They eyes have it

Black eyed Susan's on the way to work. 

I seem to have run out of photos at the moment - so pardon me if I don't update on time. I've got to get back to some serious picture taking.

Beautiful day

A gorgeous day at Asbury Park. Clean beach, blue water, clear sky. Needs no cosmetic adjustment. 

Marbles

Unadulterated shot of glass marbles spilled on the counter top. I may go back and play with this one, but for now I just like the play of colors and colorlessness. 

One potato two potato

I grow potatoes all the time but never let them flower before. Turns out they have very pretty little blooms.

Too blue!

These blue flowers were growing outside a Houlihan's restaurant. In real life they were too blue to photograph properly - so I decided to make a wash out of them. It's rare to find something that's actually too blue to be true.

Upsy Daisy!

I prefer photos of real flowers, but this yard sale vase and discount craft store daisies makes such a pretty centerpiece for a summer table, I couldn't resist.

What's the story, Morning Glory?

First appearance of Morning Glories on the vines. I love these blue flowers, but if I could talk to plants I would tell them spend less time making creeping vines and more time making pretty flowers.

Light and shadow

A black and white photo of a tree shows the intricate old growth. 

Spring snow

These flowers look like snow on the rocks. 

Aerial view?

This old stump looks like an alien landscape from high above.

Garden friends

It looked better in person - but I had to take this shot of a lady bug inspecting a cucumber flower. The curlicue of cucumber vine caught my eye and the sun and made for a charming little vignette - but it didn't translate as well to digital as I'd hoped. 

Go metallic

A little adjustment makes my favorite annual lilies into something shiny.

Happy clouds

Happy clouds are happy!

Peppermint candies!

These neighborhood flowers reminded me of a bowl of peppermint candies.

Desert rose

I'm not a big fan of cactus - but this little beauty could make me change my mind.

Secrets in the garden

The landscape of a leaf.

Happy Fourth!

A billowing flag at the park caught my attention. Hopefully despite our dismal choices in this upcoming presidential election, our flag will continue to fly proudly. 

Violets are blue

Here's another photo from the zoo - wild captive violets - or are they pansies? 

Forgive me if I double post, I sort of lost track of my photo list.

The Early Bird

What they don't tell you about the Early Bird is that the worm is often late. 

Juxtapositioning

That's a weird word, isn't it? 

I thought these gorgeous pink flowers made a statement next to the interesting scratches and striations on the pale gray rock. 

Shades of an iris

It's rare that I do black and white photos because colors attract my eye much more than lines do, but I thought this purple iris looked amazing in black and white. What do you think?

Awkward cute

At a recent trip to the Turtle Back Zoo, I got some lovely face time with this amazing face. 

The interesting thing about giraffes is they tend to be socially awkward, as you can see by the position this little guy is in.

Tangerine sherbet

The color of these reminds me of sherbet.

True Violet

Intense color - they look like if they were red they would be poppies. 

Dark Polka

I love polka-dot plants. They're easy to grow and colorful. These, with a little help, have become something spectacular - from Deep Cut Gardens.

Patterns in nature

Another Deep Cut Gardens photo - this leaf reminds me of a

 turtle shell. 

Orchids and aliens

This friendly fellow was on display at Deep Cut Gardens.

With a nose like this, I suppose he can enjoy the scent of all his fellow flowers. 

My succulent obsession

The title sounds a bit kinky, but really, it's just about my love of desert plants. 

This beauty is on display at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown, NJ where I spent a fabulous May afternoon taking dozens of pictures that will be filling up this blog for the next few months. 

More mixed media

Here's another water color with pencils and ink. 

A hidden jewel

One of the live-forever plants in my garden appeared after a sudden rain to be growing a crystal tear drop. The single drop of water was set snugly among the leaves in a triangular shape, looking like a jewel had been set in a ring. 

Mixed media

Here's a photo of an actual painting as opposed to a photo made to look like a painting. I've been dabbling in mixed media lately - so this is water colors, colored pencils and ink.

A visiting rainbow

This is my 100th Post!

The sun has been on vacation for a while, but it dropped us a line by leaving a rainbow on the dining room wall one Saturday evening. 

Mermaid hair

My daughter dyed her hair blue. It was a bit shocking at first, then I got used to it. 

A glimpse of another world

Purple flowers always draw my attention. It wasn't until I looked more closely that I saw something else in this photo:

A glimpse of an alien landscape reflected in the gazing ball, and an alien looking back at me. 

Daisy chains

Spring is my favorite time to take walks. I find so many gorgeous little plants around the neighborhood. These little daisy style flowers belong to a neighbor.

Purple waves

I can't resist purple flowers. Fortunately the neighborhood is full of them this spring.

Dandy!

Most people think  of dandelions as nothing but weeds, but once in a while they show up looking like nothing but pretty yellow flowers.

And once in a while they make a good subject for an abstract painting. 

Salad!

The garden is in full swing. Here's some salad - before it's picked. 

Lettuce, kale and spinach. 

Persian Shield

A trip to the garden store yielded my own Persian Shield. I've loved these plants since I first saw a photo of one. The colors are amazing. Hopefully mine will grow on the back deck.

Fairy garden

I'm always happiest visiting my fairy garden. This one has been revised from last year with some new elements and old sedums.

With a little manipulation, you can see the fairies just leaving home for a day of tending the nearby flora and fauna.

Minions unite!

A couple of minions have started an indoor garden for me with a little polka dot plant. I wonder what nefarious schemes they have in mind. 

Palm wonderful

Leaves of my palm plant make an excellent subject cast in lavender.

Egg obsession

Those fresh eggs we got from a friend have provided me endless photo ops. I'm somewhat obsessed with how beautiful they are. This one is speckled - who needs Easter dye?

A little manipulation and it becomes a metallic dragon egg.

Zen gardening

A handful of stones spilled on the back steps and washed with the hose looked like a gorgeous subject for a painting.