Japanese Camellia

Japanese Camellia
Camellia japonica 'Tama-no-ura'
(kuh-MEE-lee-a) (juh-PON-ih-kuh)
Synonyms: Common Camellia

This dainty little Camellia was blooming in the Conservatory at Wave Hill. The colors were striking and the very shiny green leaves were helping showcase the flowers. Someone burning charcoal in the woods discovered this wild hybrid, named after the historical fishing village in Japan. It is easy to root and also hybridizes easily.

We can’t grow Camellias outside in Connecticut. Even the so called ‘winter hardy’ ones don’t make it. They do well in pots and containers but are prone to insect infestations when grown inside. That doesn’t stop us from keeping a few around. It is always a welcome sign that spring is around the corner when they start to bloom.

Since it is Sunday and that means Today’s Flowers here is an Orchid that was blooming at work.

Taking pictures inside the greenhouse is always a challenge.


I have officially shut down the old Digital Flower Pictures.com and have opened the new one. It still at the same address:
The New Digital Flower Pictures.com

It still needs a lot of work and the captioning is taking a long time. There are a lot of flower pictures, foliage, insect and travel photos on the site. Just like a garden it is a work in progress.

For more flower pictures from around the world check out:
Today’s Flowers . The links open at 1400 GMT.

More Sedona Snapshots – D700

More Sedona Snapshots – D700

Here are a few more snapshots all of them were taken with the D700 camera and the 105mm and 50mm lenses. The first shot is some Sycamore leaves that were still hanging on in the late afternoon sun. The light at that time of day seems a little more magical in Sedona then it does at home. It must be all the earth tones that surround you. Not just in the landscape but in the building materials and decorations. This is one of the few botanical photos I scored on the trip.

This was taken behind some of the stores on Main Street. I don’t know if it is called Main Street but it should be. The road is actually State Route 89A. Again the late afternoon sunlight was working. All the rocks have names but I only found out a few of them.


This third shot was going down some stairs at an outdoor gallery. It was a quick snap as the figures seemed like they didn’t want their pictures taken. It is hard to describe and not scary. More regal than anything else.

Sedona Snapshots

Sedona Snapshots

All of the pics in this post are from the Coolpix P6000. The camera did well for its first serious outing. It sure is nice to have a little camera that has a wide lens. The yellow Snapdragons were probably the brightest looking flowers we saw in Sedona. There was much more dry/frozen type of plant material than flowers. This next picture was an interesting seed head I found along Oak Creek. It was nice and bristly. The color is almost perfect for Sedona it fits right in.


Here are some more dry leaves from along the creek. It was fun and a little noisy to walk through them. There are several species of leaves and it was a little weird that there was hardly any color among them.


This picture was taken at the Sedona Airport at sunset. That is West Sedona in the foreground. One thing that is nice about the little camera is you can take a picture like this and then focus on a subject that is one inch away if you like. About ten minutes after snapping this photo it was dark.


Tomorrow I hope to go through some of the snapshots from the D700 and post them. Have a nice weekend.

Sedona Skies

Sedona Skies
Skywatch Friday

The scenery in Sedona was amazing. This first photo was taken on Schnebly Hill Road on our drive from Flagstaff to Sedona. We just happened to stumble on to the road and later found out it is considered one of the top scenic drives in Arizona. For the first few miles it is relatively flat and meanders through a Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest with grass under the trees. Later the grade and the road surface get rough. Each switchback turn reveals views of the dramatic red rocks and Oak Creek Canyon. There are not any guardrails and my stomach was getting a little queasy with the 1,000-foot drop offs that were right next to the edge. Lucky we were in a Jeep, as a car probably wouldn’t have made it. This photo was taken outside of the truck with the D700 and the Nikon 50mm/1.8 lens.

Karen wanted to visit a couple of the energy vortexes while we were in town. Reluctantly and a bit skeptical I decided to accompany her. We went to the Boynton Canyon and Long Canyon Mesa Vortex, which is considered to be one of the strongest. Since it was early in the morning we were alone on the ¾’s of a mile trail. Without knowing how close we were to the Vortex I was having a lot of trouble catching my breath. It was a moderate climb to the top of the knoll and I was thinking that I shouldn’t be that out of breath. Right before stepping on the flat area (of the vortex) I literally couldn’t breathe but once on top of the knoll everything returned to normal and I was wasn’t even winded. It was quite an experience and you will not find me doubting the energy at these types of places anymore. This picture was taken a few minutes after arriving at the Vortex. The sun was poking through the clouds with shafts of light landing here and there in the valley.



