Garden Photo of the Day

More Close-ups in Hugh’s Garden

Zooming in on the details

By GPOD Contributor
close up of blue bearded iris flower

A few weeks ago, Hugh Locke shared some beautiful close-up views of flowers from his garden in Montrose, New York (Close-ups in Hugh’s Garden). Today we’re going to enjoy more of those images. By zooming way in, he makes you see flowers in a different way, which might just inspire you to take a closer look at the flowers in your own garden and notice things about them you never have before.

close up of center of bright purple stokes aster flower
Detail of Stoke’s aster (Stokesia laevis, Zones 5–9). Asters are what is called a composite bloom—each bloom is actually a whole cluster of many tiny flowers massed together. Zoom in like this and you can see the open flowers on the outer ring, while those in the center are still in bud, ready to burst open.

close up of bright pink tulip petals
Tips of tulip petals (Tulipa hybrids, Zones 3–8) are showing the delicate mixture of different shades of pink.

close up light purple floss flower
Floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum, annual) is another composite bloom, opening to make a fluffy mass of flowers.

close up of tiny white yarrow flowers
The tiny blooms of yarrow (Achillea milliflolium, Zones 4–8) mass together to make a big disk of flowers, which are very popular with many pollinators.

close up of pink cleome flowers
Cleome (Cleome hassleriana, annual), with the open flowers at the base and a row of buds ready to open and replace them as they fade.

close up of center of Platycodon grandiflorus flower
Platycodon grandiflorus (Zones 3–8) has beautiful blue flowers on a very durable, easy-to-grow plant.

close up of bright pink celosia flower
Celosia (Celosia argentea, annual) has very unusual flower heads. In this close-up photo you can see that they are a mass of these small red strings, brightly colored to attract pollinators.

close up of blue bearded iris flower
The fuzzy beard on the lower petals of this bearded iris (Iris hybrid, Zones 3–8) guides pollinators into the flower so they can collect and deposit pollen on their back.

close up of paperwhite flower
A crisp, perfect paperwhite (Narcissus hybrid, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb). These warm-climate daffodils bloom easily indoors for some winter color and cheer.

 

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Comments

  1. MohawkValley 03/16/2023

    Very nice . I have a number of close-up pics of blooms also . Maybe I'll gather some up and submit . Close-ups of waking plants in the spring also offer some unique looks , however , one never knows a flower unless one goes "inside" ... lv

  2. User avater
    simplesue 03/16/2023

    I could just stare into the "face" of your Platycodon grandiflorus flower photo all day LOL! So pretty being so up close and "in" the flower!

  3. rosys_villa 03/16/2023

    Absolutely stunning! Thank you....

  4. User avater
    bdowen 03/16/2023

    Beautiful photos, wonderful to get really close to see the structure and complexity of the flowers. Thank you for sharing these (and the ones last week), inspiring us to get out there with our cameras too.

  5. btucker9675 03/16/2023

    Beautiful - the celosia reminds me of coral polyps!

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