Macro Flowers Saturday #12-Red poppy

Welcome to Macro Flowers Saturday!

Macro Flowers Saturday is a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.

Here is my entry for today:

Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale)or Royal Wedding blooms in May and June and they are truly spectacular flowers. Its scarlet, silky bright blooms absolutely steal the show in gardens, as they welcomes the beginning of summer.
It is a petty that these large, glowing, red-orange flowers don't last long and the velvety petals of poppies are so easily spoiled by rain.


Please join and share your beautiful flowers!
Rules are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.
Badges are in the sidebar:
- use the widget installer button (add to sidebar) for one click installation in Blogger blogs.
- to install the badge in your blog post copy/paste the code manually from the box, while working in Html mode of the post editor.
- here is a simple text link too:

<a href="http://macroflower-saturday.blogspot.com">Macro Flowers Saturday</a>

I reserve the right to delete entries with inappropriate content (no winter landscapes here, please) or incorrect backlink, without any more warning.

Have a great weekend!

The list with past entries is at Macro Flowers Saturday archive page.

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Peach Gerbera Daisy-macro

A peach gerbera daisy with raindrops, another close-up of this beautiful flower.


Visit Macro Lovers for beautiful macros.

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Wild iris-purple and yellow iris

Wild iris flowers are much smaller than garden iris flowers but they are beautiful as well.

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Flowering Azalea shrubs-Azalea close-up photo

Another beautiful flowering shrub in spring valued as ornamental plants in landscaping is the Azalea.
Azalea is a member of the Rhododendron genus.
One of the differences between azaleas and the rest of the rhododendron genus is that most azaleas have one flower per flower stem (terminal blooms) while rhododendrons grow their flowers in stripes.

Azalea flowers bloom all at once, in a showy display of a solid mass of color which lasts for a month or two in spring.

Like so many beautiful flowers, some species of Azaleas and Rhododendrons are poisonous to grazing animals and even people have been known to become ill from eating honey made by bees feeding on rhododendron and azalea flowers.
These Rhododendrons have a toxin (called grayanotoxin) in their pollen and nectar.


Visit Today's Flowers for beautiful flower photos.

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Macro Flowers Saturday #11-Red Gerbera for Whitsunday

Welcome to Macro Flowers Saturday!

This Sunday, May 23, is Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday.
Pentecost is a time for many Catholics and other Christians to celebrate the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Christian Church. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter.
A time of renewal and hope, Pentecost is lavish with flowers and greenery.
In western Christianity, bright red signifies the Holy Spirit while Eastern Orthodox churches associate the color white with the Holy Spirit, so I'll post today daisies of both colors.
Daisies are a classic symbol of innocence, purity and beauty.
Gerbera daisies hold an added meaning of cheerfulness.





Have a great Whitsunday (Pentecost) together with your loved ones!

Please join and share your beautiful flowers. Rules are simple but I do ask that you please use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.
Badges are in the sidebar, just copy/paste the code from the box or here is a simple text link:
<a href="http://macroflower-saturday.blogspot.com">Macro Flowers Saturday</a>

I reserve the right to delete entries with inappropriate content (no winter landscapes here, please) or incorrect backlink.
The list with past entries is at Macro Flowers Saturday archive page.

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Flowering garden trees-Laburnum tree

Laburnum, the yellow flowering garden tree is in full bloom in May and its radiant hanging flowers are a spectacular sight.
The abundant, bright yellow flowers of the Laburnum are responsible for its nickname, Golden Rain or the Golden Chain tree.

Laburnum is native to center and south of Europe.
The bright yellow, hanging flower clusters are very showy, especially planted in the neighborhood of contrasting, purple Chinese Wisteria vine or trees from the same family, blooming at the same period of the year.

The flowers, leaves and seed pods are also very similar to those of the Black locust tree with one major exception: all parts of the  Laburnum tree are poisonous.
Its pea-like seeds can be very dangerous for small, inquisitive children.

