This is just a short tour through some of the recent photographs I have taken. I hope the information, and photographs here are useful and that you enjoy a sampling of my work. For more of my photography and art work, please feel free to visit my site at artbystaci.com.
This is a daring jumping spider. Because of the size of the abdomen and the lack of enlarged palp ends, we believe this spider is a female. (Generally the female will have either a larger abdomen or her whole body will be larger than the male.) This little lady was making her way from the lawn to the shady side of the fence. When I tried to get close enough for this photograph, she immediately turned her body sideways to me. When I attempted different angles to capture her eyes and head, she would again turn. Eventually she was using a combination of threats with her front legs, to blocking my camera view with her abdomen. This partial side view was the best she would allow. She was approximately a half inch long, and looked as if she may be soon laying one or several egg sacks. I let her on her way once I determined she was going to make the "perfect" shot much more difficult for me.
That's right, this would be me needing, what's the term, a mani-peti. Okay so aside from the crappy polish on my fingernail, is this a great shot? This little girl made her way up my pant leg. Several of the kids were quick to point this out. I think they were hoping it would make me jump. Sad for them... Anyway. I convinced her to climb onto my finger, where I was able to left handed, and with the assistance of the tweenager, take a few quick shots. My fingernail measures 10mm at the widest point, by 10mm at the longest point. This little jumping spider was a little more than half that distance.
This is the blossom of an orange tree. This tree is an indoor tree. The blossoms are cute an petite. On this particular tree, they are un-assuming. I thought they made a beautiful splash of white against the dark background.
This could be an oriental, or Asiatic lily. It grows from a single multi layered bulb. The older and more well fed the bulb is the larger and more brilliant the bloom. This one was a beautiful spring time beauty for my yard this year. (Oriental and Asiatic lilies are not edible.)
Some of my favorite flowers come in vases. (Favorites, especially if they are for me ;) ). The way the light hit the backs of the petals of this lily made me look for my camera right away. The petals are so rich in color, and then graced with translucence. I loved the pink polka-dots, and couldn't resist the natural framing of light. (This lily is not edible.)
Chamomile. This wonderful smelling herb is often referred to by my nephew as the "applesauce" plant. From the very first time he helped me pick these little fragrant flowers, he called it that. It helps that apples is exactly what it smells like. Sometimes it is called ground apple. There are many uses for Chamomile that are now becoming more known. I already knew some of the benefits of this excellent plant, but now after visiting this site, I am even more grateful that I grow it in the yard.
Once upon a time we threw the top of a strawberry into the garden. This is what we found. Those seeds that were still embedded in the left over meat clinging to the green top of this little delicacy found a way to germinate and grow a whole new plant. Actually several plants. I love strawberries but had heard that a strawberry from seed is not a good strawberry. So I let it go wild. It makes a very cute and hardy ground cover. It does produce berries, although not very large ones. However, after having tasted several of these berries over time, I have come to the conclusion that they are a wonderful berry. And with a little husbandry I'm sure I can have plants that produce beautiful and large berries. Even these small berries have better flavor, by far, than the ones at the market.
Ever seen a potato flower? Well now you have. This flower is at the tail end of an experiment we tried this year. Soon we will be finalizing the experiment, but for now this petite little flower was a welcome site in the green house. The experiment was to grow potatoes in a container, starting them in the house. We chose a bucket that is approximately 40 gallons. With a little bit of effort on the part of the soil, and a little effort in watering and caring for. We were able to, I believe, successfully grow a bucket of potatoes. We still need to dig in and see what the true outcome was. But that will be included in my Bucket of Potatoes link. Look for a future link here.
It was a beautiful site to see this year. We lucked out. Between the late spring and extended wet weather we had this year I was sure that we were going to miss out on the beautiful flowers that we have here. However, I was lucky. We happened to be in the right place at the right time. This is the center of a pink (obvious) prickly pear cactus flower. They were huge this year. The petals seem so strong and sturdy until you get right into them. They are as delicate as they come. Several petals make up the cup shape of this particular flower. They come in a variety of colors and are often covered in some kind of bug. We, several times, have found them covered in ants. This time, I was fortunate to find them without all of the bugs. I found this flower in Topaz Camp, now a historical land mark. (If your not familiar with that name, it is the internment or concentration camp that President Roosevelt and congress at the time built to house Japanese citizens. Citizens who, without ever being charged with a crime or conspiracy against America were shipped to this or 9 other locations across the west and Arkansas. More information to come on Topaz Camp later.)
Back to the flower, This one was part of a well established cactus that was approximately 3 1/2' to 4' ft wide. It reached about 1 1/2'ft tall. None the less, a beautiful specimen. Prickly Pear flowers are edible.
This is a Nursery Web Spider. Just a little guy. It was only about 5mm long and very skinny. He was quick, and like the Daring Jumping Spider didn't want me to get to close. When he would turn to avoid me he would also bolt trying to get away. Not having anything with me to corner him safely, for him and me, I did the best I could to try and just capture a photograph. He is small enough that he easily blends into the tan and light brown backgrounds prevalent in the high deserts of Utah. Having residential homes and business's in these areas just makes life a little easier for these critters. Like everything else, they are opportunists. People, and their pets, and lights, and water supplies bring bugs. What better to a spider, than a ready supply of food? There are three main ways that I know of that a spider hunts. They lay in wait with a trap door, they lay in wait on a web, or they actively stalk and pounce on prey. This particular spider hunts by pouncing on it's prey.
