Kat in Northumberland County, Ontario, shared some photos and thoughts on gardening with children and embracing color in the garden earlier, and today she’s got a set of photos to share on the theme of shape in the garden.
For me, photographing the garden is almost as significant an experience as working in it. I had a camera as a teenager, and I remember how careful I had to be about how many pictures I took, since development of each roll of film was a major investment relative to my allowance. What an astonishing difference now, to have a powerful digital camera in my pocket all the time, to experiment with light and angles freely, to capture along with every image the day and the time that the plants in the garden looked this way, to follow the same structures through the seasons and to document the impermanent shapes for the moments they exist. And my gardener education has been aided by plant identification apps, giving real-time names and descriptions to what I find in the yard and at the garden center. I love the intersection of science and art in gardening, and photography is the best way for me to enjoy where they meet.
This columbine (Aquilegia hybrid, Zones 4–8), standing at attention, had the most personality of the garden blooms.
Baptisia has been planted throughout my gardens; if I have a signature plant, this is it. The structures change dramatically through the season, from the early colorful spires in spring, to the strong, shrublike growth in summer, and finishing with the Halloween shapes of blackened branches and seedpods in fall.
The wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis, Zones 3–8) is native to our area; I like how its nodding flower looks like a dragon.
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Comments
Hello fellow Ontario gardener. I really enjoyed looking a the flowers in your garden and your enthusiastic thoughts on gardening. I am not familiar with Baptisia but will certainly write that down and investigate one for my Toronto garden in the spring. The winter photo is amazing too, thanks for including that.
Thanks very much! Enjoy the baptisia when you find it - just make sure you put it where it will stay. It’s a taproot so won’t like being moved later.
Oh wow! Your pictures are stunning and. your plant materials are reproducible here in Minnesota! Thanks so much for sharng your talents both in your garden and behind a lens.
PS -- your writing skills are impressive too. :)
You've inspired me to take more pictures next year. Your close-ups of flowers are stunning. Thank you for sharing.
That was really enjoyable reading along with the great photos.
I got a real feeling for you and your garden from this post.
Nice the way you ended the summer story with the current season and a photo of winter.
I like the concept of "a signature plant" for a gardener...it made me think about what mine would be.
I hope you post again and show us all of your Baptisia in it's various stages.
Again, I really enjoyed your little story and photos on your pretty garden!
Such a lovely garden! I love baptisia and had it in northern NJ. I planted one in my front bed here in NC, but it didn't really do anything so I'll be interested to see what happens in the Spring. Garden gloves fingers crossed!
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