photography and musings from a Midwesterner
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Desaturated Coneflowers © 2010 Bo Mackison
A pair of purple coneflowers, photographed at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison Wisconsin. I often see personification in my botanical photographs. To me, it looks like the two flowers are holding hands, you know, the way you might casually intertwine fingers with your lover or child as you stroll along…
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Wabi Sabi Dahlia © 2010 Bo Mackison
This photograph is the last in the series of dahlias I’m posting on Seeded Earth (though there are many, many more in my treasure piles). I showed you ‘Esther’ as a new bud with the light from the setting sun giving her a warm glow. I showed you ‘Esther’ with her petals just beginning to fully unfurl. I gave you a peek of ‘Esther’ from a vantage not often seen – the undersides of the dahlia, softly lit (and one of my favorites). I posted a photograph of ‘Esther’ close up, so close you could almost see her heart. Today we say good bye to ‘Esther’ the dahlia, as she is on the wabi-sabi part of her journey.
What is wabi-sabi? As defined by architect Tadao Ando:
Wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It’s simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all.
Seems fitting that this is the photo for today. Today is one of those wabi-sabi sorts of days.
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Sunlit Dahlia Bud © 2010 Bo Mackison
Just as the sun was setting, the light cast soft golden tones on this single Dahlia bud. Photographed on my third trip to Olbrich Gardens in the past three days. Soon they may put me to work there!
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On the Ground Looking Up © 2010 Bo Mackison
Another view of the ‘Esther’ dahlia, this time from the ground, looking into the dahlia foliage. Photographed at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin.
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A Dahlia Called 'Esther' © 2010 Bo Mackison
What a great morning! Sherpa and I spent several hours this morning at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens on the east side of Madison. The place was really busy: there is a temporary exhibit called Blooming Butterflies in the Bolz Conservatory. We didn’t visit the butterflies this morning – I can do that on a thunderstorm-y day – but if you are in the area, I highly recommend checking out this special show.
We had a great morning in the outdoor gardens. Even though we were out early, these gardens don’t open until 8 a.m., so we brought the giant diffuser along with all the other gear. It folds into a small package when not in use, but fully opened it is 36″ in diameter. I had a very enthusiastic 12 year old ask me if it was a Frisbee! I told him “no, but as light as it is, it would fly a long way.” I’d hate to chase it if it was picked up by a gust of wind, but my new friend would have enjoyed the chase. I did decline when he asked if I’d like to give it a toss.
I think the favorite flower of the morning was this dahlia, properly named ‘Esther’ and really showing off her bright colors. I photographed the dahlias in many poses, but do like this particular dahlia, not quite fully open, but strikingly beautiful in her youth.
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Inner Sanctum © 2010 Bo Mackison
Palest of color gradations, a close look at petals of the tulip flower. Photographed at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Dressed in Yellow © 2010 Bo Mackison
Though these densely formed flowers remind me of chrysanthemums, they are fully abloom in May. Love the bits of brown on the tips of the petals. Though I searched for an identification tag in the gardens, I never did find one. Not sure what lovely flower I was photographing.
I swear, as I stood examining the flowers for the best angle to photograph them, they opened, boldly, right as I watched. I am so loving this time of year — every day brings new plants to see, new colors to absorb, new scents to lift the spirits.
Also, you are invited to visit The Calm Space as I have a new article on writing about memoir featured in the Memoir Space in the May issue of Karen Wallace’s online magazine. Hope you’ll check out that article and all the other writers as they consider this month’s theme – PURPOSE. Enjoy!
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Tulip in Blue Bugle © 2010 Bo Mackison
These little yellow tulips are scattered in beds of blue carpet bugle. Makes a pretty picture.
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Cross My Heart © 2010 Bo Mackison
I fell in love with this tiny rose bud when I saw it on my garden walk. It seemed as if it was both providing protection, and yet offering promise.
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Green is Beautiful
The sun is shining, the snow is melting. I always think of mid-March as the teaser. Sunny days, almost touching the 50˚F mark. The a dip back into the teens or 20s and frosty again. There are bits of my yard where there are peeks of grass, though much of the yard is under 6 or more inches of crusty snow. But it’s melting. Yes, it truly will be Spring soon.
I still have to find my green in the Tropical Conservatory, but I’m practicing for when those first bits of green shoots pop out of the earth. Ahhhhhhh!
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