Spring Flowers

"Flowers are the sweetest thing God ever made, and forgot

to put a soul into."

Henry Beecher, 'Life Thoughts' 1858

  

  I have had the opportunity to visit two beautiful estates and gardens in Central Florida this week. Leu Gardens near Orlando and Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales which is a bit of a drive from Orlando or Tampa but is well worth it.  Spring is in full bloom here and both places are breathtakingly beautiful. It was pretty breezy at Bok Tower which makes taking close up flower photos pretty difficult though! Bok Tower is surrounded by groves of orange trees which are all blossoming right now-the scent was positively intoxicating! I am going to have to find some candles that smell like orange blossoms, just heaven! I did manage to get a few photos I like of course.

  Growing up, one of my favorite books was The Secret Garden, and I feel like I have stumbled upon my own secret garden when I visit these kinds of places. Especially at Bok Tower, there are 'secret' paths, and a stone semi circle with a small pond in the center where cut little frogs live. It is truly a magical place.

  I am also very fond of plants with lacy little leaves like this. So delicate and beautiful!

  This is a beautiful blossom that had already fallen to the ground. Flowers truly fascinate me, the variety, the colors, and the scents. I wish that the blooming trees would blossom year round but then again maybe we would not appreciate them as much.

  Love the colors and design of this flower!  

  Once again I have saved my favorite photos for last. I spotted this straw flower at Leu Gardens and spent a good deal of time experimenting with settings and compositions-I decided putting it in the bottom of the frame was a little unusual and loved the green/blue background which is a natural gradient-I just pumped up the vibrancy on it. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Stephanie