Breath of Life Photography

You know Autumn is closing in when you see lovely flower seed heads like this. I came across this lovely seedhead when I was out walking my dog with my husband almost two weeks ago on our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend here in Toronto. We were at a local park that we often go to for [...]

I think this red tulip is a bit of an exhibitionist. There’s a clump of red tulips in the oval flower bed in the center of my garden and each year when they come up they look like nice normal tulips … for about a day … then they open their petals wide wide wide [...]

It seems to me that Helebores love their shade so much that even their flowers try to shy away from the light. I only have one Helebore plant left (I did have three once but two seem to have died out) and it’s flowers, when they bloom in late March or April, always hang their [...]

My back yard garden is divided into two distinct areas – one small patio just large enough to fit a nice patio table that seats four comfortably, and the back garden area lined with 3 to 4 foot deep garden beds along the edges, with grass in the center of the back garden area. Between [...]

These beautiful blue Glories of the snow are pretty much done blooming now. They came up so early this year … like near the beginning of April instead of mid to late April like they usually do! I have several clumps of these flowers in white, pink and this lovely blue. Each year the clumps [...]

I took this photo of some of my Pink Hyacinth when it was just getting ready to bloom. This was mid-April … of course it’s been blooming it’s pretty little head off and smelling up my yard with it’s heady perfume for about two weeks now. I have several clusters of Hyacinth growing in my [...]

All of the spring flowers in my garden are coming up earlier than they usually do! My crocuses came up on March 15th and bloomed until about the middle of April. They usually come up toward the end of March, but we had a beautiful winter this year with much warmer than average temperatures (above [...]

I took this photo in September when the mums were in full bloom. Aren’t they lovely? I used to not really like mums, not until I had a garden of my own anyway. They do make a nice fall flower as they add some color to the garden as most of the other plants begin [...]

We had a short spell of warm weather two weeks ago, and my roses, the ones that should be shutting down for winter, are putting out new blooms! I think they are confused! LOL … well, what can I expect when it’s been a bit warmer than it usually is at this time of year [...]

The Sedum and other flowers that I grow in my garden are beginning to fade away as Autumn brings cooler weather, but a few weeks ago, many of my garden plants were still in bloom. The photo above is a picture of the Sedum that I grow in my front yard. I love it’s multi-coloured [...]

This is a photo of a white Cosmo flower growing in front of my house in my planted boulevard. The cosmos came up on their own this year. Growing almost like wild flowers in the empty spaces in the garden bed. They looked lovely amid the tall sunflowers, peonies, daylilies and Siberian Irises. Looking at [...]

This is a macro photo of one of the roses that I grow in my garden. It’s a Graham Thomas English rose. Aren’t those petals just about perfect? I love the warm yellow color of the flower and how the petals, when you look at them closely have different shades of yellow within them. Lovely. [...]

This is a Macro (close up) photo of a pink Hydrangea in bloom. I took this photo earlier this year at the beginning of August when my Hydrangea was blooming happily. The plant is still blooming but it’s flowers are fading and believe it or not they’ve turned a pale green! Isn’t that odd? Perhaps [...]

I have a nice size Rose of Sharon tree in my backyard and from the last week of July through the end of August my tree was covered in these beautiful flowers. Lovely! The Rose of Sharon tree / shrub is part of the Hibiscus family, although it’s much more hardy than a tropical Hibiscus! [...]

My Balloon flowers are happy this summer – at the least the deep blue/ purple ones are anyways! They’re taller than normal and blooming like crazy! They’re such interesting flowers. They’re called Balloon flowers because as the flower buds develop they look like balloons (yes the buds are hollow and the petals unfold when they [...]

I think Clematis flowers are lovely, but when the flower fades away and a seed head develops? On some types of clematis, the seed head is as pretty or even more beautiful than the flower it replaced! Now the Daniel Deronda Clematis is lovely. It has deep purple, thick, velvet petals. It’s outstanding to view [...]

This rose is one of the stars of my garden. It only blooms every once in a while, unlike the rose that it replaced (Love and Peace) which bloomed it’s head off each and every summer until it’s demise. No matter … it’s a pretty rose and I’m happy to see each and every one [...]

These little beauties are called The Fairy rose. They’re small roses, maybe an inch in diameter, but the rose bush blooms prolifically and is absolutely covered with roses. Roses all summer long in fact. The Fairy is a hardy rose and because it’s almost constantly in bloom it’s perfect for someone that wants an easy [...]

Alium are such strange flowers … they are part of the onion family, but of course the ones we grow in our garden are ornamental and I’m sure are inedible. These Alium tend to bloom at the end of June for me, but this year we’ve had a cooler than normal summer so they didn’t [...]

This rose is called Climbing Westerland. I don’t think it’s name reflects how truly beautiful this rose really is. It’s located in the back corner of my garden, but as you can see from the color of it’s blooms it’s not a rose that hides in the shadows! It’s colors are gorgeous – like a [...]

