Love-in-a-mist

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), photographed at Green Spring Gardens this afternoon

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Fairy Wings

Fairy Wings or Orion Epimedium (Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Orion’), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

(Spoonin’) Siberian iris and Foxglove

Siberian iris (Iris siberica) and Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Siberian iris

Siberian iris (Iris siberica), photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Fleabane daisies

Thanks to my blog buddy and fellow photographer, Steve Schwartzman (Portraits of Wildflowers), I now know this is a type of Fleabane daisy, growing rampant in the wildflower fields at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Each bloom is tiny—less than 1/2 inch in diameter.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Siberian iris

Siberian iris (Iris siberica) © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Itsy bitsy

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Spider in Blue False Indigo

Unidentified spider in Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Intriguing at every stage: Love-in-a-mist

From that feathery foliage at the onset to those otherworldly blooms to the past-its-prime pods (as seen here), Love-in-a-mist is eye candy in every stage of its life.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Love-in-a-mist in blue and white

One of my favorite flowers to photograph—the ethereal, other-worldly Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena); photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Detail of Torch flower

Macro detail of a Torch flower (Kniphofia ‘Coral Glow’), photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Siberian iris

Siberian iris (Iris siberica, unknown variety); photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Oxalis ‘Charmed Wine’

Oxalis ‘Charmed Wine’ from Proven Winners; photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Common name: Shamrock

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Geranium ‘Sue Craig’

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Backlight

Unidentified leaf, backlighted by morning sunlight

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Jerusalem sage

Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa), a member of the Mint family; photographed against a backdrop of orange poppies

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Raindrops on Hosta leaf

Thanks to my friend (and new photo buddy), Michael P., for pointing out this photo op at Green Spring Gardens on Sunday afternoon!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Close Ranks, MARCH!

Siberian iris (Iris siberica), photographed (in formation, no less!) at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Daylily

Daylily (Hermerocallis yezoensis), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Twins

Spiderwort (Tradescantia), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Clematis ‘Mr. President’

Photographed at Green Spring Gardens © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Siberian iris

I think this might be the Siberian iris ‘Snow Queen’ (Iris siberica ‘Snow Queen’) variety; photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Ditto

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Spider on Spiderwort (how befitting!)

Unidentified spider on Spiderwort (Tradescantia); photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Hoverfly on Rhodiola

Hoverfly or Flower fly (Syrphidae) on Rhodiola (Rhodiola kirilowii); photographed at Green Spring Gardens. This Flower fly was especially tiny—measuring about 1/6 of an inch!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

More scenes from the reception of Garden Muse: A Botanical Portfolio

These lovely photos were shot at my April 15 photography reception at Green Spring Gardens by my friend Karen B.’s eldest daughter, Margot. For the record, Margot and her sister, Hannah, are two of the sweetest, smartest and prettiest young ladies I’ve had the good fortune to watch grow from birth to 20 and 18 years old, respectively. Catering by the Sneeze Guard Heiress, Barbara Kelley of Kelley Hospitality; tablescaping by Karen B. and yours truly. Thanks for the shots, Margot!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Scene from Garden Muse: A Botanical Portfolio

In April, my friend, Mary Ellen Ryall (left), came all the way from Minong, Wisconsin, to see my photography exhibit (Garden Muse: A Botanical Portfolio) at Green Spring Gardens and to promote her new children’s book, My Name is Butterfly. Accompanying her to the show were Deneen Stambone (middle), a Fairfax County English teacher, and artist Worth Cooley-Prost (right), who is a glass artist as well as a mixed media artist. Check out her work here.

I met Mary Ellen more than seven years ago when I purchased milkweed seed from her via eBay. We started corresponding and are now in a publishing venture together. I also designed and produced her bimonthly newsletter, Butterflies & Gardens and currently maintain her Happy Tonics blog here. I visited her neck of the woods last August (see postings from that trip in my August 2011 archives here). Mary Ellen blogs about environmental education, sustainable agriculture, Monarch butterflies and other pollinators, and other nature-related topics here.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bearded iris ‘Megabucks’

Bearded iris (Iris germanica), photographed at Green Spring Gardens; I think this is the ‘Megabucks’ cultivar, and it’s one of the most unexpected, gaudiest (and prettiest) color combinations I’ve seen to date in a Bearded iris!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Blue wild indigo

Blue wild indigo or Blue false indigo (Baptisia australis), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

Allium

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Siberian iris

I think this might be the Siberian iris ‘Snow Queen’ (Iris siberica ‘Snow Queen’) variety; photographed at Green Spring Gardens this afternoon

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bearded iris

Bearded iris (Iris germanica), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Columbine

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Karen Gray Peony

Paeonia ‘Karen Gray’ (One parent is P. lactiflora—native to East Asia and Mongolia); photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Tropic Night Iris

Tropic Night Iris (Iris sibirica ‘Tropic Night’), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Delphiniums

After their “tadpole” state, beautiful Delphinium blooms; photographed at Green Spring Gardens this afternoon

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Tadpoles

Okay, they’re not really tadpoles, but don’t like look like them? These are delphinium buds well before bloom—I had never really noticed them in this whimsical state until this afternoon.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Moroccan poppy

Moroccan Poppy (Papaver atlanticum), photographed at Green Spring Gardens this afternoon

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Blooming in my garden: 42 Bearded iris!

Here’s a “record shot” of purple and white Bearded iris (Iris germanica) in bloom in my front yard. I counted 42 total between this cluster and another smaller cluster growing in the shade at the end of the sidewalk.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Blooming in my garden: Purple delphinium

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Blooming in my garden: Blue delphinium

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Large Flowered Trillium

Large Flowered Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), Virginia native plant, photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

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Jacob’s Ladder

One of my favorite color combinations in the garden—purple and lime green! Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans), a Virginia native plant; photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Flower Fly on Jacob’s Ladder

Flower Fly or Hoverfly (Syrphidae) on Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans), a Virginia native plant; photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bi-color Columbine

Columbine (Aquilegia), photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Cannon’s Double Azalea

Azalea x ‘Cannon’s Double’ (Exbury hybrid), photographed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.