Close Up and Personal - Day 27

Orchids at the Theatre  

Light and Colors and Shadows   

- Kathleen's Mother's Orchid    

In the lobby of our community theatre there is a sizable display of flowering and foliage plants, mostly gifts from friends of the theatre. One generous donation is this large orchid plant, which seems to be in constant bloom. Despite the orchid family's reputation as a difficult plant to maintain, this particular specimen seems to savor its place in the spotlight, thriving on the attention it gets in the lobby as audiences come and go.      

Close Up and Personal - Day 26

Geranium Translucence and Silhouettes  

Light and Colors and Shadows   

- more of that darned geranium!    

The early morning winter sun shines in the window, low and intense. It is backlighting my office geranium plant and revealing translucent effects you will never see in direct lighting.
Here are layer upon layer of petals, colors, shadows, opacities, and highlights.
How can I get any work done?

Close Up and Personal - Day 25

Geranium Flowers and Buds  

Continuity on a Stalk   

- that darned geranium again!    

The first entire stalk of January geranium flowers is now gone - but on this plant there are three more stalks of glorious pink blossoms, and hidden beneath the leaves, there are more clusters of buds waiting to take their place.
I predict that I will have geraniums in February as well. Life goes on.

Close Up and Personal - Day 19

Backlighting Through a Geranium Stalk

Sunlight Shining Through Leaves and Petals  

- colorful translucence     

Inside the cells of the leaves and petals of this geranium, there are spaces filled with water or air. These "empty" spaces are how the light shines through, colored by the chlorophyll and the other plant pigments in the translucent leaves and flowers.
The white halos along the edges of the leaves, stems and buds are caused by light refracting off tiny hairs - the plant's defense against insects - making outline echos of the plant's shapes.
Outside the window, there's clear blue winter sky and bare trees. Inside, there's the color of spring and summer.

Close Up and Personal - Day 17

Reflected Light on Geranium Flowers  

Daylight from Window Reflected on Three Sides  

- natural light coming from all around     

These pretty flowers have been my office companions for several weeks now, and I have become used to having them around. But already, today, the first two blossoms have fallen off the plant.
Never mind, there are more flowers here, and there are at least three more stalks on this plant, with buds ready to bloom, in their turn.
Life goes on.

Close Up and Personal - Day 9

A Flash of Color in a Beam of Sunlight  

Looking out the Window   

- the flower (and me) basking in the winter sunshine   

Someone more knowledgeable than I am says that this is technically a "perlargonium" rather than a "geranium," among the differences being how the plant would tolerate cold weather. Under either name, I'm sure that this fine specimen is happier being on the inside looking out, than otherwise.
Me, too, I'm happy blinking at the flashes of color and winter sunshine that make sitting in front of my window so pleasurable.

Close Up and Personal - Day 8

First Flowers  

The Geranium on My Desk   

- its floral presentation   

Plants are supposed to flower in summertime out in the garden. If I were a dedicated gardener, I would have clipped away this geranium's fall leaves and stems and let the plant sit dormant for months in the dark, keeping its energy in reserve for spring. But if I waited for that, I wouldn't have this opportunity to be so pleased and proud of these first flowers.
As a flower fancier, I prefer to enjoy the growth of the plant now, and its triumph of growth and color over winter cold and dark. Besides, I'm sure the geranium is enjoying its own exuberance, too!
 

Close Up and Personal - Day 2

Budding Anticipation 

Brilliant Sunshine and the Joy of a Simple Surprise  

- the potential of color and light   

What a pleasant surprise I had this morning!
The geranium I have been nursing along at my desk has sprouted several flower stems and in the brilliant winter morning sunshine the plant was showing me these tiny pink flower buds.
Oh, yes, this may not be an earthshaking event, but simple joys are sometimes the ones that carry you through the day.  

Easter Lily

Best wishes to you for a Happy Easter.

Every day a new image for the month of April.