Here are some more of the rocks. This picture was shot with the Coolpix P6000 right from the Main Street of Sedona while Karen was shopping. The lens was set at 26mm.


This was the view one morning right from the deck of our room at the Southwest Inn. It wasn’t a fancy place but it was clean and well kept up and we got a nice deal on our stay there. This dawn was worth it alone. It went on for about 45 minutes and I was watching it right from bed.


Tomorrow I want to post some snapshots from around Sedona. I saw a funny expression when I was in town. It may be true!

'God made the Grand Canyon but He lives in Sedona.'

Visit Sky Watch Friday for more skies around the world.
SkyWatch Friday Home Page

Twin Pink Hawaiian Hibiscus

Twin Pink Hawaiian Hibiscus
(hi-BIS-kus)
Wordless Wednesday

Protea Bud

Protea Bud
(PROH-tee-uh)
Wordless Wednesday

Variegated Algerian Ivy

Variegated Algerian Ivy
Hedera canariensis 'Gloire de Marengo'
(HED-er-uh) (kuh-nair-ee-EN-sis)
Synonyms: Canary Island Ivy, North African Ivy, Madeira Ivy

This was one of the most colorful plants we have seen in Sedona. It was almost completely covering a large wall and added a lot to the earth tone of the stucco. It was nice to see as it is not that hardy in Connecticut. You can grow it there but a lot of times it will die back to the roots and doesn’t really have a chance to get very big by the end of the season.

There have been a few Pansy plantings but they have all looked a little beat up from the weather. Here is a nice red/purple one.


There are a lot of these statues, wall coverings and other artworks all over. This has been really enjoyable. You never know what is going to be around the corner. This one looked old but I’m not sure. The plant was a Gold Dust Tree (Aucuba japonica).


These pictures were all shot with the Nikon Coolpix P6000 compact camera.

White Bat Flower

White Bat Flower
Tacca nivea
(TAK-kah) (NIV-ee-uh)
Synonyms: Bat Head Lily, Devil's Whiskers

This is the strangest flower I have seen blooming in quite a while. It was flowering in the Wave Hill Conservatory last week. These pictures were taken with the Nikon Coolpix P6000. The close up was taken with in the macro mode, which allows for extreme close focusing (less than an inch, 0.8 cm).

There wasn’t a whole lot of information on the internet about this flower. It does seem to grow from seed as there were several sites offering seeds. Apparently this white form is a little more rare that the black Bat Flower (Tacca chantrieri).

Here is a link to the best web page I found on Tacca:
Top Tropicals.com

For more flower pictures from around the world check out:
Today’s Flowers . The links open at 1400 GMT.

Oakleaf Hydrangea Fall Color

Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
(hy-DRAIN-juh) (kwer-se-FOH-lee-uh)

When I posted on Thursday I had forgot we were going to Arizona for the weekend. We are here now and it is so beautiful. It is a little cold but we knew that going in. The city (or town) of Sedona is very cool with what looks like a little bit of something for everyone.

I was going to post a mini-review of the Coolpix P6000 but have decided to hold off until after this trip. Today’s Hydrangea photo and the first picture of the red rocks were taken with the P6000. The Hydrangea leaf just needed a little orange and it would have perfect as far as the fall colors that I like. The little camera did well on the landscape shot but it did come out a little oversaturated, which was toned down a little in Photoshop. The photo was taken across a parking lot and after walking through the store for a few minutes and coming back out the mountains were a dull brown. What a difference five minutes makes in photography sometimes.


This picture is from the same spot (little different angle) and time but was shot with the D700 and the 105mm lens. These pictures only convey a wee bit of the majestic beauty that was laid out in front of me.

San Diego and the Bronx - Skywatch Friday

San Diego and the Bronx
Skywatch Friday

Last Christmas Karen got a Nikon P6000 point and shoot camera . It has pretty much been sitting around since then. I borrowed the camera three times and shot a total of 126 pictures. It is a little annoying to use but if you put up with its haughtiness it can take a good picture. Since it is 13.5 megapixels the files are huge, a 14 x 11 inch photo. These photos have been cropped and they are still big.

This was picture #53 and it is the Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, California. The little houses on the right side of the picture are actually hotel rooms. The hotel uses the slogan “come sleep over the ocean” and it is true. It was in easy walking distance of the house we rented in February.

Crystal Pier Hotel

The other pictures are from Wave Hill in the Bronx last weekend. The Conservatory is small but sweet and there are always some interesting botanical delights inside. One part has the Cactus collection and one wing has the tropical more humid stuff. The middle room has an Acacia tree and a lot of seasonal plants.


