Sometimes things don’t go to plan with my flower photography. This year I wanted to photograph the range of different colours (including white, pink and lilac) of the Dianthus ‘Rainbow Loveliness’ given to me by a friend.
However, rain and the fact that the plants were grown from seed this year, so not yet large enough to have a lot of flowers, made it difficult.
By the time the young plants were ready to flower, the drought of summer had passed and it had become rather wet and windy. This meant that the delicately fringed flowers were easily damaged. I would walk past them and think, ‘Must take some photos’, but by the time I came back to them, the rain would have got to the flowers and would have left the petals trailing limply.
In the end, I managed to take photographs of just the one bicoloured flower. For close-up photography like this, the flowers really need to be in excellent condition. Sadly, my timing wasn’t good enough to catch the others when they were fresh and undamaged.
Not to worry! Next year the plants will be bigger and able to flower more profusely. They should also be able to flower earlier in the summer, when the weather is likely to be drier and kinder to fragile flowers. Then I should have a chance of of photographing more of these strange but pretty dianthus (‘pinks’), whose petals look like swirling strands of seaweed floating in an invisible sea.
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
This is wonderfully exuberant!
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They’re amazing, crazy-looking flowers, hehe!
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Absolutely! Have just RTed as well, along with a blog recommendation. Love your photos Ann!
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Yay, thanks Liz! 🙂 🙂 I should really get back over to Twitter soon…
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What an odd little plant. I can’t quite get my mind around it. I think it does look like some sort of sea-creature, but I’ll be glad for next spring, when you can bring it back to us as a see-creature!
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I’m looking forward to it being a ‘see-creature’ again, hehe! It does look strange – as if someone has spent ages cutting all the petals into shreds! The effect of seeing a bigger plant all in flower would probably be quite lacy and pretty. We’ll see… 🙂
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So very beautiful in high key, Ann!!
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Thanks Indira! I enjoy photographing flowers this way – makes it easier to see the detail. 🙂
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Dianthus flowers are totally wonderful. I love the ones that look just like little carnations. Nice entry. Beautiful pictures . Merry Christmas and have a peaceful year ahead of you .
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Thank you! I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy year ahead! 🙂
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Dianthus flowers are so lovely with so many variations. This one seems very unique and different from any I’ve seen. It’s too bad that the weather didn’t allow for more, but you have a fine one in “Loveliness”.
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Thanks Steve! I had never seen anything like it before either – but hope I’ll see lots next year!
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Beautiful flower Ann – you always have the most exotic flowers to photograph. I am so jealous! The colors are fabulous in this one. Look forward to next summer when you can post more of them.
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Thanks Syd! I think I’ve been lucky this year…but I’m getting a bit short of plants to photograph as winter sets in!
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What an unusual flower but it is loveliness in abstraction. Hope they flower properly for you next year so you can enjoy the real loveliness.
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I love to find something a bit different to photograph, Jill. Next year I’m hoping to have lots more… 🙂
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This is fascinating – I love it!
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Thank you – I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
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