Among the Magnolias II: Kentucky Woman Series

Come along as we continue my Kentucky Woman Series. I want to share more of my time at Bernheim with you. I consider Bernheim sacred. I have spent many seasons visiting here. I have captured thousands of images of bees and birds and trees and flowers. I have photographed the colorful pink and yellow Japanese Magnolia blooms in Spring. I have hiked leaf strewn forest paths in Autumn. I have even driven the heavily laden snow covered road next to the arboretum in the dead of Winter. Every season at Bernheim has a story to tell and I have visited in every season to see that story told.

In Spring, the Canadian Geese and tiny Goslings swim around Lake Nevin. In Summer, the Yellow and Black Swallowtail Butterflies flit in and out of the Butterfly bushes. The Autumns, oh, the Autumns are especially gorgeous. The entire forest drive is a sea of yellow and orange with dots of red thrown in here and there. There are more gifts here given us by Mother Nature than any one person can count.

Today, I share images of the beautiful yellow Japanese Magnolias in bloom from past visits. It takes a tremendous amount of patience to wait as Winter's grip lets go and Spring begins to open up with its Daffodils and Crocus and Magnolia blooms. The reward is worth the wait. I captured these beautiful blooms on especially warm Spring days in the arboretum. The aroma from the Magnolia blossoms filled the air as I walked around the trees. It enveloped my senses and left me virtually intoxicated.

I especially love to peruse my archives after a visit in search of the best image to crop closely revealing the intricate details hidden in the center of the blossom. The Magnolia species has approximately 210 genus. These ancient flowers are said to have existed long before bees even evolved. Beetles are the main forager of these trees. Perhaps that is why their stamens and pistols are so tough. They need to be hardy to withstand the damage beetles can do. What's that old saying, beauty isn't everything.

When you walk among the Magnolias at Bernheim, you can't help but notice their craggy branches. They appear as ancient as the species itself. There are various species of yellow and pink Magnolias throughout the arboretum, in various sizes and shapes of blooms as well. I've witnessed each and every one. Thing is, I believe the largest and hardiest blooms open later than their far daintier counterparts.

I have a love affair with Mother Nature. I admit it. Bernheim only makes my love affair even more worth the while. This place is near and dear to my heart, and for long as I'm walking the face of this Earth, I will return here as often as time and distance allows.

I hope you will allow me to share a true story. I remember visiting Bernheim for the very first time on a field trip in elementary school. I sat at the picnic table and ate my lunch with all the other kids. Then afterwards we were allowed to wonder around the woods. Low and behold, I climbed high up on the hill above the picnic area, and became so enthralled with the woods that I nearly got left behind. Until a head count revealed someone was missing from the bus. I remember being up in the woods when I heard a voice from down below calling my name. I climbed back down the hill, and sure enough, I was the last passenger to get on the bus. This really happened. I kid you not. Could it be that even at an early age I knew this place was special.

I will forever be a Kentucky Woman in every sense of the word. And every time I write another post in this series, I am reminded of that. I thought this might be the last of my series, but I feel another installment could be in order. Stay tuned. ENJOY!

Linking to Stonegable The Scoop

Among the Japanese Magnolias: Kentucky Woman Series

For a brief few weeks in very early Spring, even before the first official day arrives, Bernheim Arboretum's Japanese Magnolia trees burst forth with a stunning display of color. Witnessing this event over the course of those weeks requires perseverance. As the old adage says, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The first Japanese Magnolias customarily spring forth even before the other trees in the arboretum. These trees set among the other ornamental trees just outside the gates of the arboretum. As the earliest days of Spring approach, these particular trees ready themselves with vivid dark pink buds, ready to burst open, while the temperatures continue to fluctuate between Winter and Spring. The vivid pink Magnolia buds find their moment, at just the right temperature, and open to reveal glorious pink blooms.

As I walked among the arboretum trees in year's past, deep green fuzz appears as buds. Soon slick buds of varying pinks will adorn the craggy branches mixed in with the blossoms themselves. The sun and shade illuminates the petals revealing various hues of pink. Large clusters of Japanese Magnolia buds and blooms are present on every branch on every tree in a display of brilliant color.

One particular Spring the temperatures were especially mild leaving the beautiful Magnolia blossoms to linger on the branches. On that visit I walked among the trees, stopping at one point, as I realized something amazing. I took a breath and smiled. The pungent fragrance of Magnolia blossoms filled my senses. I gave thanks to the warmer temperatures for allowing the blossoms to give up such a magnificent aroma. Everything around me was enveloped in beauty to see and smell.

As a photographer, you want to take the most breath taking photos when you are capturing images of flowers. As blooms clung to branches wide open, the stamen inside revealed a landscape all its own. I attempted to capture its beauty as I came in close to the blossom snapping images. Some blossoms opened only slightly while others seemed to open as though to welcome you in.

