I'm proud of my garden, the effort I've put into it, and when I see, touch, smell and eat the results of my effort it all seems so worth it.
I designed it to ensure I had something flowering all year round and that meant researching which plants would suit the varying seasonal conditions then deciding which I actually wanted to plant. For my winter blooms it was a no-brainer to include jonquils, they're lovely flowers, quite pretty, and their fragrance is amazing.
My jonquils grow at the front of the house so when someone comes to the front door they get to smell their scent, often described as indolic, that is, lush and rich, due to the presence of the organic compound called indole. It's difficult to describe scents, for me at least, however think of jasmine but much warmer, more rich and heady, sweet like honey and...hmm, just find some jonquils, or grow them, and find out for yourself.
I always cut some and bring them inside, not many though, the fragrance is so strong that one doesn't need many. I pop a few into two little vases, add some lavender inflorescences and a little greenery, and place them so that no matter where one is in the living areas of the house once can enjoy the scent.
I took a few shots in my lightbox using a dark background to emphasise the flowers themselves. As you can see, they are quite delicate and the petals have a silky look and feel; they're also a little sparkly, although I think that's quite difficult to see with the naked eye and without the benefit of the macro lens.
I'm happy with how these turned out, they feel fresh and bright despite the dark background and I like the slash of green.
I enjoyed the process of getting these shots and am hard-pressed to determine which is my favourite. I think I'll go with image two...and image five. And one and three...and four. Hmm, ok, that's all of them.
Jonquils are not my favourite flower, just one I really like; it's the scent, the way they look and a special moment (many moments) from my past that they take me back to when I see and smell them.
Have you ever smelled the fragrance of the jonquil and if so do you like it? Have you grown your own or would you like to? Maybe you'd just like to comment about something you've read above, or the images. Feel free to do so below, I always reply.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp
[All original and proudly AI free.]
Every image in this post is my own.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III was used to capture these images and none of them are for your use.
I don't think I have ever smelled a jonquil. In fact I am not sure we have grown them. They look pretty. As far as images, I like number 4 the best, but all of them are great.
On the subject of cameras, seems mine is crapping itself. So I am on the hunt for something else. Nothing fancy, but perfect for a beginner like me.
They're a nice looking flower a d so fragrant. Maybe you'll get to smell them someday, even if just at the plant nursery.
Bummer about your camera, but at least you get to update and make a choice on something that's more suited to your needs. There's so much research available, maybe do a post on the progress when you can.
Thanks for your favourable comments.
I will let my wife know about them if she doesn't already know. Maybe she will add them to our little bunches.
Yeah, it had been giving me fits with focus, and I thought it was just me. However, it has been throwing a lens error a great deal lately. So, I am going to assume that that may be more of the issue than me.
Always all about favorable comments when they are deserved.
Mine is mirrorless and I'd suggest that that may be a good way to go for you, although it depends on your budget. There's some really great models out there and when you find one I think you'll be amazed at what you can produce. Take your time, gather intel and make a move when the time is right...then get snapping!
I’m stoked to be the first comment on this - I too love my garden, although it has not yet reached anything near blog (or even photograph worthy)
These things are gorgeous man, they look kind of like some kind of…shit I can’t even remedy what they were! I keep thinking tulip, but I know that’s not right…but I tried to grow a particular type of flower, at least three times - orchid!!! It reminds me of an orchid!!!! They’re so beautiful. Is this thing similar in terms of its needs? You must be in geographic region capable of supporting these things, if it’s out in the garden…can you plant it once and keep it for as long as you care for it? I’m not sure if you have winters where you are, so it’s tough to tailor my questions, but I’m very curious!
(I just realized, I’m not under my old familiar account, @albuslucimus, but I don’t want to cut and redo this comment. This is my second account, strictly for sharing with local venues for gigs and such.)
Anyway, super cool man, are you planning on sharing the various plants in you garden as they flower?? Im also a big fan of always having something flowering if possible, but I haven’t been able to build things out to that point yet :)
Hey mate, the username threw me a little, but you cleared that up.
These are bulbs so they stay in all year. I'm careful to remember where they are (I use a map) so they're not disturbed when dormant. When I see the springs of green shooting up I get excited knowing they'll not be far off, the same with my daffodils. We're in winter now but they're reasonably mild with night time temperatures of 0-10 (Celcius) and day time temperatures of 10-20 (Celcius.) Other parts of the country are colder, and a lot of it is much warmer in winter, (the tropics up the top) but here we have the ability to grow most things that Europe has...people think Australia is all deserts and arid lands but it's certainly not.