The second shot is looking off the main lawn, westward, towards the Hudson River and the Palisades of New Jersey. I am going to try and give a little mini-review of the P6000 tomorrow. In the meantime visit more skies from around the world:
SkyWatch Friday Home Page

Chihuly Glass at the NYBG

Chihuly Glass at the NYBG
Wordless Wednesday


One from the archives, 2007
Dale Chihuly

Red Mural from Manhattan

Red Mural
Manhattan, NY
Wordless Wednesday
Ruby Tuesday

Golden Tickseed

Golden Tickseed
Coreopsis tinctoria
(kor-ee-OP-sis) (tink-TOR-ee-uh)
Synonyms: Plains Coreopsis, Calliopsis, Coreopsis cardaminefolia, C. stenophylla

This beauty was still blooming at Wave Hill in the Bronx yesterday. There was quite a few flowers out there and it kind of threw off my plans to take some pictures of seed heads and other decayed flowers. The multiple types of Salvia were really still looking good and here and there some fall foliage was left. It was a nice day although I didn’t end up staying too long.

Golden Tickseed comes in a variety of colors but mostly yellow and orange with a red eye. It doesn’t seem as refined as the more popular types of Coreopsis but does fine in the border or wild areas. It likes a little leanness in the soil and can adapt to wet or dry conditions. The flowers can get 2 to 3 feet tall and can fall over after heavy rains. It doesn’t really need deadheading but I find it to be more floriferous if you do.

Of course I had to look at the Wave Hill Cactus collection and decided to take a black and white of this Nipple Cactus (Mammillaria). It is fitting since Karen and I have a extra long weekend planned for Sedona, Arizona next weekend. Hopefully there will be some opportunities to shoot these cactuses in the wild.


This was more of the kind of picture I was after originally but the flowers and colors in the garden distracted me.

Large-flowered Clematis

Large-flowered Clematis
Clematis 'Nelly Moser'
Today’s Flowers .

This Clematis was blooming at work this summer. What is nice about ‘Nelly Moser’ is the flowers are really big. The color is pretty nice, too. This cultivar of Clematis as always proved to be a hardy, reliable bloomer.

These next pictures are of Amelia. This beautiful little dog succumbed to cancer on October 30 of this year at just nineteen months old. We really have an extended family of garden dogs and it is always tough to lose one of them. This case it was especially difficult since Amelia was so young. She was only three months older than our dog Juno. When she was feeling good she was always running around the garden. She was shy but when you made friends with her she would have to come over and see what you were doing and if you tried to walk away she would nip at your pant legs.




Remember, I will still be here
As long as you hold me, in your memory


Remember, when your dreams have ended
Time can be transcended
Just remember me


I am the one star that keeps burning, so brightly,
It is the last light, to fade into the rising sun


I'm with you
Whenever you tell, my story
For I am all I've done


Remember, I will still be here
As long as you hold me, in your memory
Remember me


I am that warm voice in the cold wind, that whispers
And if you listen, you'll hear me call across the sky


As long as I still can reach out, and touch you
That I will never die


Remember, I'll never leave you
If you will only remember
James Horner and Cynthia Weil

Pink Canna Lily

Canna Lily
Canna x generalis
(KAN-uh) (jen-er-RAY-liss)


Here is a nice pink Canna lily for Saturday. By the looks of it this cultivar is ‘China Doll’ but that isn’t 100% sure. It is really windy outside to today so I am inside working on the new website. I have worked up enough courage to post a preview link in the comments section. It should be broken once the hosting at my present website is switched to the new one in a couple of weeks. Let me know what you think.

This picture was shot with my Coolpix 5400, which is a 5 megapixel point and shoot (although it does have full manual mode) camera.

Pale Coneflower

Pale Coneflower
Echinacea pallida
(ek-in-AY-shee-a) (PAL-lid-duh)
Synonyms: Pink Coneflower, Tall Coneflower


Here is a flower that I have never grown before but want to try. As you can see the flowers are a little different than the ‘regular’ Coneflowers we usually grow. While researching the conditions they like I found that it is not a fussy plant that can tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions. It appears that it likes to grow in drier sections of the garden the best. This patch, which was blooming in Battery Park, was about 3 feet tall and I liked the way the flowers were at several different heights. Dividing is recommending every 4 to 5 years.