This lovely rose is an English Rose. It’s called Graham Thomas and as you can see it has beautiful flowers … In fact, it blooms repeatedly throughout the growing season, so I can almost always enjoy the sight of it’s lovely flowers from mid-June through to late November or even early December. Do you grow [...]

I have quite a mix of flowers in my garden. The plants holding the majority are of course Roses, but even if it doesn’t seem like it at times I do grow other plants. Two of my favorite perennial plants are Lavender and Salvia. Both have lovely deep blue to purple blooms and of course, [...]

Isn’t this pink Clematis flower lovely? I grow several different Clematis vines, but this one is one of the largest vines! It’s located at the front of my house – well front corner, and it grows on a trellis. It’s perhaps 14 feet in height and two weeks ago when it was covered in pink [...]

This has been a funny summer here in Toronto. It’s cooler than normal so my plants are growing slower and blooming less frequently. Still … when you have gems like this beautiful “Prince Napoleon Climbing Rose” you can put up with a colder than normal summer. Fact … They say that this is the coldest [...]

I don’t have many yellow roses in my garden, but the few that I do have are absolutely gorgeous. Like this Graham Thomas English rose. Look at those beautiful, perfect, yellow petals. I swear I could spend all day looking at lovely roses or pictures of roses like this one. Perfection in nature. Related Reading: [...]

It’s a virtual rose parade on my property … at least at this time of year. How fitting that I actually have a climbing rose called Parade! Depending upon how warm it is each year, my many roses (over 60 plants!) begin to bloom anywhere from early to mid-June and the virtual rose parade goes [...]

This climbing Iceberg rose, caught blooming in my garden in late June, is just about perfect. Too bad they didn’t stay that way! Shortly after I took this photo we had a lot of rain and the rain drops caused the petals to get pink dots on them. Pretty … but I believe it’s a [...]

You know summer is here when the clematis and roses begin to bloom and oh what lovely blooms they are! The photo above is of one of my favorite Clematis flowers. It’s a hybrid Seiboldiana Clematis and it produces large blue flowers several times each year. Absolutely gorgeous, isn’t it? Related Reading: One Dozen Assorted [...]

Yes you are seeing double. I planted my Daffodils close together and when they bloom the flowers are all in clusters of two or three or more. It’s lovely.  The petals are so thin you can almost see through them. Beautiful and delicate. Related Reading: And Then It’s Spring Spring: A Novel Just Spring Pro [...]

I love these tiny Spring flowers. From a distance they appear to be purple, but when you get up close or take a macro photograph like the one above each tiny blossom appears to be more of a Sapphire blue. Lovely. Related Reading: Spring: A Novel Spring Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach Brussel’s DT3066AZ Satsuki Azalea [...]

I couldn’t resist posting just one more photo of my favorite iris. Of course these flowers are long gone … they bloomed in the second week of April in my Toronto garden and were gone only a few days later … but this picture and other photos I took of them will make them last [...]

I took this photo about a month ago and these lovely Chionodoxa are long gone now … but I was happy to see them as they began to emerge. I love how they can poke through dead leaves and other debris no matter how heavy and still end up blooming. I’ve even seen these flowers [...]

As far as I’m concerned this is one of the prettiest irises of all. Oh sure, I love my Dover blue German iris too … but nothing beats the Danfordia iris for it’s combination of delicate blooms and vibrant colors. Do you have a favorite iris or flower? Related Reading: Fellowes Powershred 100% Jam Proof [...]

Glories of the Snow or Chionodoxa … a real close up of these lovely delicate blue flowers. I love nothing more than seeing the first flowers of Spring after our long cold winters here in Toronto. Crocuses are usually the first to come up in late March, but these Glories of the snow are often [...]

Who wouldn’t be happy seeing lovely pink striped hyacinths blooming in their garden? Especially once you got a whiff of their lovely scent! Several years ago I planted at least 100 hyacinth bulbs in colors of blue, white, pink and coral. I still have lots of hyacinths blooming in my garden each spring, but unlike [...]

Clumps of Glories of the snow dot my small backyard garden. I have white ones, blue ones and even pink! I do think the blue Glories of the snow are my favorite. The color of the flower looks so nice against the dark green of the plants leaves. Related Reading: Magpul iPhone 4 & 4S [...]

Here’s a close up of a Danfordia iris. I love these delicate little flowers. The detail on the underside and deep within the petal is lovely. The vibrant yellow and white pattern in each petal is amazing isn’t it? Related Reading: And Then It’s Spring NY DAILY NEWS One Dozen Assorted Wooden Roses Just Ambulance [...]

These are my favorite irises. They are called Danfordia irises and they are dwarf irises. I love their vibrant color, but hate that they only seem to bloom here for just a few days. Perhaps it’s because even though they bloom in early spring we’re usually warming up fast here in Toronto just as they [...]

