February Picture This Photo Contest

Here’s my entry in the February Gardening Gone Wild photo contest.

To be clear, the top image in this post is my entry. The rest are other winter images I like, but didn’t make the cut.

winter image

I chose that one based purely on emotion. Nothing beats interest like a Dalmatian in the snow. And given Fred’s recent brush with death for the second time this year, I had to make this one my lede and entry.

I’ll admit that my collection of winter garden images is limited. I think it’s mostly because I get out of the habit of shooting, and the fact that five days a week it’s dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home. The next three are from a freak appearance of January in November of 2008. The light was pretty intense. But I like snowblind on occasion.

winter image

winter image

winter image

Grasses take on a life of their own in the snow.

winter image

This next series is actually from an early snow we had last Oct. 16 when the grasses were still green and the leaves were still on the trees. Interesting, but not really winter. (It all melted by noon.)

winter image

winter image

winter image

The closest I’ve come to capturing that winter light Roger speaks of was during this lucky encounter at the winter garden at Cornell Plantations.

winter image

winter image

Frost on the cold frame is always a good subject for abstraction.

winter image

Bittersweet berries in an encounter with ‘wintry mix’.

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Frosty heuchera.

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But this is my favorite winter image of all time. And it was rendered well before the days of 500-pixel entries.

winter image

February bloom day scans

Apologies for the sporadic blogging this winter, including taking off two months on the bloom day scans. (Life’s been hectic, especially on the doggie front.) Figured February would be a good month to get back in the saddle with some dark, broody bloom day scans of the seeds and stems variety. We’ll get some color back in a month or two. Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting.

feb scan

More bloom day scans.

Here’s how you do it. (It’s easy.)

My sister’s garden

Close to six months ago, my older sister sent me a card with this painting of her front yard. I promised to scan it for her, but it got lost in a pile until today. I’m jealous of her Pacific Northwest Zone 8 climate, but she always reminds me that that means weeding in February.

cheryl's garden