Flower

Blue Mushrooms

Tarkine Forest, Tasmania

Fruiting Bodies

Mushrooms and moss enliven the edge of the 40 acre woods

The Heart of the World

John Muir often wrote poetically of the world’s wild gardens. This one is in a canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The little meadow is mostly overlooked by hikers intent on getting to what they believe are grander sights. If only they hiked more mindfully they wouldn’t miss out on the more intimate glories of the world. “As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.” - from John of the Mountain; The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, edited by Linnie Marsh Wolfe

Coneflowers

Mount Rainier Nationa Park

Painted Ferns

In Glorious Profusion

Wildflowers at Tipsoo Lake, Mount Rainier National Park. This double exposure captured the slight movement of the flowers in the early morning light. The mountain's natural wildflower meadows almost overwhelm the senses with both sight and fragrance.

Siberian Iris

From our garden The iris has many symbolic meanings, including love, wisdom and friendship. It's a graceful flower in our garden. I photographed each piece of this blossom separately so I could get the focus I wanted, then reassembled them into their natural places.

Frost On Dried Flowers

Blakely Harbor, Bainbridge Island, Washington Blakely Harbor Park has become a favorite place to walk. On a sunny but cold early morning, the frost gathers on these dried planted surrounding the old cannery building. I thought the subtle colors complemented the interesting structure of the plants.

Leaf and Frost

Avalanche Lily

Mount Rainier National Park

Peacefully Quiet

Yosemite Valley

Shore Plants

Blakely Harbor, Bainbridge Island The frosted stems of these shore plants glowed in the early morning light.

Composition

Mushroom on Moss

Dance in Glorious Array

Hurricane Hill, Olympic National Park Wildflower time in the Olympics. This late afternoon brought calm winds, which made flower photography a lot easier.

Dance in Glorious Array 2

Hurricane Hill, Olympic National Park A 27 image panorama

Leaf Detail

Ornamental Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) We love the leaves of these dramatic plants, especially with the sun shining through them. Taken from below with a macro lens.

Sea Holly (Eryngium)

This spiny flowers of this plant produce the most interesting hues of blue. We always look forward to its flowering in our garden.

Passion Flower (Passiflora)

The many parts of this flower have given it a very detailed Christian religious symbolism. But it also has meaning in other cultures. In Japan, it is the clock flower. In Tennessee, the Ocoee Indians considered it their most beautiful flower. It may even be the Incan Vine of Souls, housing the spirits of the ancestors. This photo is another blossom photo taken in slices. The passion flower vine is well behaved in our garden but takes over in some places.

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

This aquatic plant is full of mythical and religious symbolism. It has been the subject of medication, decorates temple walls, and features prominently in many world religions. It is truly a flower that is at home in places of grace. This lotus seed head was holding itself above the green leaves as if the seeds were observing all around this pond in Norfolk, Virginia.

Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus)

The beautifully fragrant sweet pea is a symbol of pleasure and departure. These were growing wild along the road behind our house.

Sweet Pea Detail

Columbine (Aquilegia)

The form of the columbine flower has been associated with birds such as doves and eagles, and the scientific name aquilegia is from the Latin word for eagle. This is the late season flower head. The plant is native to the meadows and woods of north America.

White Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

Young men in love were supposed to wear this flower, and it is also known as bachelor's buttons. How fast it would fade would indicate whether love was being returned. The blue cornflower has symbolic meaning in some European countries, especially Germany. This photo is a combination of one focused and one unfocused shot.

Blue Toad Lily (Tricyrtis formosana)

I love this small but exquisite flower. They bloom from late summer into early fall, and the hummingbirds in our garden love them. The flowers are not much more than an inch across, but each plant produces dozens.

Lily (Lilium)

The lily is loaded with many symbolic meanings including fertility, faith, wisdom, and gratitude.

White Grass

Portland, Oregon

Autumn Grass

Stonecrop (Sedum)

This succulent comes in many different varieties. In our garden, it forms a sort of living tapestry on the edge of our zen garden.

Bamboo

We use several varieties of clumping bamboo in our garden. In China, it is one of the Four Noble Ones, which symbolize the four seasons. Bamboo leaves and culms appear in many Chinese paintings, giving a sense of mystery. I love the way the taller ones wave in the wind.

Spring Flowers

Blue Blossom and Bud

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Native to eastern North America. The bees and butterflies appreciated it in our garden. But the forest behind us now shades us so much we don't grow this particular variety any longer. I miss it.

Red Flower

Grassy Meadow

I love the many forms of grass flowers and seed heads. They create every-changing natural paintings which invite close inspection and appreciation. Here, the brightly lit grasses in the background were waving energetically in the wind, leaving the silhouetted ones in the foreground to show off their form.

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

This plant is strongly associated with the Virgin Mary, but I love them for the way they collect and hold onto water drops, whether from the rain or the early morning dew. The scientific name refers to this dew, which was thought to have magical qualities. Alchemists used it in their search for gold. I just appreciate their sparkling beauty. Another alchemilla that grows in our garden is the much smaller alpine version, which has been used medicinally.

Dew Drops

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) These plants have been growing along the paths in our garden for 20 years. They hold the water drops even through the driest days. What a pleasure to see these leaves adorned with these pearls of morning dew.

Calla Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopic)

This is one of our favorite centerpieces in the garden. It is native to southern Africa, and also comes in a variety of colors. We prefer these white ones. Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings of the calla lily show off its sensual form.

Masterwort (Astrantia)

The scientific name comes from the word for "star," referring to the form of the flower. It's another flower that happily attracts the bees in our garden.