Anxiously awaiting early Spring, with its varying degrees of temperatures, requires patience. Knowing the end result will be glorious buds, in various hues of lavender and pink, helps to ease the pain. Seeing the visual display of magnificent buds and blossoms and taking in the fragrant scent of Japanese Magnolias leaves you feeling as though you have experienced something truly magical. God surely planned it this way and I am so utterly happy he did. I hope you will plan a trip to Bernheim during this season. And I hope you will experience what I have in years past. I will be back with a second post on this subject. Only it will feature the hues of yellow that are displayed alongside the pink Japanese Magnolias. I hope you will come back. ENJOY!

Favorites Series

What better way to highlight my favorite images taken over the last decade than to feature them in a Favorites Series. Over time I will feature a single image as one of my all time favorites. With twenty thousand images safely tucked away in my archive, I tend to linger on certain images a tad bit longer than others. Why? They are my favorites, no doubt. I hope you enjoy each and every one as I feature them in my new series. Fairly new to my blog? If so, you may have missed some of my favorite images posted many years past. My new series will allow you to view them first hand!

I begin my Favorites Series with a beautiful deep yellow Japanese Magnolia blossom as its gorgeous bloom begins to wane, captured at Bernheim Arboretum, just south of Louisville, in early Spring several years ago. A large number of hybrid Japanese Magnolias grow close to the parameter road in the middle of the Arboretum. Gorgeous blossoms in pale and deep yellow, the softest white, blush pink and a beautiful deep magenta herald in Spring each year. This is one of my favorite images captured over the years while photographing these gorgeous blossoms. The beautiful blooms are accompanied by a fragrance like none other.

As the Magnolia blossoms bloom in unison, their fragrance fills the air and wafts throughout the grove of Japanese Magnolia trees.
Each tiny morsel of fragrance floats across the Arboretum on gentle Spring breezes, leaving one in total awe of their scent. 

What beauty does for your senses in this tiny slice of heaven is astonishing. Look for the post header, Favorites Series, and enjoy this wonderful new series as I reminisce. ENJOY!

Magnolias in Bloom, Bernheim

A brief stop over at Bernheim Arboretum was on the agenda this afternoon, as I made a quick trip up and back to Louisville today to take care of some personal business.

There are pink, maroon and yellow hybrid Japanese Magnolia trees in varying stages of blooming in the arboretum at Bernheim. Although it was overcast, with the sun occasionally peeking through the cloud cover, it was still a nice afternoon to snap a few images. I have missed visiting Bernheim, but have enjoyed exploring Nashville's natural areas. I hope to pay a visit to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art soon. Supposedly there are 100,000 tulips in bloom as I write this post and I would hate to miss that. You know how I love photographing flowers. We're due for a whole weekend of 'Sunny' and I can't be happier. I hope your weekend finds you outdoors in the sunshine. ENJOY!

Buds and Blooms at Bernheim

This image has everything any photographer would long for. Beautiful pink Magnolia blooms, gorgeous moss covered Magnolia buds and craggy Magnolia branches contrasted against the green lawn of Bernheim's Arboretum in the background.

It is such a wonderful Spring at Bernheim. The lawns are greening up. The trees are bursting forth with bright green leaves. The Magnolias and Cherry trees are blooming with gorgeous yellows, whites and pinks.

This Spring has brought us skies as blue as the ocean, clouds in fluffy white and bright sunshine. And even though we have an occasional day filled with Spring showers, as was today, or a late Spring snowfall predicted, as we do this evening, it cannot dampen Spring's coming. And with Spring in full force, can Summer be far behind. I hope all of you who are still experiencing Winter's last hooray will soon see Spring take hold around your world. ENJOY!

White Breasted Nuthatch

A quick stop at Bernheim several weeks ago found the park deserted, but for a mere handful of visitors and the occasional snow shower of the flurrying kind. The temps were right at 32 degrees so I wasn't willing to get out of the car. The animals seemed to be hunkered down too as all I found were a flock of White Breasted Nuthatches hopping about the Japanese Magnolia trees near the park road.

Yes, Japanese Magnolia trees of the hybrid variety. There is a stand of perhaps ten white and pink hybrids growing right where the Nuthatches were taking dinner. And just as a teaser, here's one of my images from last years photoshoot. What a glorious Spring day that was walking amongst all of the blooming Magnolias with their pink and white blossoms emitting the most amazing scents. If you go to KEYWORDS and click on Magnolia Hybrid you can see some of the images from the shoot.

I'm sorry, I digress . . . anyway I stopped and snapped a few images of the Nuthatches hoping to get an image other than the Nuthatch hanging upside down with his head peering up at you pose. Keeping an eye on them in my viewfinder I firmly pressed the release continuously for several minutes. There was no way to know what were keepers until I dropped the images into my software. Keep in mind that these little birds can move faster than the speed of light. So any tactic is a worthy tactic in capturing good images of a Nuthatch. Hope your week is off to a great start. ENJOY!