Garden Photo of the Day

Close-ups in Hugh’s Garden

Taking a closer look at flowers

By GPOD Contributor
close up of the center of a Crocus flower

Today’s photos are from Hugh Locke.

As cell-phone cameras have gotten better, I have been using mine to capture close-up images of the flowers in my garden in Westchester, New York (Zone 6b). My goal has been to focus on details like petals, stamens, and pistils rather than flower portraits. The folds, shading, and edges of a petal become a study in motion. A tiny floret becomes a flower. A petal becomes a contour map with color markings. None of these photos have been manipulated or filtered, other than being cropped. The last photo is of an indoor plant as a nod to the winter currently being endured until we can get back into the garden.

close up of yellow tulip petalsTulipa hybrid (Zones 3–7)

close up of tiny bluebeard flowersBluebeard (Caryopteris incana, Zones 7–9)

close up of white and green Snow-on-the-mountain flowerSnow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata, Zones 3–9)

close up fo purple and yellow irisSiberian iris (Iris sibirica, Zone 3–8)

close up of Snowdrop flowerSnowdrop (Galanthus nivalis, Zones 3–8)

close up of bright purple Lobelia petalsGreat blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica, Zones 4–9)

close up of tiny pink Lantana flowersLantana (Lantana camara, Zones 9–10 or as an annual)

close up of purple Giant larkspurGiant larkspur (Consolida ajacis, annual)

close up of pink New York ironweedNew York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis, Zones 4–9)

close up of the center of a Crocus flowerCrocus (Crocus vernus, Zones 3–9)

close up of light purple Angelonia flowerAngelonia (Angelonia angustifolia, Zones 8–11 or as an annual)

close up of spiky pink Castor bean flowersCastor bean (Ricinus communis, Zones 9–11 or as an annual)

close up of purple African violet flowerAfrican violet (Saintpaulia lonantha, Zones 10–11 or as a houseplant)

 

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Comments

  1. sandyprowse 02/08/2023

    Hugh: How interesting to see the flowers from that perspective. I felt like I was touching the yellow and red tulip. Loved these pictures! Thank you.

  2. User avater
    treasuresmom 02/08/2023

    Very nice.

  3. fromvirginia 02/08/2023

    Stunning. It’s oddly peaceful and satisfying. Thanks for sharing!

  4. User avater
    simplesue 02/08/2023

    Great close up photography of some real garden beauties!
    Nice compositions & attention to details.
    Love the way you photographed the Snowdrop off to the side with the curl in the negative space- very artistic...they all are!

  5. gardenconcierge 02/08/2023

    Dear Hugh,

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful flowers from a bee's or butterfly's perspective. You have inspired me to play with some closeup photography this coming season.

  6. btucker9675 02/08/2023

    Joy!!!!

  7. jos29803 02/08/2023

    Thank you for giving us a different up close and personal prospective of the beauty and simplicity of flowers.

  8. jos29803 02/08/2023

    Thank you for giving us a different prospective of the beauty and simplicity of flowers.

  9. User avater
    cynthia2020 02/09/2023

    Hugh - I like looking at flowers close up, too. And noticing what lovely compositions are possible. I especially like the red and yellow tulip and how you captured the iridescence of the African violet.

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