I have shared some lavender already, https://peakd.com/hive-194913/@galenkp/purple-and-green and https://peakd.com/hive-194913/@galenkp/wet-and-from-behind and https://peakd.com/hive-194913/@galenkp/shooting-natives with a few more also, and I'll share some others as well. Nerines might be next.
Thanks for commenting.
Haha! Yeah, I’m struggling with the dual account thing now…they’re both me, but @albuslucimus is the uninhibited version of myself, while this is strictly the musical performance side.
Now, I’m not sure why, but somehow in my mind you were located in California…but it looks like you’re in Australia…that’s rad man! I met up with rangers form the Australian army on at least three occasions, and at one point, was planning on joining the Australian army to get dual citizenship (it was actually music and a band that cancelled that plan)…anyway, whatever, but …cool man!
Yeah, I met a few Americans here and there in my travels, all legit operators. Us Aussies tend to get around a bit and we're there in support of you folks in most theatres so I'm not surprised you've run into a few. It's cool you wanted to join the ADF, a good bunch of people (mostly) but at the moment it's difficult to fill personnel quotes. Navy and Air Force isn't too bad from that perspective, but maybe OD Green isn't as popular for people to wear. Lol.
LOL I’m probably getting old for foot soldier work these days anyhow. I think it would have been cool when I was younger, but thee days I no longer ruck on orders, strictly do it for the love of it now :)
!Cheers
Haha, yeah I hear you...I'd much rather choose to do it than be forced to do so, it makes for better experiences.
Amen brother!
These shots are absolutely gorgeous!! These showy beauties smell divine too, nice touch with the floral welcome mat. I love them and look forward to them in the spring. I split (divide) the bulbs every five years (or so) It is always nice to add more to the collection, especially those free divisions.
Your photography is superb, the long leaves add a delicate beauty to the cluster of flowers. You have a good eye for arranging them to their best look.
I love #2 but that would infer I don't like the rest. I love them all best.
They're really nice flowers right? The look and scent is pretty and I like how they look in the garden beds. When cut they last a good while too, so my house smells rather nice, and has done for weeks. I also work on building how many I have up, just one of those sometimes jobs that mean there'll be more awesomeness to come!
Thanks for your comments, and yep, image two is a nice one...but you love them all...right?
I'm glad you saw this post, I was hoping you would as I knew you'd appreciate it.
I did! I loved them all! Keep these flowers coming. You have a nice touch with them.
Im glad I saw these, I have great appreciation for some well placed flowers!
Thank you Swigette, me likey that you likey.
Nerines next.
I can't believe I need to look those up. The name isn't familiar, but I may know it by another name.
I'll do the post in a few days and you'll get to see them...if you haven't already.
I am familiar with the Amaryllis family that it belongs to along with the ones I have: Agapanthus and Lily of the Nile. Very similar but no dice. One of my favorites!
They are such sparkly little flowers, that sheen is wonderful in these photos. I always enjoy pictures with high contrast so these are great in my book. Never smelled these before but your description works well for me to imagine them.
High contrast, yeah that's the technical term - which I didn't know. See? You can teach a G-dog new tricks.
What incredible photos! That pop of green against the delicate white. Of course; the black background really emphasizes the colour. We don't have jonquil, which means I don't know the scent but I planted jasmine (two varieties around the carport with lavender so that there is always that amazing scent
Jasmine is a beautiful scent. As I said in another comment here, I have it growing outside my bedroom window and when the fragrance wafts in...so nice.
Thanks for your favourable comments, I really appreciate it.
It is very difficult this time to decide which one I like the most out of all the pictures, because they are all beautiful. The green gives a special touch of colour.
When I was studying painting my teacher used to tell me, black and white are not colours, white is light and black is absence of light, so the green gave that touch of colour between light and shadow. I like poetry, I can't help it.
Four is the one that seemed the most artistic to me after many minutes looking at them, I wanted to decide for one, I had to be able to do it.
I have not had that flower but I have planted many varieties of jasmine in my house in Argentina, they are my favourites, especially one that has a very deep aroma. I would cut a single one and put it in a glass container, the scent would last for more than two days. And I love it. I like sweet scents very much.
I took good care of those jasmines.... I must have pictures of my garden in Argentina, it was 20x50 square meters. I had fruit trees, flowers, bushes... they are now in my memory. And those aromas will never leave my senses again.
Thank you Galen!
