Solstice Vegetation

Chocolate Mint

Today is the summer solstice, and fittingly one of those hot, lazy days where all you want to do is vegetate. 

The longest day of the year can give you a long time to think about things. Especially since you'll not likely feel like getting up to do anything else in the heat. 

I hope you're marking the day in your own way, with bonfires, cookouts, walking barefoot, or - if you're like me - with photographs of the world around you.
 
 

Zucchini

Lately I've been trying to hone my skills taking pleasing photos of vegetables, which I have never found all that pleasing looking. There's a poem that says to say that one has see any thing, one must get face to face with it; smell it; get closer and to eye level; in other words to become that thing. 

Garlic

I've always been a better macro photographer than any other kind, so I got up close and personal with the vegetables in my garden. I discovered a pretty world was there.

Eggplant

Humans have a habit of hovering over things, looking down. This perspective is probably part of our foolish notion that we are "above" nature, or that we are somehow separate. So this Solstice, come meet my vegetables, get to know them, then go get to know the world around your house.

Blueberry

Cucumber

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Garden in the Spring 2014

An eye on my garden's flowers and veggies this spring, 2014., mostly May and June.

I often find that tastes for certain beauties seem to go in cycles. I've been really into daisies this year. This orange ones with purple rings around their centers caught my eye. They've been a source of constant beauty since May.

Off the driveway, near my door, is a very sunny area on the South side of the house. I eventually had to move these daisies since they were starting to burn, but this is where I originally had them among some statuary, the old cross I pulled out of someone's trash (yes I've been known to dumpster dive) and with honeysuckle tendrils moving in to encompass it.

Despite my dietary choices, in general I just don't find vegetables pretty. I'm trying to expand and learn how to take interesting or even attractive veggie garden photos. Here's some asparagus springing up, isolated with a blurred background from my zoom lens.

Only vegetable picture so far this year that I'm happy with, but I'll keep photographing.

According to the flower bed in Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland, you can learn a lot of things from the flowers, especially in the month of June. However, in Alabama May is generally the month we see the Spring bloom explosion. June did bring the blooms of a lovely pink rose in my yard along with some showers to fleck it with dewdrops.

One of the things I've loved about getting on Twitter is the social structure of the program makes it easier to discover people and blogs than Facebook. I have discovered many new fellow bloggers.

I am constantly inspired by The Redneck Rosarian, especially his Instagram feed of lovely rose photos from his gardens. Unfortunately, I am not the rose gardener he is and this pink rose has suffered from not getting enough light. I had planned to move it, however I was away last year taking care of my grandparents and it didn't get done. I'm scared to move it during the summer, but I read it can be done.

I have been absent from my photoblogging due to both being discouraged and because I'm working on another project. I find I missed it. Thanks for looking! Catch you next time...