Hey GPODers! Today we’re taking a different look at a garden, an up-close perspective of the flowers Sarah Oneil grows in her Minnesota garden.

I stumbled on your article and wanted to share my garden! I live in MN so it’s critical to enjoy all the warm weather months!

Happy Gardening!!

We’ve seen plenty of plant close-ups over the years, but Sarah has a way of capturing these flowers in their best light. In photography, this is called a “beauty shot,” a close up shot or scene that captivates the viewer with the particular attractiveness of the subject. When thinking of this type of photography, most would conjure the image of models in editorial settings, but Sarah’s subjects can’t pose or change outfits.

A garden pest never looked so good! While most gardeners would be rushing to pinch this Japanese beetle off their precious dahlia, Sarah saw a moment of beauty to be captured. What a great way to view pests from a different perspective.

But, of course, the dahlias that beetle was munching on are even more breathtaking. Sunset colors on flowers are always a winning combination.

Yet another sensational angle of this pretty pink and yellow bloom.

Another huge, pretty pink flower. I believe this is a Luna™ Rose hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Luna Rose’, Zones 5–9).

Another show-stopping hibiscus glowing in the sun, this time a regal ‘Kopper King’ (Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Kopper King’, Zones 4–10).

Another shot of the ‘Kopper King’ hibiscus, this time including more of that stunning, two-toned foliage that inspired its royal title.

We got a little preview of these bright pink cosmos acting as backup in the hibiscus beauty shot above, but this stunner doesn’t need to be relegated to the background. Just like the rest of these flowers, Sarah captured this small but mighty bloom in the perfect light to capture its outstanding color.

Last but not least, one final pink bloom so stuffed full of petals that it’s hard to tell where one flower ends and the next begins. I believe this beauty is a Chater’s Double Rose hollyhock (Alcea rosea ‘Chater’s Double Rose’, Zones 3–9).

Thank you for these inspiring photos, Sarah—I’m certainly feeling inspired to take my plant photography to the next level!

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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