A few days ago I posted a photo of a single hyacinth, if you read the post you might remember me discussing how my “purple” hyacinths seems to have different shades of color ranging from blue to deep purple in different lights … well this picture is a good example of that range of color. [...]

I love how these pale pink Glories of the snow seem to be peeking out from between the leaves. usually these flowers stand high above the leaves, but I think mine were suffering from a lack of water when I photographed them and they were nestled among the leaves giving them a little more of [...]

Ah, the sweet perfume of hyacinth is once more enhancing my backyard. A few of my hyacinth plants started to bloom on Friday and the flowers are just beginning to open. I love the rich shades of color of these purple hyacinths. They are blue to deep blue in some light and purple at other [...]

Why these lovely flowers are called “Glories of the Snow” (Chionodoxa) I don’t know. Mine never come up while there’s still snow on the ground. Nope … they tend to come up somewhere between the beginning of April and the end of the April depending how warm a spring we’re having. This year they came [...]

The crocuses that I grow in my back yard are just about finished blooming. It’s sad in a way as they are so pretty and being one of the first flowers to bloom in my garden they are one of the sure signs of spring for me each year. I love how the sunlight lights [...]

These lovely, colorful, Crocus’ were blooming in my garden on Saturday. That day was absolutely beautiful, it reached 14 Celsius here in Toronto and I was able to get out and not only photograph the flowers that were blooming but do some much needed work in the garden. Unfortunately the nice weather didn’t last. On [...]

It’s said that Hellebores bloom in the snow, often around Christmas time – but mine don’t! Mine bloom near the end of March or early April. They are not blooming yet, but their leaves are greening up so I expect to see lovely flowers like the one above (photo take a few years ago in [...]

It’s looking a lot like Spring around here in Toronto, but I’ll have to wait until June before I see these tiny Heuchera flowers again. Heuchera plants only seem to bloom once a year- at least the ones I have only bloom once each year, and it’s usually in late Spring or early summer. Oh [...]

This Hyacinth isn’t blooming in my garden yet- but give it two months or so and I’ll have several of these beauties making my garden look lovely! Oh and the scent! Just looking at this photo brings to mind the heady scent of Hyacinths! On nice warm spring days I love to open the windows [...]

This is a macro of the center petals of one of my favorite roses – Breath of Live. it’s a climbing rose with pale peach colored flowers. Absolutely gorgeous! I adore this rose. Unfortunately it has little to no scent. I don’t mind, not when it’s this pretty! Related Reading: Black Rose Flower Rare ! [...]

It’s snowy and cold outside right now, but indoors I have a garden of sorts in my kitchen. The orchids, amaryllis and hibiscus have all been taking turns blooming away and it’s been lovely. It’s so nice to have flowers indoors in the winter – especially when they aren’t cut flowers in a vase! Related [...]

This is a photo of my purple Orchid. All three of my Orchids are now in bloom, but this one is the prettiest with it’s purple lines on white petals. I think it looks a bit like a very ornate butterfly – don’t you? Related Reading: Brussel’s DT3066AZ Satsuki Azalea Outdoor Bonsai Tree Fresh Flowers [...]

This is a rose bud from one of my antique roses – Compte de Chambord. This rose’s flowers put out a strong rose perfume scent. I love being in my garden in the early morning, early evening or just after I’ve watered when these roses are in bloom as the scent is heavenly. Of course [...]

At the beginning of October I took a photo of a flower that was just starting to die down and become a seed head. It was one of the most amazing looking flowers that I think I’ve ever seen … it almost looked like it was composed of tiny spiders or bugs. Click the link [...]

You might remember that back in November I posted a photo of a lovely blue flower that I now believe was Wild Chicory. If I’m right, these flower seed heads are Chicory flower seed heads. I find it amazing that a flower can still look beautiful, even as it is dying down for the winter [...]

I not only grow plants in several raised garden beds in my front and back yards, but I also have hanging baskets and planters filled with summer flowers such as Petunias, Stock, Impatiens and occasionally I’ll plant some lovely Dianthus or Sweet William among the annuals. The photo above is a picture of lovely Sweet [...]

Compte de Chambord, was there ever another rose with such a heavenly scent? Some of my roses are still blooming away at this late date. I suspect that the Compte de Chambord rose bud pictured above is one of the last that this rose will produce this year, but I could be wrong. Either way [...]

This is my first year with Hydrangea in the garden. Earlier this year when the plant started to bloom each cluster of flowers was half blue and half pink. It was like the plant couldn’t decide which color it should be. I’ve since heard that newly planted Hydrangeas will often be bi-colored in their first [...]

It’s November and the flowers and plants are finally starting to die down in my garden. Starting to prepare to sleep during the winter under a bed of snow. The seed heads above are of Rudbeckia – or the flowers more commonly called Black Eyed Susans. These lovely yellow daisy like flowers bloom from Late [...]