Large green pods develop from the flowers each year, which when ripe, turn brown and split. The seeds and every other part of the tree are poisonous, 15-20 seeds would constitute a lethal dose, if ingested.
In this last picture are visible the pods from last year, still hanging in the tree.

Another great companion for color combination in the landscape is the May flowering Redbud tree, with pink and magenta, pea-like flowers.

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Old Poplar tree is down

This old Canadian Poplar was a rarity in the city. It was 32 m high, 2.8 m in diameter and about 150 years old.
As the building of the new sports arena advanced, its roots were damaged during excavation.
Developers well known care for nature.
Stadium builders had to remove the impressive poplar because it endangered the safety of work and bystanders.

This ten meters high and over 21 tonnes section of the old poplar tree was brought to the Botanical Garden.
After being treated and conserved, the trunk is expected to hold at least three decades, for visitors to admire it.

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Purple lilac after rain-lilac photos

Purple lilac with its dense clusters of flowers and perfumed fragrance is the scent of May.
Lilacs of all colors, soft shade of purple, violet, lavender, white or bold burgundy, are blooming for a few weeks now but I can never have enough of their sweet smelling fragrances, filling the yard.
It is easy to understand why lilacs are and always were the source of inspiration for romantic poetry, breathtakingly beautiful paintings and photographs, songs, perfumes and much more.


While taking these photos, we all had a free shower in the rain, so these are real raindrops.


Visit Today's Flowers for many beautiful flower photos.
Join Macro Flowers Saturday meme!

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Macro Flowers Saturday #10-Lily of the valley

Welcome to Macro Flowers Saturday!

Nice weekend to you all!

My contribution is the sweet scented Lily of the valley, another symbol of May.
The sight and fragrance of these small bell-shaped flowers have delighted poets and gardeners for centuries.
Many superstitions surround this ancient plant, one of which is that the nightingale is unable to sing until lilies bloom and fill the air with their lovely fragrance.

Although the delicate blossoms suggest purity, the berries and foliage, as well as the blossoms, are poisonous.

First time visitors, please read the rules:
1) Post a photograph taken by you that contains a flower macro;
2) Add your name and link to linky list and make sure your link is a "permalink" and goes directly to your Macro Flowers Saturday post.
3) Link back to Macro Flowers Saturday in your post, so others will know where to go if they want to join. You may use one of the Macro Flowers Saturday badges from my sidebar;

- to install the badge, just copy the text from the box in my sidebar and paste it in your sidebar or in you Macro Flowers Saturday post.
- for a simple text link, copy the code from bellow and paste it in your post.

<a href="http://macroflower-saturday.blogspot.com">Macro Flowers Saturday</a>
4) Please visit and show your appreciation by commenting on other Macro Flowers Saturday participants' beautiful work.
This meme starts Friday 5 pm GMT. The list with past entries is at Macro Flowers Saturday archive page.

Have a pleasant stay!

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Marigold flower photos

It's time to plant Marigold flowers in the garden. Marigold (Calendula officinalis) is very easy to grow and the yellow, orange and mixed colored flowers are a lovely addition to the garden.

Many gardeners grow them amidst their vegetable crops as Marigold is considered to keep insects away.
Due to their pungent odor, Marigolds are considered the wonder-drug of the companion plant world. Some marigolds species like Tagetes (in both photos) produce a strong pesticidal chemical from their roots, that lasts years after the flowers are gone.

Marigold flowers often used in food industry for their nutritive qualities as well as for coloring of several culinary products.

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Pink carnation flower-macro photo

Another beautiful pink carnation flowers macro, with fine red stripes on the petals.

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Spirea shrubs-Bridal Wreath

White flowering spirea shrubs are blooming everywhere.
Both low-growing shrubs dotted with white flowers or bridal wreath with clusters of white flowers on arching branches are a beautiful view, this time of the year.

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Red amaryllis

Welcome to Macro Flowers Saturday!

