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These pasqueflowers (Pulsatilla vulgaris ‘Alba’) are at their best…freshly-opened and unmarked. Their white flowers have a gleaming purity that makes them stand out against the lush greens of young foliage. When I saw them, it felt as if they were just waiting for me to photograph them.
Every spring I photograph the purple pasqueflowers that grow in my garden but I often fail to photograph the white ones quickly enough. (I have just a couple of small plants, so, as yet, not many flowers.) At this time of year I’m always kept busy by the work the garden needs, and by the time I spot some of these graceful flowers, they’re often just going past their best.
The white pasqueflowers seem to deteriorate more quickly than the purple ones and it doesn’t take much to mar their beauty. Browning petal tips as they age and begin to dry out would mean that I have left it too late to do the flowers justice. But this spring I have caught these at just the right time. (However, I haven’t photographed any purple pasqueflowers yet, so I’d better get out there with my camera!) Spring is a time when there are new flowers appearing rapidly, but wind and rain, and even strong sunshine, can make their beauty quite fleeting.
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 