My garden is surprising me this year. Many of my flowers are still blooming even though it’s November and getting quite cold here in Toronto. I took this photo of a Toadlily last weekend. Blooming in all of it’s speckled glory. It’s a shame that they only bloom in the fall and likely don’t get [...]

During a walk in the park I came across this pretty blue wild flower with a snail perched above it. I’m not big on snails, but it looked pretty beside the flower and as you can see it photographed quite well. Related Reading: One World, One Day (Barbara Kerley Photo Inspirations) Wildlife, Forests and Forestry: [...]

These are some more wild flowers that my husband and I saw on our hike in Taylor Creek Park here in Toronto. The flowers look like they might be some kind of Aster. The bumble bees were all over the flowers and I managed to catch one collecting some of the flowers pollen. Related Reading: [...]

Isn’t this flower seed head beautiful? I came across it while taking a walk in one of Toronto’s city parks. The flower it comes from was a tiny white flower that blooms in clusters, possibly a wild phlox … although I’m really not sure of the flowers identity. It doesn’t matter though … it’s seed [...]

This is another shot of that lovely Peach Aster that I showed you earlier in the weeks. I just adore how this flower looks. So soft and delicate. I wish more would have grown in my garden since they are so pretty. Related Reading: New York Noir: Crime Photos from the Daily News Archive Case [...]

About a month ago I came upon this huge bumble bee just sitting within a cluster of tiny phlox flowers. The bee eventually moved around and collected some pollen from the flowers, but for the most part it seems quite content sitting between all of the petals. Perhaps it was taking a rest from it’s [...]

I love Black-Eyed Susans, so much so that I have several clumps growing in my garden beds right now. They’re cheery little flowers that truly brighten up the garden. Related Reading: NY DAILY NEWS Just Ambulance Photos! Big Book of Photographs & Pictures of Ambulances and Medical EMT Rescue Paramedics, Vol. 1 Brussel’s DT8045FF Fringe [...]

I grew Asters this year in my garden and I think this lovely peach colored flower might be a single Aster or a different variety from the Pom Pom asters that I’m currently growing. It’s blooming it’s lovely peach blooms amid the purple asters. I think it’s just beautiful. Related Reading: One Dozen Assorted Wooden [...]

I think this flower is Jewelweed. Chris and I were on a hike in the woods here in Toronto and growing beside the bank of a shallow creek I there were several clumps of these flowers. They had such a delicate light purple color! Simple gorgeous. Bumble Bees were hovering around the flowers collecting pollen. [...]

This is one of the roses that I grow in my backyard garden – it’s called Chicago Peace. It’s a lovely hybrid tea rose with very large flowers and a mild scent. Quite spectacular growing right beside my patio! Related Reading: Fresh Flowers – 20 Purple Dendrobium Orchids with Vase Forever Roses – Small Bud [...]

I haven’t grown Asters in my garden for the last two or so years and I’d forgotten how lovely and cheerful they are. Obviously I’m growing some in my garden this year and I’m loving them. They’re such cute little flowers and the best thing about them is that they’ll bloom well into autumn! Related [...]

My Black Eyed Susans are prolific this year. I don’t know how many I’ve pulled out as they creep into other areas of my garden, but I still have three or four large clumps of these bright yellow beauties cheerfully showing off their colorful blooms in my garden. I love these flowers. They bloom from [...]

Whenever I see a sunflower I always think of the hot, humid, hazy days of summer. These flowers just mean summer to me. Perhaps it’s because Sunflowers are one of the first flowers I can remember liking as a child. In fact I do believe that sunflowers were one of the first flowers I ever [...]

With a name like Strawberry Candy you know even before seeing this scrumptious daylily that it’s going to be delightful. I grow this lovely daylily in my planted boulevard in front of my house. It grows along side Siberian Irises, malva, pink cactus dahlias, sunflowers, marigolds and other plants that bloom at various times throughout [...]

These are French Marigolds. I grow them around the border of my planted boulevard garden. As you can see I also have a short bamboo fence in my little garden. It helps separate the planted area from the sidewalk. The short fence is very helpful in the spring as it lets people know that they [...]

Malva – such a simple yet lovely flower. This one is growing in my planted front boulevard. The Malva plant produces flowers from June right through to September or so. It looks lovely when it’s covered in blooms. Related Reading: One Dozen Assorted Roses with FREE Chocolates Spellbinders Shapeabilities Dies, Foliage JTT Landscaping Material – [...]

Morden Sunrise Rose These lovely roses are called Morden Sunrise. This is an appropriate name for this hardy Canadian Explorer series rose as the colors of the petals with their light yellows to soft peach and orange colors do look quite a bit like a sunrise on a beautiful day. This rose is growing better [...]

This rose is called Iceberg. It’s a Floribunda rose and it produces clusters of lovely white roses almost continuously throughout the growing season. Not only does it produce and abundance of pretty white flowers but these flowers also have a light pleasant rose scent. I grow this rose at the front of my house near [...]

