creating my own perfume…it could be any color…it could be sparkly…maybe the bottle could have something in there too like marbles or something…

I lay awake for what seemed like all night thinking about all the possibilities…there were so many interesting ideas to consider…

When I tried to shut my mind down, I'd soon begin thinking about another part of the challenge…oh dear…

"PEEP-PEEP!" and "BURBLE-BURBLE-BURBLE!" I pictured Pumpkin cheeping with her eyes closed, her darling little body vibrating with every sound and I couldn't help but smile and drag myself out of bed.

"Good morning little girl! Oh how I love you!"

And so the day began! As it happened, I wasn't as exhausted as I thought I'd be, hooray! I've spent the morning and afternoon appreciating photography from my wonderful and talented contacts and anyone who's left me a comment on my picture from yesterday. How nice. And Steve's coming along with the deck project so it's been a super day for both of us!

Today's picture is finally back on track, and it's from our trip down south to San Anselmo. Nathalie has a couple of lemon trees and I couldn't resist the beautiful light on them. I am sharing another inset too!

(I'm also including two morning panoramas from the other day showing the lovely light as the sun comes over the hill. You'll see the dramatic change as the sun rises! Also, you'll see our gigantic relic of a bulldozer in our field...it's a many-ton lawn ornament at the moment as it doesn't run!)

Pam, I sure do hope that you're able to get a good night's sleep. I have often had trouble with this, unlike my husband who can look at the bed and fall asleep. It's always taken me time to relax and drift off, no matter the methods I've used. Some work better than others, some don't work after a while, some have never worked! What about you? Are you an "easy sleeper"? I sure hope so. All of us need as much rest as we can get, the healing powers are so important! Thinking of you every day my dear!!

Explored on 1/17/19, highest placement, #4.

Pictures for Pam, Day 53: Happy New Year!

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 22:18:01 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

Today is New Year's Eve here in the United States but over in Europe it's New Year's Day!! So I am posting this picture now since it works for both days. :)

First off, I'd like to wish everyone a happy and wonderful new year. I'd like to thank all of you for the support and comradery we've shared since I've returned to ipernity a couple of months ago. I feel like I'm a totally new person, and a whole lot of that is because of the community here at ipernity. I am so thankful. I look forward to another year of getting to share our photography and learning more about one another, getting inspired, and growing more creative each day.

For today's picture, you will recognize my theme: Christmas Eve and Christmas featured holiday cards of two adorable birds I photographed a couple of years ago. If you didn't read about it in my previous posts, it was a perfectly snowy day so I set up our 100-300mm lens in our kitchen doorway that opens out onto our back porch. It also has a perfect view of our bird feeders, so I sat inside while it snowed and clicked away as the birdies stopped by to have some snacks.

I ended up getting hundreds of pictures, most of which were crisp and useable. The majority featured the darling Oregon Junco, but I got lots of pictures of House Finches, Lesser Goldfinches, a few Lark Sparrows, and even a Northern Flicker and a White-Breasted Nuthatch! I thought it would be fun to feature a different bird for each card, so this one has an extremely fluffy Lesser Goldfinch. (I will try to post pictures of the other species when I can.)

Pam, it's been so nice to see more and more comments from you. You leave them for me, and you have been making the rounds too! That makes me so happy. It's nice to know that you're feeling a little better as time passes. Here's to better health in 2019!

Explored on 1/1/19, highest placement, #1.

Pictures for Pam, Day 50: Bee on Sunflower

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 23:18:18 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 inset, showing False Sunflowers grown from seed that Pam gave me!) :)

It was a lovely, foggy morning for my walk today and I was warm and fluffy in my soft sweater, gloves and hat. As I walked up and down, I kept looking over at my abandoned garden and thinking about last night.

Exactly how many pictures do YOU have stored in your photo folder? Just how BIG is your parent folder? Of course, this size is going to depend on how long ago you began taking pictures and how active you are as a photographer. My oldest folders date back to about 1999 when I wasn't actually a photographer. I didn't really begin generating a lot of pictures until about 2011. Ever since then, there has been a never-ending influx of pictures that's become totally incredulous in size!

