Bulb Flowers

I usually focus on single irises or close-ups. For a change of pace, this is a small field of the little beauties.

A co-worker looked at an 8x10 of this dahlia and said, "Are you painting now?" But no, it really IS a photo. :-) The combination of colors and textures is striking.

This kind of reminds me of the "big bang" - the center of the universe explodes all over with bits and pieces of color reaching outward.

This is my new favorite of all the dahlias, and it even looks good as a framed 8x10! It's another one that people think is a painting. While I could have chosen yellow paper, the almost white paper makes the yellow stand out.

Part of an Asian-style arrangement, this dahlia feels like a burst of orange sunshine.

Dahlias are primarily vibrant colors, so when this white one showed up, I had to shoot it. So different, and such a beauty.

A very simple dahlia, nonetheless it is spectacular in the coloring. It is another familiar combination, red and yellow, but is very different than the others.

A different and brilliantly colored iris, this was growing in a garden in Aptos, CA.

Ironically, these irises are in the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden. Yellow irises are my favorites, but I love the white and lime green accents in this one.

This is from an arrangement of tulips that Kris brought home. Red is a difficult color to shoot, and I was thrilled how pure this came out.

The agapanthus, also known as "Lily of the Nile", has flower heads with between 10-150 individual flowers. I've never grown one myself, but some sources say it has tuberous roots and others say it's a bulb plant. Don't think I'll go check; instead I'll just enjoy the flowers.

These yellow irises were in a garden in England. They are the most beautiful and vibrant irises I have ever seen.

Found in a local church yard, I enjoy the delicate colors of this iris. It is subtle and almost looks like a painting.

Lilies have been cultivated for 3000 years. They have been used for many medicinal purposes, yet are toxic to cats. This one was on a plant rack at a business and had just been sprayed with water. The places ya find great shots...

Part of a table decoration at a retreat, I enjoy the pink tones of these flowers that are most commonly all-white.

As with Lily 064, this is most commonly a white flower, and the pink makes it special.

On a dewy October morning, this flower was right outside our hotel room. I like the smooth texture of the flower with the rough stone as background.

Despite the huge tulip industry in The Netherlands, the tulip is actually a native of Asia, particularly the mountain ranges near Islamabad. There are many varieties, including some that grow under rocks in very high climates. I like this picture for its slight fuzziness, which makes it almost feel etherial.

The name "tulip" is derived from Turkish - they were extensively cultivated in Turkey in the 1500's. Based on their resemblance to the "tulbend", a turban worn by men, they were called "tulipan", later becoming "tulip". This picture is similar to Tulip 005, but crisp and clear.

People have said this looks like a Georgia O'Keeffe painting. Close-ups like this are often my favorite photos.

I love tulips. This one was one of the first pictures I took with my new macro lens. It was windy and I didn't expect this to come out. Guess I had good timing!