by hankinslawrenceimages | Mar 4, 2010 | Flowers, Malvaceae Family
Last summer I photographed several Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Syriacus) flowers. Rose of Sharon are members of the Hibiscus genus and the Malvaceae family. Originally native to Asia, the Rose of Sharon are grown throughout much of the US. They are hardy from Zones 5B through 9A. In the summer, it produces large showy flowers on a shrub that grows to 8 to 10 feet tall. The US Forest Service has a wonderful PDF with information about growing Rose of Sharon plants.
One of the Rose of Sharon plants I photographed last summer was in the Cataloochee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Adjacent to the Palmer House, this Rose of Sharon had flowers in multiple colors growing on the same plant.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I photographed a lovely purple Rose of Sharon at the North Carolina Arboreatum in Asheville. The flowers of the Marina Rose of Sharon were used in dye making.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
And finally a wonderful white and red Helene Rose of Sharon photographed at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland.
(c) 2010 Patty Hankins
by hankinslawrenceimages | Mar 3, 2010 | Flowers, Liliaceae Family, New Photos, Wildflowers
Catesby’s Trillium II (c) 2010 Patty Hankins
I’ve just added a new photo – Catesby’s Trillium II – to my BeautifulFlowerPictures.com website. Catesby’s Trillium (Trillium catesbaei) is a wildflower I photographed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last spring. I found this particular flower as I was hiking on School House Gap Trail. The blossoms on the Catesby’s Trillium usually nods below the leaves. As the Catesby’s Trillium matures, the blossom turns pink. I photographed a pink Catesby’s Trillium last spring along GoForth Creek in Tennessee. Vasey’s Trillium, another nodding trillium found in the Smoky Mountains, has red petals.
This photograph is available as an 8X18″ and 14X30″ gallery-wrapped canvases. You can order Catesby’s Trillium II from my website and I will have it available at shows this year.
by hankinslawrenceimages | Aug 12, 2009 | Flowers, Wildflowers
One of my favorite summer wildflowers is the Ox-Eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare). On my recent trip to North Carolina and Tennessee, I saw lots of wild daisies. It was until I got up to Clingman’s Dome Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that I found a patch that was just what I was looking to photograph – a group of daisies in good condition. Great light and very little wind gave me some fun photographic opportunities with the daisies.
Here are a few of my favorite Ox-Eye Daisy photos from that morning.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Ox-Eye Daisies (c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
Daisies always make me smile – hope this set helps brighten your day!
by hankinslawrenceimages | Aug 8, 2009 | Flowers, Liliaceae Family, Wildflowers
One of my favorite spring wildflowers is the Yellow Trillium – Trillium Luteum. I first saw some yellow trillium last year when I was in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage. Last spring, I posted two of my yellow trillium photos from that trip.
This spring, I was looking to photograph yellow trillium a little differently. I ended up with several photos that I’m pretty happy with.
Without a doubt, my favorite wildflower photograph from this spring is a group of yellow trillium and purple phacelia that I spotted along the side of River Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I spotted the trillium and phacelia early in the week – and then kept going back until I managed to get the photo that I wanted. I’m sure I entertained many other park visitors as I kept moving my tripod and camera along the roadside. This photo is what spring wildflowers in the Smokies are all about for me.
Yellow Trillium and Purple Phacelia (c) 2009 Patty Hankins
At the beginning of our spring trip to Tennessee, our friend Dan (who is an absolutely incredible photographer) took Bill and I to the Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness in Dayton. It was absolutely spectacular way to start the trip. Two of my photos from Laurel Snow are of the yellow trillium.
First a group of yellow trillium backlit by the sun. I loved the way the light lit up the trillium petals.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
The second photo from Laurel Snow is a yellow trillium in front of a pair of ferns. It was one of those scenes where the plants are growing in wonderful combinations and compositions.
Yellow Trillium with Ferns (c) 2009 Patty Hankins
My last yellow trillium photo from this spring was photographed along the Old Settlers Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This was the first time I’d seen a yellow trillium with its petals folded over rather than erect. I like the shape created by the petals and leaves on this particular trillium.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
The yellow trillum bloom for a few weeks in the spring the Smokies – I’m already looking forward to heading back and photographing more of them next year. 🙂
by hankinslawrenceimages | Aug 6, 2009 | Flowers, Wildflowers
I recently photographed two members of the Convolvulacae family – the bindeweed or morning glory family – in North Carolina and Tennessee. These plants are known for their funnel shaped flowers.
The first flower I photographed was a purple tall morning glory (ipomoea purpurea) at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
The next morning, I found some wonderful pink morning glories growing along the side of the road on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Asheville.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
The second member of the Convolvulacaea family I photographed is the Wild Potato Vine (Ipomoea pandurata). The vine grows from an edible tuber-like root that is similar to a sweet potato.
I photographed this group of three wild potato flowers at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
I then found a few more blossoms to photograph at the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
(c) 2009 Patty Hankins