I love Butterfly Weed. It produces lovely long lasting orange blooms each summer that attract Monarch butterflies as well as other species of butterflies, moths and as you can see even honey bees or wasps! I believe even hummingbirds enjoy Butterfly Weed Flowers. Related Reading: Umbra Foliage Kitchen Sponge Holder, Smoke Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S50 [...]

Maltese Cross is one of the easiest to care for plants that I grow. It’s quite hardy, grows tidily where I first planted it and returns each year to produce it’s lovely clusters of orangish red blooms. Related Reading: Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro (9-3-6) 32oz Quart Spellbinders Shapeabilities Dies, Foliage NETGEAR N600 Wireless-N Dual Band Router WNDR3400 [...]

This delphinium grows like a weed in my garden. It either spreads or reseeds itself so well that each year I have to pull out several new plants just to keep this flowering plant under control in my garden. Still, it’s a lovely flower isn’t it? Droopy little purple bell shaped blossoms. Related Reading: Fresh [...]

These are Gayfeather (Liatris) buds. Each bulb develops a spike in June and by Mid to Late July each year the tiny flowers on each spike begin to bloom. They have a soft feather look from a distance and look lovely in large round clumps. Related Reading: Rothco paracord 550LB NYLON 100 FT / FOLIAGE [...]

My Tiger Lilies are blooming! Well ok, they’re almost done blooming, but the last two or three weeks they’ve been blooming their lovely heads off. I can’t believe how vibrant their colors are – such bright oranges. They really pop in the garden! Related Reading: Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S50 Document Scanner (B11B194011) Fresh Flowers – [...]

Hmmm wouldn’t “Tiffany Rose” make a lovely name for a baby girl? In this case it’s not a baby name, but rather the name of a lovely Hybrid Tea Rose. My Tiffany Rose is doing fantastic this year. It’s giving me more blooms than ever before and look how lovely they are! I’m stoked! Related [...]

I have a few clumps of purple Allium flowers growing in my front garden beds. Allium flowers are related to the onion and garlic family – however these plants are ornamental and I don’t believe that they can be eaten. I have to remember to move the Allium that is growing at the end of [...]

This flower is known as Scabiosa or more commonly a Pincushion flower. I thought mine had died out, but to my surprise several of these lovely flowers started coming up in my front flower bed this year. The petal pattern is lovely when viewed from above isn’t it? Related Reading: Fresh Flowers – Purple Dendrobium [...]

This is one of the old main buildings at Toronto’s Brick Works. The factory is no longer operational and the quarry where all the clay was dug out to make the bricks has been turned into ponds, marshes and hiking trails that highlight native plants of Ontario and this general area. The Brick Works is [...]

This is the Valencia Hybrid Tea rose. It’s a large rose, perhaps 4 inches in diameter and it’s lovely. I don’t find that this rose has much scent, but what it lacks in fragrance it more than makes up for in beauty. I just wish this rose wasn’t so stingy with it’s blooms. I get [...]

I love my Moulinex roses. Look at how many different shades of yellow are in the bloom. Doesn’t it look a bit like the colors of a sunrise? Related Reading: Rose Elegance Premium Long Stem Red Roses – One Dozen Red Roses NETGEAR N600 Wireless-N Dual Band Router WNDR3400 Fresh Flowers – Yellow Mokara Orchids [...]

I just love antique roses like this Compte de Chambord rose. They are just jam packed with tightly woven petals and oh the scent. The scent is so lovely. In fact, this rose is one of the roses that rose perfume is made out of because it’s fragrance is so perfect. Related Reading: One World, [...]

This beautiful peony is called Karl Rosenfield. Normally this peony is quite a deep red, but as the bloom ages it takes on a deep rose hue and the petals spread out and open the flower up. It’s quite lovely and it’s quite large! This peony is approximately five to six inches in diameter. Now [...]

My lavender is blooming and it looks just lovely. So beautiful in fact that I decide to crouch down beside a clump of lavender to get this shot. The day was a little bit breezy, just like most days in Toronto seems to be so I had to time my shot carefully as the lavender [...]

It’s amazing how fragrant just a few of these tiny Lily of the Valley flowers really are. I’ve been trying to grow these plants for a few years and this year several came up in two areas of my garden. The scent carried throughout the whole garden and into the neighborhood. Do you grow Lily [...]

It’s quite normal for Peony buds to be covered in ants. I’ve heard that the ants help protect the buds from invasive insects so it’s a symbiotic relationship. Most of my peonies are blooming now but I haven’t had a chance to take any photos. I’d better do it soon as Peonies don’t last all [...]

Last year I planted some hybrid columbines (Aquilegia) in my garden. They didn’t really do much last year. Oh they produced a few flowers, but nothing hinted at how delightfully gorgeous they would be this year when they bloomed! They came up in clumps, thick with these beautiful rose pink flowers. Aren’t they just gorgeous? [...]