If you say they're all good it covers all bases. 😀
I think they call black and white shades rather than colours...it's amazing what the contrast can do to the subject isn't it? I love black and white photography although these are colour of course, but there still some contrast.
I like jasmine a lot. I have a large one outside my bedroom window and when the temperature permits (and it's flowering) I leave the window open...at dawn and dusk then the scent is strongest it's very pleasant. Quite beautiful really as the fragrance drifts in.
Thanks for you comment, I appreciate it.
All of them but 4 even more, it's super artistic, I love it!
My favourite is the Cape Jasmine, although there is a lot of variety, but I love that one!
It's a pleasure, thanks to you!
These are so very beautiful, and I love the way you seem so connected with your garden and nature in general. I share the same passion.
Becca 🌷
A lovely comment, thank you. It made me smile at a time I'm which I could use just such a thing.
They are very pretty flowers, you are right.
Here we have the butterfly (our national flower), it is white and has an amazing smell too. I have not seen jonquil in Cuba, or I was not attentive. Maybe now I am.
Is this jonquil a kind of Narcissus?
That's right, Narcissus is the botanical name for the daffodil and the jonquil is a type of daffodil.
!PIZZA
Hello, first of all I want to say that your photos are simply fascinating, and this flower is simply a miracle, very beautiful and delicate. I also have a garden that my husband and I take care of and yes, everything you wrote about is worth our effort. We also grow these flowers, but there are no such flowers, there are a few others, I will write about them later. It was nice to read and look at your photos, I wish you a good day and success in gardening!)
Hi, thanks for your comment.
I enjoy gardening and despite sometimes struggling to find time to do it I work at it each week for most of the year. I tend to get reasonable results too, and a few failures now and then.
Hopefully your garden is looking good this year and you get to share it with the rest of us on the blockchain.
Nice work man, image 2 is my favourite too, something about something in focus and something out of focus in a shot.
I've never heard of jonquils before, they look nice 👌
Thaaks mate, that one, picture two, also reminds me of the passage of time, how lifw progresses from one place to the next.
Jonquils are a member of the daffodil family of plants, which I also like and have coming out of the ground right now. They're a nice flower and with such a magificent scent are difficult to ignore.
These flowers looks amazing and it feels like I can smell them. Just looking at them brought a smile my way and I don't know how it happened but I am it did. Hehe..
Haha, I am with you on this... Let's just go with it all. Nice shot by the way...
Thanks for commenting...I think these shots turned out really well, considering my lack of photographic skill; I'm happy with them.
Haha, "your lack", you say... All I see here is no amateur work. You did awesomely well.
Very beautiful photos, they are amazing!!
Thank, I appreciate it.
They look similar to the national flower of the Philippines called "sampaguita". They're fragrant and are often made into flower necklaces and offered to saints on the altar.
I thought we could get to see what your garden looks like but it seems that you want us to focus on this flower. And we're here to appreciate!
Yeah, it's similar to the Asian Jasmin (Sampaguita) but it's not the same. I think it's possible to grow jonquils in warm and humid places, but am not certain.
I'm not inclined to put photos of my house and garden on the blockchain unless they're quite close up and the overall details are few - It's my private space and don't feel it's anyone's business to see it other than those whom I am ok with seeing it...which isn't loads of people on the blockchain.
I do understand since I, myself, would think twice about what I post on the blockchain as well.
I really liked these pictures, the level of detail is incredible.
Thank you, they're a nice flower to photograph...and they smell great too!
I love this flower
Excellent.
That's a lovely flower and believe the scent will be as good as you described, I would like to have my garden and plant my flowers and see how they glow. That's a lovely picture taken by you with background makes it incredible.
I hope you manage to get some flowers planted in your garden, it's worth the effort.
Firstly, talking about pictures. All the pictures are just amazing. I can't explain how beautiful it's looking in my eyes. I wish I could explain it in my words.
Secondly, I must say that you are the best quality photographer but all the time you say that you are not a good photographer. And I love to see flower photographs on dark backgrounds, especially the white flower.
The light on dark aspect of these shots shows the flowers off the best, the contrast makes them really stand out. I'm very happy with how these shots came out.
Thanks for you favourable comment, I appreciate it.
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@nanixxx(1/5) tipped @galenkp
🌹 Rose Addict🌹
This is what I did 1st thing after unhooking the Prime from the Landstar 53' Van yesterday.
Stopped, picked, and smelled the roses.
Nice man, and I bet the lady was pleased too.
Cheers.