The beautiful flower, the Columbine comes in a variety of colors. It is great at re-seeding itself, and has no problem cross pollinating giving its new starts a variety of colors. Columbine is edible. The leaves are edible when thoroughly boiled, and the flowers are edible raw and according to this site, taste slightly sweet.
After many hours, literally, of searching, I was able to finally find the name of this flower. Thanks to this blog, watching the world wake up, I would not have found the name of this brilliant yellow flower. At least I wouldn't have today. So thank you Watcher. I am grateful you were here when I needed you.
These cool flowers were all over the place on the way from Topaz Camp, to Topaz Mountain along State Road 174. Every where you looked, you could see an abundance of flora. They were and are in great show this year. I believe it's the abundance of water we received this year. 2011 Exceeded almost all of the 2008 water percentages for Utah.
When you think of a desert, especially if you've never been there before, do you think of all the beautiful flowers? Like I said before, this was a great year for flowers. This striking flower made a beautiful enhancement to the landscape. The Evening Primrose is a pretty little flower that comes in varying shades of pink and white. Thanks to the efforts of SW Colorado Wildflowers, I was able to find the name of this one. This page in particular led me to the answer.
I believe after several comparisons, that this is Yellow or Golden Cryptantha. According to CanyoneeringUSA, This is the Cryptantha. It was a lovely abundant wildflower all over the Topaz Mountain area. They came in a variety of stages during the time we explored there. Several were very short stature bushes, while others were large taking up at least 2 square feet of space. Even though the bush or main plant is fairly large, the flowers are petite and almost barrel shaped before opening.
Awww the mighty Yucca. This little, or should I say, quite large specimen sat perched at the edge of an outcrop of rock. In full bloom, with very few of the flowers being old, I was able to get some lovely photographs. However, to get this close to this type of plant does require a sacrifice of blood. Having tangled with them in the past, I was well aware of the danger they were capable of. But still, getting the best shot.... Well lets just say I didn't escape injury free. Yucca is edible and depending on which kind you have, may have edible fruit. This one is the Thin Leafed Yucca. It's fruit dries into a hard shell. If you can handle dealing with The spines at the tips of the leaves, supposedly you can use the leaves for baskets and what not. Unless I'm desperate, I'm not willing to try that one out.
This particular picture was slightly challenging. Of course the bug, an Earwig, was a great additive. This particular lily is also an addition to my garden. Every year they are only in bloom for so long. When I spotted this one in bloom I headed straight away to get it. Then I noticed the little Marauders camping out under the petals. The Earwigs like the abundant foliage and ready meals, but these lilies are toxic to people.
What can I say, I like the Macro. I couldn't resist the raised bumps and hair like structures that make up the inner part of this lily. Being an Oriental lily this little beauty is not edible. But grace and elegance make up for the lack of usefulness in the kitchen.
"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". They, the rose, come in a variety of sizes, petal counts, and fragrances. This little rose has, every year, produced an abundance of flowers very reminiscent of the blanket of flowers awarded the winner of the Preakness or Belmont races. Almost cascade in effect. This one is also a great bee attractor. An excellent advantage when keeping a garden not far from the bush. Roses are edible. Some have better flavor than others. I prefer the Lincoln and coral roses, they seem to have the best flavor. At least so far as I have found. Especially when making Rose Petal Jelly.
I can't help it. I love the brilliant colors of these oriental lilies. I have already posted others, but couldn't resist. This one is an Oriental variety and there fore not edible.
This Lily has a couple different names. Commonly known as the Tiger Lily, it is also known as the Ditch Lily. They have become quite common in the past several years, which is good news to some, not to others. There are now only a few states that don't consider this lily "invasive". On the plus side this Lily is edible. The flower bud, stalks and bulb like roots are all usable in the kitchen. For more information on this lily here is the link.
Beautiful, delicate, and capable of growing in harsh climates. The beautiful Iris, comes in dozens of colors, and varieties. Sometimes called flags, these flowers have graced yards across the country for decades. It is toxic. However, while it IS toxic, its toxicity is short lived. So enjoy these beautiful flowering plants if you have them or would like to plant them, but be aware that they are toxic when ingested. Some may have a reaction to the petals and leaves of this plant. Some may have a reaction to the sap. However, this may be due to an already existing sensitivity to the plant.
And one more Oriental Lily. The water droplets, to me, struck the right cord. Brilliant stamens against the long anther, a few well placed droplets, and a filtered light, and viola.
I hope that this photo article was helpful and fun to review. Let me know what you think. I look forward to your input. For more photographs and macro images, visit my website at artbystaci.com, and click on the photography section.
Disclaimer: Information on this blog is based on research from the internet, books, articles and studies. Statements in this blog have not necessarily been evaluated and should not be considered as culinary advice. Use plants and herbs in moderation and watch for allergic reactions.
Always seek compentant advice from the experts in your area for conclusive answers to questions you may have. Local extension offices can direct you to authorities that deal specifically with the flora and fonna of your area.