Late Season Shrub Roses

Late Season Shrub Rose

These roses were still looking good when I photographed them about 3 weeks ago. The color shading was beautiful and they smelled good, too. This group seemed handsome and was working well together . Roses can bloom quite late in the season and seem to be able to ignore the thermometer for a little while.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans out there. Although it is an American holiday other people can stop and think for a minute what they are thankful for. It doesn’t hurt anything and might make you happy.

I am sorry to have to enable comment moderation on this blog due to the tremendous amount of spam comments I have been receiving. It is easier just to moderate them then go back and try and remove them from the old posts. I don’t mind if someone is trying to leave a link to their business or website but lately there have been people leaving 50 plus comments, which isn’t going to be tolerated.

Swan River Daisy

Swan River Daisy
Brachyscome iberidifolia
(brak-kys-koh-mee) (eye-beer-id-ih-FOH-lee-uh)

Black and White Daisies

Black and White Daisies

Over the shoulders and slopes of the dune,
I saw the white daisies go down to the sea,
A host in the sunshine, an army in June,
The people God sends us to set our heart free.

William Bliss Carman
Canadian poet
1861-1929

Dwarf Shasta Daisy

Dwarf Shasta Daisy
Leucanthemum x superbum 'Darling'
(lew-KANTH-ih-mum) (soo-PER-bum)

This is a petite Shasta Daisy that appears more dwarf than ‘Snowcap’. The flowers are 2 to 3 inches wide and that fits the stature of the plant. They look quite good when there is a carpet of flowers that are only about 8 inches tall. ‘Darling’ is suitable for the front of the border and seemed to bloom most of the summer with deadheading.


This week, with the big American holiday on Thursday, is going to be busy. There are probably going to be a few more Daisy pictures here. Looking back at some of the photos that I took over the summer the daisies seemed to do very well.

Today's Flower - Late Season Geraniums

Zonal Geraniums
Pelargonium x hortorum cv.
(pe-lar-GO-nee-um) (hor-TOR-um)

These Geraniums were still thriving and they looked pretty good with the late afternoon sun shining on them. Flowers are getting harder and harder to come by with the weather around here. We are having a bit of a late Indian Summer and after a cold October the temperatures have been nice. There is still not a lot left out in the garden. Traditionally Indian Summer comes with the leaves still on the trees so the definition here is a little stretched.


All of these pictures were taken on recent trips to Manhattan. These next two pictures are good examples of the stunning ISO performance you get with the D700. The first one is the lower Manhattan skyline. The Twin Towers would have been right in front of the building with the pointy top that the sun is shining on. This was actually taken in Weehawken, New Jersey. We were having a drink at the Chart House restaurant and I just stuck the camera up against the window glass. I had some fun in photoshop with it afterwards. It was a beautiful if slightly sad sunset.


Most people would have considered this church really dark. The D700 really amazed me with this shot. It is pretty straight out of the camera except I tried to remove a little yellow color cast. It was somewhat successful in this edit.


For more flower pictures from around the world check out:
Today’s Flowers . The links open at 1400 GMT.

Moth Orchid

Moth Orchid
Phalaenopsis
(fay-lay-NOP-sis)

This Orchid is from the summer and the pictures have been sitting in the “To Be Used” folder on my hard drive. The Black and white is a monochrome shot from the D700. It just seems easier to me to have the camera do the conversion work then trying to change a color photo. My Nikon Coolpix 8400 has an electronic viewfinder and the view actually turns to b&w before you take the picture, which is helpful in composition. The D700 doesn’t do that and I wish it did.


Moth Orchids are easy to grow and come in a wide variety of colors and spots. I thought this one was nice since you don’t see to many with light spots.

Here is a link for the care of Phalaenopsis Orchids:
Plant-Care.com

Fernleaf Full Moon Maple Fall Color

Fernleaf Full Moon Maple
Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium'
(AY-ser) (juh-PON-ih-kum)

This tree is a handsome addition to any garden. It grows to about 20 feet tall with an equal spread. It can be kept smaller if the need be. The fall color is often a dazzling mixture of orange, red and yellow. With a hardiness zone rating of 5 (USDA) it can withstand quite cold winters. This tree should be more widely cultivated but you sometimes have to hunt for it at nurseries.

This second shot is the fall color on a ‘regular’ Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum. There were a few of these in the garden that looked like someone had plugged them into an electrical outlet they were glowing so red.


For gardeners in Connecticut beware that there are still ticks in the garden. I have been bitten twice in the last week and am currently taking the Doxycycline treatment for 28 days as a precaution against lyme disease. That makes a total of five bites this year. Cleaning up the leaves has been the culprit but it is impossible to know exactly where they came from.