Sunday, September 27, 2009

Strawflowers/Camera Fun on a Windy Day

I have been resting my knee, which is finally starting to heal after my fall on it 2 weeks ago. I've really felt sorry for myself that I couldn't garden. Today, I was able to go out and do some deadheading and picture taking.

In the colander are the strawflowers that I was able to harvest for drying today. It is best to pick them while the center is still closed tightly, because they open more while drying. Some of these may open enough for the center to show, and then they may shed. I don't usually keep any stem on them. I place them in baskets or glass dishes to have flowers in the house. I also sometimes mix them with other dried flowers and give them as gifts. Click here to see the post I did last fall, where I talked more about growing them.



I normally do a good job keeping up picking the flowers I like to dry, including statice. This year, I have been enjoying the blooms in the garden, and taking longer to get them picked. In the past, if I saw someone post a photo like the next one, I would ask them if they knew those could be picked to dry, and that it should be done before they opened like this. Even though my words would be encouraging and polite, in my mind, I would think they didn't know how to grow these, and that they were being negligent. Do you grow strawflowers? Do you dry them?

For some reason, I had my camera set differently, and when I went to turn on the macro feature, the camera told me to hold down the button for super macro. I have read parts of the manual to my camera, which I got last December, but when I've gone to try the super macro, I couldn't figure it out. Well, now I know how! Yippee! Now, I need to learn which situations warrant its use. In the mean time, every one of the following photos were taken using super macro. It was sunny, and quite windy, but I clicked away anyway!





I saw lots of skippers on the statice, which would also normally be picked before now, and verbena bonariensis.



I'm glad to see the skippers enjoy the statice, and have been content letting it look pretty in the garden. Do you grow statice? Do you dry it or just let it mature on the plant?



I sometimes dry verbena, too. I think the skipper is as pretty as the flower.




Go, super macro, go! You can see the segments on the critter's antennae. Now do you know what it is? I sure have seen a lot of them this year.



My pineapple sage is finally starting to bloom.



Here's a closer view of skullcap blooms.



You can see what looks like tiny yellow blooms in the center of the aster.


22 comments:

  1. I love strawflowers! My grandmother grew them and I've tried them here to no avail. So wonderful to see them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. How exciting, Sue! Supermacro! Wow. Your photos are great and I'm going to have to get the book out and start reading about my camera!!

    I'm sorry that I missed your last post about your fall. Hopefully you're beginning to feel better?? Your grandson probably thought he'd had quite a ride! (I did something similar when my grandson was just a little fellow - about 1 1/2 years).

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope you are going to be ok, Sue. Sorry to hear that you had a fall:-( I love your flowers, and you are certainly taking some superb photos! And, big congrats on the 2 nominations...You deserve them both!! I hope you win at least 1 of them;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Fantastic photos.
    I have grown some of them and dryed them too. It´s god to have some flowers during the winter.

    Thanks for visiting me too.

    Have a great day

    Gunilla

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely flowers with bright colours.
    I wish you good luck with your new super macro.

    Thanks for your visit!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sue girl , have I mentioned how great your pictures have been becoming ? You are doing a super job!
    I have had strawflowers a couple of years in annual baskets and they are tough as nails is right !
    Yours are very pretty indeed .. I actually bought a little flower press kit from Michaels and have forgotten to use it .. duh ?? LOL

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good morning Miss Sue I do believe you have succeed in talking the hubby out of grass for more gardening and it looks beautiful.

    Sure hope you are up dancing really soon. Your blog is beautiful ~ hugs, Cherry

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sue, I'd say you have the macro setting down pat. The photo of the critter/antennae is outstanding. I've never grown flowers to dry. I don't even save any of my Annabelle hydrangea flowers. I rather like the idea of the dried flowers heads in a glass dish.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've never dried flowers, but probably should try with some of my roses. The strawflowers are beautiful and I love the shot of the Skullcaps. My Pineapple Sage is opening up too. I always look forward to seeing it bloom in the fall.

    ReplyDelete
  10. wonderful color range on the strawflowers and the lovely delicate orchid shades hmmn

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh, my favorite flowers. Love your photos.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Another flower to add to the seed list this winter. Statice!
    Thanks for the flower tour.
    Rosey

    ReplyDelete
  13. I haven't grown strawflowers in a long while. Lovely to see them here. Your macro, or shall I say super-macro shots are fabulous. Amazing details in the insects. All your flowers look great!

    Thank you for your comment on my blog regarding the Porter weed:-) Happy to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm glad your knee is finally getting better. The only good thing about being sick or injured, is it makes you appreciate being well!

    Lovely strawflowers--and what a happy accident to find the supermacro setting! That bee is amazing!

    Hope you continue to heal, and are back to your usual good health soon.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Just beautiful pictures today Sue! I am so enamored of the top photo. It is just lovely.
    I know it's hard but you have to keep off that leg longer than you think and definitley longer than you want. Blasted things take so long to heal. ((hugs))

    ReplyDelete
  16. What great pictures! I always forget about super macro, it does make a difference. I've never grown Strawflowers, they are really pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sue.....you never disappoint me....your pictures are soooooooo beautiful. You are still in my Prays...I know it has been hard to stay off that leg.
    Prayers, Bo

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am going to have to get out my camera manual and see if I can find the super macro, what great pictures you have got with it.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The flower photos are amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey Sue, I WILL have to try strawflowers next year...pretty colors they come in! I enjoy my macro feature the most since it allows for these amazing close-ups! I thought I was looking at Chuck's photo (blog on my sidebar) when I saw the aster bloom!

    ReplyDelete
  21. The insects seem to be stockpiling right now don't they? I will have to consider strawflowers for next year. It has been a while since I planted them. Lovely blues.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Don't know if anyone told you, but that orange / black oneis a oldier bug. They love my eupatoriums.

    ReplyDelete

I welcome comments and questions from anyone, including those who do it anonymously. Some people find my posts by doing searches, and I like hearing from them. I guess spammers won't even read this message, but I will delete spam as soon as I see it.