Macrolily

My supermacro lens gets to the heart of this daylily.

Daylilies

The daylilies are at their blooming peak right now. These have just survived another summer afternoon thunderstorm.

Sugar Magnolia

The two enormous magnolia trees by the parking lot of Church Street United Methodist Church are in bloom, white petals unfurling and lemony scent infusing the air. I took this with my 10x zoom lens.

Honeysuckle

Walking the track at Lakeshore Park is a double-edged sword this time of year. There's a thin yellow-green layer of pollen covering everything, but the honeysuckle smells so sweet.

Ghostly Bloom

This is from my March archive. The daffodils are just about done for the spring down here. I tried a shot in monochrome, and like it better than I thought I would. It looks ghostly.

Monthly Theme: Light and Shadows

It's springtime, the flowers are blooming, and I just can't help myself. Every time I see some new wildflowers, I have to take a photo. Light and shadow again caught my attention. I am now officially obsessed. But it worked out for theme day.

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Glorious

These were the strangest looking wildflowers I'd seen yet. Until I started practicing my macro shots, I'd never thought of wildflowers as "hairy." But here they are in all their hairy glory.

High Five

I'm continuing my macro work in the great outdoors. I'd tell you what kind of flower this is, but I've already forgot. I think I'm getting the hang of noticing the different effects of light and shadow on everything. But now I find I'm looking for it everywhere all the time. Which can be a problem when I'm driving.

Pink Riot

There are white dogwoods and there are pink dogwoods. White ones occur naturally in the wild, and are also cultivated. I've heard that pink ones are also natural, although the natural pink is very pale and not Violently Pink like these cultivated blossoms.

Easy Rider

The yellow trillium are just starting to bloom in the woodlands of East Tennessee. I saw quite a few on the wildflower walk at Ijams Nature Center, but this one had a special passenger on board.
Yes, I know spiders are not insects, but honestly I don't plan on taking enough photos to warrant an arachnid label.

Name That Flower

OK, CDPBers, you were so helpful with my last mystery flower that I turn to you again in my time of puzzlement. Apparently, I spend a lot of time in puzzlement.

This is the newest mystery flower that I saw at Ijams Nature Center. And once again, I am clueless as to what kind of flower I have photographed. Sure is pretty. Any ideas?

Blue Flowers

Spring flowers are popping out of the ground at Ijams Nature Center. Anyone have any idea what these are? I just liked the blue color, and the way the light was shining on them.

Getting Busy

This is kind of a Where's Waldo puzzle for biologists. So many bluets, so little time!

Pinwheel

The forsythia bushes are in bloom along the river at Sequoyah Park. I used my supermacro lens to capture one of the cheerful blooms.

Jeweltones

Autumn is coming on strong. Leaves are just beginning to turn red or yellow, chlorophyll says goodbye for now. The last of the jewelweed blooms by the creek on the greenway.

Volunteer Autumn

You know autumn is on the way in my town by observing what's blooming in the decorative planters along Volunteer Landing on the waterfront. Orange and white are the primary fall colors in Knoxville, and mums take center stage.
This photo was inspired by Marley at Cheltenham Daily Photo, who has done some fantastic work with floral photographs.

Late Summer

Summer may be winding down here in East Tennessee, but it's not gone yet. Early September is still packed full of heat and humidity and lush green growth, even in the heart of downtown. But there's a rhythm to the season as afternoon shadows grow longer and days grow shorter, birds migrate through town, and late blooming plants reveal their colors.

Here's a burst of color in a vacant lot on Jackson Avenue: thistle courts butterfly, afternoon sun glows through opaque wings and traces veins on leaves.

Crepe Myrtle

The crepe myrtle trees are in full bloom on Summit Hill Drive. The blossoms look like little petticoats. I like their contrast with the minimalist lines of the Crimson Building in the background.

For Your Health

The Blooms Days festival is an annual fundraiser for the University of Tennessee Gardens, the outdoor laboratory for the UT Department of Plant Sciences. There's food, bluegrass music, gardening lectures, plants for sale, and demonstrations of taijiquan by the Knoxville Chapter of the Taoist Tai Chi Society, of which I am a member. Taijiquan is a "low impact" form of martial arts used for its health benefits. Here, members are going through a "set" of 108 movements. (You won't see me in this set of course, because I was behind the camera!). The aims of the Taoist Tai Chi Society are very simple: to make tai chi available to all, to promote the health-improving qualities of tai chi, to promote cultural exchange, and to help others. I've been practicing tai chi for two years now, and can say that I have better balance and flexibility than when I started - and also get to enjoy good company.

The Wisteria That Ate Knoxville

Yesterday I showed you some very tiny flowers. Today I'm going to the opposite extreme with an enormous flowering vine. This is the largest tangle of Chinese wisteria that I have seen in town. This wisteria holds court in the not-too-photogenic edge of the parking lot of the Kroger grocery store in the Bearden neighborhood. Chinese wisteria is considered an invasive species in North America; it has no natural insect or fungal enemies here and spreads out of control, as you can see. But the purple blooms are very beautiful.