When I went to visit Meg in Maryland earlier this month, I was drawn to both the details that were common between and the shapes that were distinct from the plants--mostly the flowers--surrounding me in Florida. Most of these were taken with my camera--some with a "safe-to-run-over-with-a-truck-or-fling-off-an-airplane-or-drop-in-the-pool" camera that Brent got for me to use when we go places that any of these three kinds of things might happen.
Actually, I carry it with me just about everywhere--because besides being durable, it is almost as small as my phone--so it fits into my purse/pocket/backpack.
And it takes better pics than my phone.
Here are some of the best photos that I took:
Megan calls these "wild violets." They grow low to the ground, among the fine, lush grasses on the lawns in NE America. I am so accustomed to having a stubborn thatch of crabgrass to fertilize and mow--that I almost didn't recognize the sight of real grass.
Malpighiales,Violaceae,Viola
Clusters of fabulously coloured tulips burst into my eyes at every turn. I would be watching Kate or Jon whisk about and then suddenly these colors would startle me and I could not help but stare for at least a half second.
These wildflower were flung about the undergrowth of the forest.
Forsythia bushes hung out over the sidewalks all over the place--it made it hard to see stop signs when I was approaching corners when driving.
Holly bushes offered their candy-apple red berries instead of fragile flower petals.
This fantastic daffodil was the last of its bunch to bloom. I had to look closely to catch the transparent peach-coloured leaves around the center of the flower.
This minuscule, white, 10 petal flower was impossible to get a clear picture of--it was too small--even with the microscopic setting on my camera.
Now all around Florida, the colours are starting to come out. I'll have to process the photographs I took yesterday as I went around and visited two of the gardens on a Botanical Tour. It will be cool to compare the spring blooms from the SE and NE shores.