In fact, my photo directory is so big that checking my computer for the size took nearly 30 seconds to calculate! Ah yes…my photo folder is now a staggering 1.45 TERABYTES. There are 1,928 folders containing 110,623 files. Yes. That's over 100 THOUSAND pictures in my photo folder. Heh. What can I say? I like to take pictures! :D Granted, many of those pictures are aperture sets--the same subject photographed at different apertures, so the actual subjects photographed would probably lower that number closer to 25,000. Heh. *blush*

Needless to say, there are gigs upon gigs of pictures I haven't processed. Pictures I only glanced at or not at all. So many pictures that really do deserve to see the light of day. What a tragic reality: the fact is, most will never be processed because I am always taking more pictures! I know I'm not alone though *stares at all of you with a knowing expression*…we all have a glut of unprocessed pictures on our hard drives!

So anyway, last night I played a photo game…click on a random folder and see what's inside. I opened up "All the Beautiful Flowers" from July 2014…inside I found 148 pictures from the year I had a garden. I'd only processed six pictures. I could hardly believe my eyes. So many blossoms, bees, critters, bokeh-filled scenes…*sigh*…but what are you going to do? There isn't any way to process them all. But, I could polish one up right now, and that's just what I did!

Today's picture is a sunflower with a busy bee! I had many sunflowers that bloomed for me and they were often covered with visitors. I hope you like this bright and cheery picture on this cold December day!

Pam, I was thinking of you as I looked through this folder of images. I didn't see any False Sunnies that grew from the seeds you gave me but I certainly have a zillion pictures elsewhere...I'll have to find some to process just for you! It amazes me that they continue to reseed themselves and flower every single year without a bit of help from me. I love them so much because they remind of the bright, sunny, wonderful person you are! (See the inset to enjoy the beauty of these flowers!)

Explored on 12/29/18, highest placement, #2.

321/366: Lemon-Scented Tarweed: the 161st Flower of Spring & Summer

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 04:52:30 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

When Steve and I moved to southern Oregon, I knew I'd love the wildlife and nature on a rural property. But I had no idea how much fun it would be to discover all the different flowers that grew just on our property alone! I began a project which I never finished, to catalog every flower I found. This is one of the flowers to add to my project, the Lemon-Scented Tarweed! It smells like lemon but the plant is covered with sticky resin that clings to everything! I love the flowers though, and we have several varieties that grow here.

287/366: Last Day For a Lovely Daffodil

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 03:02:06 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

One of the things that make daffodils so popular is their long-lasting blossoms. This flower is fading into the sunset but I thought it was still pretty enough to share. I took this picture at my friend's garden near Ashland, Oregon.

284/366: Bright and Shiny False Sunflower

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 05:19:36 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

A few years ago, my friend Pam Johnson gave me some seeds from her False Sunflowers and to my delight, I got them to sprout. Taking pictures of these gorgeous flowers was such fun, and I hope some day to grow more!

275/366: Bug on Mustard Blossoms

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 02:47:47 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

The past couple of days I've been sharing a few pictures from a photo walk that Steve and I went on a couple of years down at the Rogue River. We'd started the day up in high altitude and quickly found out it was too windy and cold. But down here near home we found a wonderful place for some neat captures. These bugs are nearly invisible unless you are looking very carefully for them!

Explored on 10/5/16. Highest placement, page 4.

268/366: Spring Cheer

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 05:22:06 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

There's nothing like a False Sunflower to bring good cheer to a spring day. They are easy to grow and flower profusely! I would love to have these in the next garden I grow. Thanks to Pam for the seeds! :)

244/366: Dried Irish Eyes with a Touch of Frost (+1 in a note)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 03:09:48 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(+1 in a note)

Here is a perfect example of the awesome sauce that is the Black-Eyed Susan in any of its forms. This happens to be the "Green-Eyed" version also known as "Irish Eyes" because the center of these are green, not brown.

