Gardening Gone Wild Photo Contest: Down On Your Knees


Above is my contribution to this month's Gardening Gone Wild photo contest. The topic is "on your knees", and the focus is on things at knee level or below. But really, the photo above, the last photo I took this morning, just delighted me with the sun turning the redwoods red, glimmering like fire in the background. So I just had to share it (I did take it sitting on the ground).

I had actually gone out into the garden before the sun rose. Started with a photo I took lying on my back.


Zauschneria california, photographed against a window. The bamboo on the right is actually inside the house. Alas, the focus isn't quite right...

I moved on to the side of the house where the native buckwheats are blooming.


Above is Eriogonum arborescens (Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat) with some succulents and blanches in front. But I realize right away that I should have cleaned out the last of the dried out clarkias, this photo is just not tidy enough.


I'm actually rather fond of this photo of Eriogonum grande rubescens (red buckwheat), but it just didn't seem exciting enough.


Native plant enthusiasts will surely enjoy this photo of Rhamnus californica (California Coffeberry). I for one am thrilled; it's the first year that I have real berries. But I still was full of doubt about my photographic skills, or even just the eyes to see. Somewhat disheartened, I sat on the ground, looking around.

As I looked up, the first light was just touching the redwood tree, right where the (as yet empty) owl box is waiting for guests. So I snapped a few photos and went back in, to make breakfast and enjoy the coming of the light.

And now that it's evening, I get to write the post and to visit the Photo Contest Post and look at everyone else's pictures. What fun!

Comments

Queer by Choice said…
Lovely redwood bark! And your California fuchsia is gorgeous. I have a California fuchsia I planted last fall that has grown to be almost two feet across, but it hasn't yet produced a single flower.
Randy Emmitt said…
TM,
That redwood must be a nice tree to have in the garden. I'll be starting a job(building a bunglo) in a few months and two doors down is the largest redwood in the eastern US over 3 foot in diameter and right next to the street in downtown Chapel Hill.
Anonymous said…
I love your shot. Beautiful light & a unique perspective!
I can see why you were moved to make the redwood shot. And I'm so glad you identified Rhamnus californica for me, I just saw one and wondered, "What on earth is that? I thought I knew all the trees around here?" (Of course that was a thought that was bound to trip me up.)
Pam/Digging said…
I like all your photos. And I really like your silver-white combo with the buckwheat. So cool!
The coffeeberry photo is my favorite.

I often take photos from a shorter perspective and have had the same issue as you did with the clarkia - every imperfection shows up glaringly in a way that just doesn't happen when you shoot the plant from a more typical distance. I've been trying to take a photo of my Rozanne geranium that is mingling beautifully with my Festival Grass Cordyline, but all the dead leaves and slightly burnt edges that aren't noticeable in real life are impossible to ignore in the photo.
I know what you mean about the red buckwheat. It's hard to show it off in photos enough to make people actually want to plant it. But in real life it's great. I have mine along a retaining wall, so that the plants are closer to eye-level--no need to get down on your knees to enjoy the plant in that location!