Flowers

A couple of flowers out of my garden.

Mother's Day

Dedicated to my Mum who passed away in 1975

Mum, I miss you so very much
On every Mother’s Day;
And not just then, but every minute,
Since you went away.

You were the center of my life
Before your soul passed on;
It’s sometimes hard for me to believe
That you are really gone.

But I celebrate the life you lived
And all the things you gave me;
My wonderful memories, Mum, of you
Are the things that will comfort and save me.

Please think of me, as I think of you
With heart so full of love;
I'm looking up at you, sweet Mum,
As you look at me from above.

(By Joanna Fuchs)

Chrysanthemum

My favourite flower in all the world is the chrysanthemum. There are so many varieties to choose from. I thought i'd show the back of the chrysanthemum cos I like the textures and the variagation of the petals.

Chrysanthemums are a genus of plants that flower. They were first cultivated in China and thought of as an herb by the Chinese. They also have played an important symbolic role in Japanese history, where it was probably first introduced in the 8th century. The chrysanthemum inspired the Japanese seal of the emperor, and the position of emperor was often referred to as the Chrysanthemum Throne. Westerners had to wait until the 17th century for the introduction of these lovely plants.
Gardeners may shorten the name of these plants to “mums.” They are frequently a gardener’s delight because there are over 30 varieties of the chrysanthemum. Also the chrysanthemum contains a chemical called pyrethrum, which helps naturally repel most bugs. The chrysanthemum is also a perennial, so established beds of the flowers will come back to delight each year.
There is amazing variance in appearance among mums. Some varieties of chrysanthemum closely resemble a daisy. Others look like a button shape, with small short petals. Pompom chrysanthemums are also popular, with a close, round flower. Large daisy –like mums are often referred to as florists’ chrysanthemums since they are likely to be used in floral arrangement.

Settings

• Camera Olymus E500


• Aperture - f/22


• Shutter speed - 2 sec


• ISO-100


• Focal Length - 50mm


• Exposure compensation - 0 step

Hyacinth

This is a photo of some hyacinths I've grown from bulbs. The perfume from them is so fragrant, you can smell them as you walk through the door (better than any air freshener you can buy in the shops).

The word hyacinth comes from the Greek Hyakinthos, a handsome young man who in Greek mythology was loved by the sun god Apollo. One day they were practising throwing the discus but the jealous god of the West Wind, who was also in love with Hyakinthos, blew the discus back and it fatally wounded him. From his blood grew a flower which the god Apollo named after him.Origin: It was brought to Western Europe in the 16th century and was first cultivated in Austria in the 1500's. During the 17th and 18th centuries, like the tulip, it was to be found only in the collections of very rich flower collectors. Because of the hyacinth's pervasive perfume, the bulbs were exorbitantly expensive. The bulbs are now grown in Holland and Great Britain.Colour: Usually white, pink, peach and blue. More unusual colours to look for include dark wine purples , rosy reds, navy, egg-yolk yellows and soft oranges.

Settings

• Camera Olymus E500


• Aperture - f/8


• Shutter speed - 1/50 sec


• ISO-100


• Focal Length - 50mm


• Exposure compensation - 0.6 step

Looking closely inside the tiny floret of a hyacinth, it's like another world. It looks like some kind of tiny creature is making it's way out of it's hiding place..