I wish you all a beautiful weekend with many beautiful flowers.
My contribution for today to Macro Flowers Saturday is a stunning bright red amaryllis flower which is right now in bloom in my home.
There are three bulbs in the pot and the oldest stem has four trumpets.

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Geranium-Pelargonium crispum-macro photo

This beautiful geranium is an Angel Pelargonium or Angel Eyes Bi-color.
I like the large white flowers petals flushed with deep burgundy. It is also one of my new flowers and I can't wait to see it growing into a big dainty mass of flowers in the hanging pot.

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Yellow gardens bush-Mahonia shrubs

Mahonia is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia, the Himalaya, North America and Central America.
Several species like Mahonia aquifolium - Oregon-grape and Creeping mahonia - Mahonia repens are popular garden shrubs, used in landscaping for their ornamental evergreen foliage, resembling holly.
They have clusters of fragrant, yellow flowers in spring, followed by small clusters of grape-like, dark bluish-purple berries in late summer and autumn.

Their stiff, spine-tipped leaves turn a rich bronze purple in late fall through the winter.
Oregon-grape-Mahonia aquifolium is a taller shrub, it grows it grows about 3 - 4 feet (1-1.5 m) tall or even taller. "Aquifolium" means that the leaf is holly-like (from the Roman name for holly, aquifolium).

Creeping mahonia, Mahonia repens grows only 12-15" (30-40cm) high and it spreads slowly to make an attractive evergreen ground cover.

Healing Properties:

Mahonia plant contains substances having a beneficial effect on the digestive tract. They stimulate the flow of bile, which loosens the stools and helps prevent and sometimes relieves constipation, diverticulosis, gallbladder disease, and hemorrhoids.
Oregon grape is supposed to have also antibiotic and anticancer properties.

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Myrtle - Lesser Periwinkle flower and plant-macro photo

Myrtle, also known as Lesser Periwinkle or Vinca Minor is in bloom in many gardens.
Vinca minor (Lesser Periwinkle) is a plant native to central and southern Europe, the Baltic States and also southwestern Asia, in Turkey.
This lovely, violet-purple flowering plant spreads along the ground and forms a dense ground cover. The flowers are produced from early spring to mid summer and with a few flowers, into the autumn. Its glossy dark green leaves are evergreen and it is an ornamental foliage even in winter.

Symbolism and superstition:

- To the Germans, it is the "Flower of Immortality";
- In France, the Periwinkle is considered an emblem of friendship;
- The flower is called by the Italians Centocchio, or "Hundred Eyes" but it is also called "The Flower of Death" from the ancient custom of making it into garlands to place on the biers of dead children.
Another old name of the Periwinkle, used in magic was "Sorcerer's Violet" ("Violette des sorciers" - the French name). It was a favorite flower for making charms and love-philtres.
These superstitions about the Periwinkle are of great age and are repeated by all the old writers (Botanical.com).

Medicinal uses:

The dried leaves, aerial parts, and in some cases the entire plant of Vinca, are used to enhance blood circulation, including that of the brain, enhance metabolism in the brain, and to treat cardiovascular disorders.
An ointment prepared from the bruised leaves with lard has been largely used in domestic medicine and is reputed to be both soothing and healing in all inflammatory ailments of the skin and an excellent remedy for bleeding piles.
There are many other Vinca species of like the closely related Vinca major, which is similar but larger in all parts and numerous cultivars, with different flower colors and variegated foliage.

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Treasure flower- orange gazania-macro photos

This is my new orange Gazania flower or also called, treasure flower.
I've bought it together with the monkey flower last week.
I like to take photos in sunlight but I have only afternoon sun.
The gazania closes its petals very early, in the afternoon and opens them next day, when the sun comes out.
So, I had very little time to take these photos with shinny water drops, before the flowers go to sleep.


This lovely gazania bud will open in a day or too.

Check out more gazania flowers with raindrops.

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