Special offer

Go to my etsy shop to enjoy special offers on 8x12" prints.  You can purchase 2 for £25 (a saving of £5), or 3 for £30 (a saving of £15).

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RachaelDawn?section_id=8127941

Plant names aka nomenclature

Today we use the classification system introduced by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (However the English man, John Ray, was an early pioneer in this field and is commonly forgotten about).  Prior to this plants had long winded names which could include ten or more words.   

The Linnaeus system splits plant names into two words.  The first is the genus (always started with a capital letter) and the second specific epithet (always in lower case).    Plants in the same genus share certain characteristics which are not always obvious to the naked eye. Allium, Rosa, Tulipa are all genera, and contained in each genus are species - Allium schoenoprasum (chives), Allium sativum (garlic), Allium christophii.

The specific epithet gives details about the plant.  This could be about where if has come from or who discovered it:

Locations

• sinensis– from China (Camelia sinensis)
• australis – from the Southern hemisphere (Livingstonia australis)
• europaeus – from Europe (Ulex europaeus – European gorse)

Details about the habitat:

• sylvaticus – from woodlands (Fagus sylvatica)
• pratensis – from meadows (Geranium pratensis)

Descriptive details:

• macrophylla – big leafed (Hydrangea macrophylla)
• grandiflora – large flowers (Magnolia grandiflora)
• sanguineus – blood red (Haemanthus sanguineus)

However as with any system, not everything is foolproof.  There are some plants which do not agree with their names like Scilla peruviana which actually comes from the Mediterranean and not Peru as their name suggests.

Experimenting with f-stops

When using a macro lens it is vital to have an understanding of f-stops.  If I left my camera on the automatic setting it would always pick f/2.8 or f/5.0 when I'm taking macro images.  The f-stop will determine the aperture.  The aperture determines how much light enters the sensor on the camera.  The smaller the f-stop number the larger the aperture so the more light hits the sensor.  Alternatively the larger the f-stop the less light will enter the camera.  With larger f-stops the shutter speed is slower so a tripod may be necessary, increased noise may also arise leaving images looking grainy.

For the following images of an asiatic lily, I had the camera on the AV setting.  I fixed the ISO to 200 and changed the f-stop.  The camera determined exposure automatically.

Here I used f/2.8, exposure 1/1000s, ISO 200

F/2.8 gives a minimal depth of field which results in the stigma being the only part which is in focus.

f/5.0, exposure 1/400s, ISO 200

Slightly more detail is starting to reveal.

f/13.0, exposure 1/50s, ISO 200

Now you can see the spots on the petals and more detail in the anthers.

f/25.0, exposure 1/13s, ISO 200

A larger depth of field is given showing the most detail.

Return of the lily beetle

Guess who came back?  Yes, lily beetles in abundance.  This time I grabbed my camera.  They are so mean looking.

The Language of flowers - ABC

I love how sentimental the victorians were, decorating their jewelery with hidden messages.  Here are what some flowers mean:

Alstromeria - Devotion, Friendship

Bluebell - Humility, Constancy

Calendula - Joy

Asiatic Lilies

Asiatic lilies give great impact and are really easy to grow.  They may not be fragrant like their oriental hybrid relatives but they come in more colours and flower earlier.  I grow mine in containers on the patio.  They are really simple to grow from bulbs and it works out a lot cheaper than buying them in bud from a garden centre.  They're simple to look after too, I just stake mine if they are getting to big to stand up straight by themselves.  Just watch out for lily beetles.  When I was watering my plants a few nights ago there were about eight of these little critters on my lilies.  They are red with black bodies, and make lots of holes in the foliage.  I have to admit the horticultural part of my brain kicked in before the photographer part, because they were all dead before I had chance to take a photo of them.  I prefer to be organic and knock them off the plant and stand on them rather than spraying them.  If you need to use chemicals to get rid of them, use one with contains thiacloprid or imidacloprid.

To view full picture:

http://www.flower-pictures.co.uk/p381546101/h3ff67e96#h3ff67e96

Dicentra spectabilis

Dicentra is one of those plants that you either love or hate.  I don't think that there is an inbetween option with this plant because it is so different.  Common names for this plant include bleeding heart and Dutchman's trousers.  I may not have been to the Netherlands, but I have met a few Dutch people, and their trousers, I'm glad to say, are not comparable to these flowers.  I would love to know who makes plant names up, because they must have a great imagination.

http://www.flower-pictures.co.uk/flowers/h112c5613#h112c5613

Dicentra spectabilis should really be called Lamprocapnos spectabilis but I still call it by it's old name, and garden centres still sell it under the Dicentra name too.  It grows in Eastern Asia in the wild, but in cultivation it can also be white . 

http://www.flower-pictures.co.uk/flowers/h112c5613#h112c5613

If growing this lovely plant keep it in partial sun, and make sure that it is not in acidic soil.  Then you will be guaranteed a lovely display from spring to summer.