I captured this dried beauty on a frosty December morning, with all of her glorious details. I mentioned the other day how much I love this flower, and you can see here, that even though it's dead, this flower is still stunning. How wonderful is that?! :)

238/366: Yellow Beads (+1 in a note)

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 04:03:31 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

(One more image above in a note)

At the end of 2014 I did a 10-week photography project based on the color wheel. It was a perfect opportunity to appreciate the many bags of mixed beads I got from my husband's work, Fire Mountain Gems & Beads. I ended up processing some extra images, and this is one of them, which features a fun transparent bead in front, with lots for bokeh in the background!

237/366: The Magnificent Black-Eyed Susan

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 03:16:35 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

What a magnificent flower to have in a garden. Easy to grow, these plants will reward you with dozens of stunning blossoms over 2-3 months! They are a fantastic photography subject from bud to after they have dried up! And because they are large, they make fine practice subjects for photographers of all levels. Being large with a shape that isn't hard to capture, they are forgiving for newer photographers. For those who are adept at macro photography, the macro details offered by this flower abound! Hairy sepals, leaves and stems, velvety-looking centers, and as this flower matures, the brown area you see erupts into tiny yellow florets! Black-eyed Susans are MAGNIFICENT!! :)

(I photographed this beauty in my raised-bed garden a few years ago, and had fun adding a texture to the background. :D)

231/366: Creamy Marigold

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 21 Aug 2016 04:33:09 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

There is a reason that Marigolds are such a popular flower. On top of the fact that they are lovely, they are resistant to many insects, and they are also resistant to deer and other nibbling visitors. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and are easy to grow.

This cream-colored beauty was found on my Ashland Garden Tour, and the late afternoon light made it easy to get a picture that highlighted the subtle color of this flower, and I lucked out with a nice background for contrast.

If you'd like to learn more about Marigolds, Wikipedia has a very nice article to get you started: Wiki: Marigolds

212/366: Sunny with Black Wasp

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 03:41:03 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

I was tickled to find False Sunflowers growing in one of the gardens that Steve and I visited during the garden tour a few years ago in Ashland. These flowers are so bright and cheery, and this one also happened to have a very cool wasp crawling around on it!

203/366: Yellow Cockscomb Celosia

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 05:29:52 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

What wonderful, strange flowers these are! Celosia comes in several odd appearances, and this one is named for its similarity to the fleshy growth on top of a rooster's head! As odd as these flowers may seem, it will really surprise you to learn that these flowers and especially its leaves are edible and are very popular in many African and asian countries.

This is an excerpt from Wiki:
"Celosia is a broadleaf annual leaf vegetable. It grows widespread across Mexico, where it is known as "Velvet flower", northern South America, tropical Africa, the West Indies, South, East and Southeast Asia where it is grown as a native or naturalized wildflower, and is cultivated as a nutritious leafy green vegetable. It is traditional fare in the countries of Central and West Africa, and is one of the leading leafy green vegetables in Nigeria, where it is known as ‘soko yokoto’, meaning "make husbands fat and happy". In Spain it is known as "Rooster comb" because of its appearance.

As a grain, Cockscomb is a pseudo-cereal, not a true cereal.

These leaves, young stems and young inflorescences are used for stew, as they soften up readily in cooking. The leaves also have a soft texture and a mild spinach-like taste. They are also pepped up with such things as hot pepper, garlic, fresh lime, and red palm oil and eaten as a side dish."

201/366: False Sunflower

nobody@ipernity.com (Janet Brien) — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 03:34:09 +0000

Janet Brien has posted:

A few years ago, one of my good friends here on ipernity, Pam Johnson, sent me lots of different flower seeds to try out in my upcoming raised bed garden. One kind of seed turned into masses of these gorgeous flowers called False Sunflowers! I hoped they would come back on their own, but this is the only year they grew. Still, I have lots of pictures and very fond memories too! Thank you Pam! :D