It’s such a shame that these lovely delicate blooms only flower for approximately one week each spring. I love their delicate flower and fuzzy leaves. I have a couple of Pasque flower plants and each produce only one or two flowers in Mid May. Once the weather starts to warm the blooms fade and the [...]

The Astilbe is in full bloom and I managed to capture this hot pink Astilbe while it was still covered in morning dew. The spring flowers are just about done blooming, but my roses are just about to start. I love my ever changing garden. Related Reading: Fellowes Powershred 100% Jam Proof 79Ci 14 Sheet [...]

I took this photo of pink hyacinths in my garden as they were just starting to bloom about three weeks ago. Unfortunately the flowers are long gone now. The weather is finally starting to warm up here in Toronto and the rest of my flowers – ones that bloom most of the summer season, all [...]

Earlier this month my daffodils were in full bloom. I have them planted near clumps of red tulips and lavender. They all look beautiful together. Related Reading: One Dozen Assorted Roses with FREE Chocolates Pro Spring 3 (Professional Apress) NY DAILY NEWS Forever Roses – Small Bud Wooden Roses Bouquet – Dozen Just Spring

This tulip has variegated (white and green) buds and leaves. I believe this tulip is the Canada Tulip. It’s bloomed now and the flowers are red and white. It’s quite a pretty plant both in bud and in bloom. Do you have an tulips that have variegated leaves or buds? Related Reading: Partingtons/Sinopolis [HD] Case [...]

I have to buy more of this kind of hyacinth. It looks so lovely in the garden next to the rest of the other spring plants with their light green leaves. Oh and the scent! I love the smell of hyacinth blooms. Related Reading: And Then It’s Spring 9GreenBox – Live Spiral 3 Style Lucky [...]

This is a hybrid tulip called Texas Flame. It’s also a fringed tulip – not the fringes on each petal? It’s quite lovely even when partially closed as in this photo. When the flower opens you can see an array of yellows, orange and red colors on the inner petals. It’s just lovely. Related Reading: [...]

One of the most flamboyant tulips that grows in my garden is the Texas Flame tulip. The blossom opens up wide to expose a blend of yellows, oranges and red. I just wish these flowers would last longer. They’re just about blown now. Related Reading: Just Spring Brussel’s DT3066AZ Satsuki Azalea Outdoor Bonsai Tree Fresh [...]

The daffodils are blooming! So far it’s mostly just the yellow ones that are blooming in my garden although a few of the white ones are blooming now too. I grow a few different varieties of daffodils so I should have some salmon colored ones coming up around mid-May unless the squirrels have dug them [...]

My lavender is beginning to grow again. It looks kind of strange. There are parts of the plant that look dead, but at the top of each branch there’s new fuzzy green growth. The plant doesn’t look very nice yet from afar, but in closeup like this I think it’s quite pretty. Do you grow [...]

Purple Hyacinth … this is the first one to bloom in my garden this year. Oh I now have several hyacinths in bloom, but this was the first to fully flower. Isn’t it lovely? The weather was so nice last week that we had our doors and windows open most of each day. The scent [...]

My crocus’ are almost finished blooming, but I did manage to capture them when they were at their finest. I love this purple and yellow combo. Most of my crocus flowers are in little clumps in the grass beside the garden beds. I don’t know why I didn’t mix more of them, as most are [...]

I have a lovely pink Hydrangea growing in my back garden, but when I saw this potted hydrangea in a local store I couldn’t resist buying it. It’s now sitting in a plant urn on my front porch and looking lovely. Luckily this hydrangea is supposed to be hardy in this region so I’ll try [...]

Now that the snow finally melted in the garden and our yard it’s time to get outside and clean up the garden. There’s lots of dead foliage from last fall to cut down or remove. The above photo is of a Crocosmia seedpod. I actually took the photo in the fall. The seeds wouldn’t have [...]

There’s still snow on the ground here in Toronto, but it’s melting. I’m hoping it will be all but gone by sometime next week. At this point there’s obviously no hyacinths blooming, but I can look forward to blooms like this one soon! Do you have any spring flowers growing in yard or garden yet? [...]

I took this photo of one of my beautiful pink tulips last year. The flower was just about blown and the petals were almost spread out flat. Usually by this time of year here in Toronto the snow’s melted and some of the first flowers of spring have started to make an appearance. That’s not [...]

This is Morden Sunrise. It’s a hardy little Canadian rose. Isn’t it lovely? I’m still longing for Spring and I can’t wait for all of my spring flowers to bloom and then for my roses to begin their blooming season. Do you grow flowers? What is your favorite? Related Reading: Brussel’s DT8045FF Fringe Flower Bonsai [...]

