Regal Pelargonium

The first time I saw one is in Geraniums and Pelargoniums by John Feltwell. Click on the image for a larger view and you will see why they make such great show plants.
Had mine growing in a pot outside last summer but it didn't do so well and thought I killed it. So I checked in Success With House Plants
for proper care and repotted the poor thing and let it rest for a couple of months as directed in the book. Now my Regal is healthy and blooming in December.

I took close to 20 shots before I got one I felt gave it justice. Thank you Bryan Peterson. Before I would have taken just one and convinced myself it wasn't possible to do better.

If this photo peeked your interest on Regals, visit the Geranium Galery where you'll find lots of photos of named varieties. For myself, I've added yet another book to my wish list, this time 1001 Pelargoniums

Larger View

Using photo editing software

One advantage of using a digital camera is being able to do your own editing. But not everyone can afford Adobe's Photoshop CS4 or even the earlier versions. I had to settle for the little brother, Photoshop Elements 6. For the first few months, I used it for some basic editing not sure how to use the rest. I was new to layers and a bit reluctant to experiment with them. Fear of the unknown I suppose. So I had this great software and was using it like any freebee you can download online. What a waste! But it did give me a great excuse to buy another book. So I went to my favourite online bookstore and searched for books on Element 6. There was a lot of choices, but I had already figured out the basic stuff so I wanted something a bit more muscled. The description for Advanced Photoshop Elements 6 for Digital Photographers was right on target. Plus Amazon.ca lets you see inside. This feature as saved me from buying the wrong books.

Using this book made me realize that I don't need to upgrade for some time yet. Which is a relief for my budget.

Understanding Exposure

I'm very proud of the gardens I care for. Taking photographs helps me share the experience. Before I invested in a DSLR, most of my shots were disappointing, but having a better camera still wasn't enough. I had to learn how to bring out the best of my subjects. So I turned to books written by experts. Using a few keywords to find exactly what I needed got me Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. The man is a great teacher. I recommend this book to anyone switching to DSLR cameras.

Now I like to think that my garden photos can entice you to grow your own or see the flowers as the works of art that they are.

Siloam Ury Winniford

As a plant collector, I like to learn as much as possible about all new additions to my flower beds. For example: I've learn that this particular daylily was hybridized by Pauline Henry and introduced in 1980. The AHS online cultivar database, describes this one as deep cream with large purple eyezone and a green throat. As you can see by the photo, it's a great colour combination. If you follow the links I supplied, you can learn more about this lovely hemerocallis.


Garden Images

Columbine

Sowed directly outdoors three years ago. These old fashioned, double spurred Columbine with leaves like shamrocks are from the
McKenzie Seeds collection. I have them growing at the base of a Syringa X hyacinthiflora.