NB: A note for WordPress Reader users – you need to click on the title of the post again to see the full photograph. (Otherwise you see just a tiny section!)
Spring here can be full of colour. There are the reds and pinks of hellebores, and of tulips later on. Of course there are the yellows of daffodils that mean spring to most of us. And above all, I love the blues of anemones, hyacinths and grape hyacinths.
Some white can be a welcome change. White flowers have an air of freshness and for me at least, a more natural, less ‘bred’ look than many other garden flowers. The simplicity of the colour can lend a calm feeling to the area they’re planted in. Less distracting or attention-grabbing than the more colourful spring blooms.
The pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) photographed here is growing near one end of the pond I’ve been building. I’m hoping that it will give a softer and slightly wilder feel to the area around the pond in spring. (Pulsatilla vulgaris is actually native to the UK.)
That wilder feel that I’d like won’t carry on through the the rest of the year. Because nearby there are clumps of echinaceas in an intense red and a (fortunately subtler) orange that will demand attention during late summer. The echinaceas are happy there so I won’t move them. They’re short-lived plants, so when they need to be replaced, it will be a bit further away.
For now, though, I’m enjoying the delicate look of these delightfully fluffy white flowers.
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
Lovely reminder of how beautiful white can be.. I’m often taken by surprise 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m hoping to develop a little white area near a silver birch. Planted white Japanese anemones there, which should look really pretty by the tree.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pasque flowers are lovely. I have two, a red and a purple, but they don’t always flower. I might try and move them this year to a damper place.
LikeLiked by 2 people
They’re supposed to like well-drained soil, though I have to give the white ones a bit of water because their space is so very dry. I’ve read that pasque flowers don’t like being moved! Is your soil a bit acid? (They apparently grow wild in East Anglia, but haven’t actually seen any. But that suggests that they must be happy in dry, probably more alkaline conditions. Having said that, a brother-in-law has them growing in his Perthshire garden’s rockery…)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great skill using narrow depth of field and all the small hairs sharp
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you – glad you liked it! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read that too about them being moved, but they are in a Butler sink which I am considering turning into a mini pond. I expect my soil is on the acidic side though I have not tested it, definitely heavy and moist! I shall double check before making any hasty decisions!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Beautiful macros, Ann! Gorgeous flowers!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Indira! I love these hairy little flowers! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not partial to a particular color so enjoy most but this pasqueflower is lovely and the white gives it a pristine quality. And I like the hairiness of the petals.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Steve! I love the hairy petals too – unusual to have such soft and fluffy flowers. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never seen a Pasque flower, but I assume the name is associated with a tendency to bloom around Easter. I’ve seen photos of them growing wild in Nebraska and some of our mountain states. Here are some of my favorite photos taken by a blogger I follow in Nebraska.
As for white flowers, I wholly agree. I can appreciate pink or blue flowers, but whites delight me in a different way. This one is a standout even among the white flowers.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re right, that is how the flower got its name. Thanks for the link – the photos are lovely and what a marvellous blue shade. I read a discussion on pulsatilla somewhere and one of the flowers was similar – not one I’ve ever seen over here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reminds me of the advert for Simple products a few years ago: not perfumed, not coloured, just kind.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL, it’ available if they want to use it for their advertising, hehe!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very pretty Ann!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Syd! They have lovely seedheads too but these plants are still new and getting established, so I’ll remove them this year. (Plenty of fluffy seedheads still to come on the purple pasqueflowers. 🙂 )
LikeLike
It’s good to learn about a flower that’s native over there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a lovely native flower to have but I’ve never seen it growing wild. I don’t think that it’s common in the wild anymore but there are lots in gardens.
LikeLike
I also love pasqueflowers. And I love the fact that their colour can range from white to rose to an intense purple.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The colours are lovely. I have the purple here but not the rose. I enjoy seeing these fluffy flowers – very cheering on a chilly day in early spring! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are very cheering. I hope to find some wild bloomers hereabouts soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh how lovely – I hope you find some!
LikeLiked by 1 person