Enough with snow and frigid weather already! Geesh! Are you as tired of winter as I am? It’s -23 Celsius with the wind chill here in Toronto today. That’s -8 F if you don’t know the metric system. Cold huh? It’s no wonder that I decided to post a photo of a lovely tulip that [...]

Our local ground hog didn’t see it’s shadow yesterday so that means Spring will soon be here. I’m so hoping that, that’s true! Either way I’m eager for Spring to arrive and to show you just how eager I am I decided to post this lovely photo of Muscari which is also known as Grape [...]

I have a young Rose of Sharon tree/shrub in my backyard. Each autumn it produces a lot of seeds from the last of the flowers. What you see in this photo are the seed hulls at the ends of the branches covered in snow. From a distance it looked like the tree was covered in [...]

Believe it or not this is a rose. It’s a rose from the Romantica series called Yves Piaget. Isn’t it lovely? This rose has a beautiful light scent as well. That only makes it all the more enjoyable. Related Reading: Fresh Flowers – Purple Dendrobium Orchids One World, One Day (Barbara Kerley Photo Inspirations) Just [...]

A happy bumble bee gathering pollen from a Malva Sylvestra flower. In the fall the bumble bees were happily enjoying all of my flowers that were still in bloom, gathering the last of the pollen for the year. It’s amazing how many bumble bees a small garden can fill up with on a nice autumn [...]

This is one of the newer roses in my garden. It’s called Chicago Peace and it’s a hybrid tea. Isn’t it lovely? I figured that a rose with the word peace in it would make a great first post for 2008 as I wish everyone health, happiness and peace for the new year. Related Reading: [...]

I took this photo in early October. The bumble bees were all over my New York Asters enjoying the pollen. I love watching the bees try to fly away with their back legs coated in pollen.  It’s kind of funny at times. Related Reading: Forever Roses – Small Bud Wooden Roses Bouquet – Dozen Just [...]

I can’t remember the formal name of this passion flower. I bought it this past summer. I love the color of it. Most of my other passion flowers are white and blue or purple in color. Isn’t it lovely? Related Reading: 9GreenBox – Live Spiral 3 Style Lucky Bamboo Plant Arrangement w/ Black Ceramic Vase [...]

These are small spring Iris blooms. I took this photo a couple of years ago and now these flowers no longer grow in my garden. They must have died out. I must replace them this spring or next fall as they are so very lovely. I love spring flowers, especially the first few of the [...]

I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this lily bud covered in rain drops one day this past summer. All of the plants were shimmering, covered in tiny beads of water and this lily bud just stood out. Lovely. Related Reading: Cold Steel Pendleton Hunter Kraton Handle (Secure-Ex Sheath) Fellowes Powershred 100% Jam Proof 79Ci [...]

A pretty, late Spring and Early summer, flowering plant that grows in my garden. Astilbe is a green leafy plant most of the year, but it blooms once each year for about a month and these are the flowers that are produced on long stalks that grow out from the clump of green leaves. Related [...]

Snap Dragon that is … This is a pretty little annual flower that I don’t even have to plant anymore. It reseeds itself very well in my garden and each spring and early summer many little seedlings come up in areas that they’d been growing the year before. Snap! It’s that easy! Related Reading: NETGEAR [...]

A beautiful Balloon Flower. This photo was taken in September as you can probably tell from the autumn like lighting and colors. This flower is normally a cross between blue and purple but as the weather cools the color purple reigns. Related Reading: Fire Station Number 4: The Daily Life of Firefighters (Carolrhoda Photo Books) [...]

Bee Balm is lovely in the garden and it attracts butterflies and I believe Hummingbirds. Unfortunately every good flowering plant eventually dies down in my Zone 5b Toronto garden. This is the seed head of the perennial Bee Balm. The plant renews itself each year, but it’s seed head helps ensure that the plant is [...]

If only all weeds were so lovely as this common Ontario Musk Mallow. This plant also goes by the name Malva moschata L, and like the Malva Sylvestris that I posted a short while ago this plant,too, is a relation of the Hollyhock. This plant produces pretty pink flowers several times each summer in my [...]

This pretty pink bloom is of a Tiffany Rose. I’ve grown this rose for about four years in my garden and this past summer it did better than it ever did growing taller than it had in the past and produced more blooms. I believe I’d moved it slightly the year before and I think [...]

Malva sylvestris ‘Zebrina’ aka Striped Mallow A relation to the hollyhock family this short lived perennial happily reseeds itself each year so I never had to worry that if the winters harsh the former plant won’t grow the following season as I know it’s seedlings will. Plenty of them. I grow this gorgeous plant at [...]

This is a beautiful antique rose with a scent that I’m certain has been incorporated into several perfumes over the last century or two. It has a beautiful damask scent that wafts through the garden in the early and late morning hours. Related Reading: Fresh Flowers – Purple Dendrobium Orchids Fire Station Number 4: The [...]

Yes, this is a Black Hollyhock. Isn’t it’s dark glossy petals beautiful? I grow this dark horse of a hollyhock between my lovely Compte de Chambord antique roses, Japanese Maple and the raspberries so it’s surrounded by shades of red and pink. It looks quite lovely among it’s companions. Related Reading: Case Logic TBC-302 Ultra [...]

A few photos back I posted a photo of a perfect Graham Thomas rose bud. Well this is the flower that, that bud would eventually turn into as this is a fully blooming Graham Thomas English rose. Lovely multi shades of yellow from pale to bright. It’s a gorgeous rose and quite hardy. Related Reading: [...]

Perfection. A perfect rose bud. This bud will grow and turn into a gorgeous yellow Graham Thomas English Rose with full multi-petaled blooms. Related Reading: Roses for Dummies Fire Station Number 4: The Daily Life of Firefighters (Carolrhoda Photo Books) NETGEAR N600 Wireless-N Dual Band Router WNDR3400 New York Noir: Crime Photos from the Daily [...]

I’ve come to think of the Morning Glory Vine as a weed in my garden as it does much too well reseeding itself hundreds of times over. Yet, it’s flowers are lovely. Morning Glory flowers bloom in the early morning hours and gradually close up and die off by late day. This flower is in [...]

Sunsprite is a cheery little rose. It’s large flowers are full of pale to bright yellow petals and it’s well shaped form is lovely to behold. Related Reading: Forever Roses – Small Bud Wooden Roses Bouquet – Dozen Black Rose Flower Rare ! 5 Seeds! Roses for Dummies One Dozen Assorted Wooden Roses Roses: Placing [...]

Canna Tropicana leaves. I took this photo in my Toronto garden in late September. I love the look of canna Tropicana leaves. This plant is a colorful addition to the garden and it’s blooms are lovely as well. Related Reading: Brussel’s DT8045FF Fringe Flower Bonsai Just Ambulance Photos! Big Book of Photographs & Pictures of [...]

This rose is a true delight. This is Double Delights’ first year in my garden and it’s outstanding. It has the loveliest flowers and oh the scent is well … delightful. Rose Double Delight; Camera – Canon Digital SLR 30D EOS Related Reading: Fellowes Powershred 100% Jam Proof 79Ci 14 Sheet Cross-Cut Paper Shredder (3227901) [...]

A photo of my Iceberg rose in bloom in my Toronto Garden.  This is  very pretty rose and it has a light rose scent as well.  Too bad the flowers don’t last very long. Related Reading: NETGEAR N600 Wireless-N Dual Band Router WNDR3400 Black Rose Flower Rare ! 5 Seeds! Partingtons/Sinopolis [HD] Brussel’s DT8045FF Fringe [...]

Lovely Sunflower … I must say good-bye to most of my Sun flowers this weekend. I grow them in the boulevard in front of my house and the city has given me notice that they can only be three feet tall. One is 14 feet tall … I must cut it down. Good bye sun [...]

I didn’t plant a single snapdragon in my garden this year, but they must have seeded themselves well because I have tons of snapdragons of many colors. That’s ok. I love these unusual looking flowers. I wonder how many will come up in the garden next year? Related Reading: Brussel’s DT3066AZ Satsuki Azalea Outdoor Bonsai [...]

The daisies are blooming in the garden. You can’t get much closer than this to a lovely flower. Doesn’t it just appear to be floating? Related Reading: Forever Roses – Small Bud Wooden Roses Bouquet – Dozen NETGEAR N600 Wireless-N Dual Band Router WNDR3400 Brussel’s DT3066AZ Satsuki Azalea Outdoor Bonsai Tree Case Logic TBC-302 Ultra [...]

I was taking a photo of this rose, Breath of Life, when a wasp or hornet was heading towards it for a visit. I didn’t notice the wasp as I took the photo so it was a nice surprise to see that I’d captured it in the photograph. Related Reading: Fresh Flowers – Yellow Mokara [...]

This is an English rose and it’s known as simply Moulineux. Isn’t it a lovely rose? In the spring this rose has more yellow in it’s petals, but during the hot weather of summer it tends to get more colour in it’s petals. I think I actually like this version of Moulineux best with it’s [...]

These are sedum buds. This plant normally flowers near the end of August or early September and makes a colorful fall bloom. Even when the bloom fade it’s dead flowers on their dried stalks are quite pretty to leave in place through the winter. Related Reading: Foliage Fresh Flowers – 20 Purple Dendrobium Orchids with [...]

This is an Alium. This plant is related to the onion family, however this one is an ornamental flower. This Alium bud is just about to flower. It should be in full bloom any day now. This bud looks large in this photo but it’s actually only about an inch and a half tall by [...]

William Baffin rose. I took this photo in my garden during a very light rain. The rose is called William Baffin – it’s a very hardy rose and mine happens to be more tree than shrub like as it’s approximately ten feet tall. It’s huge and at the time of the photo it’s first prolific [...]