Bokeh for Photo Art Friday

 

I tried to follow Bonnie’s tutorial on creating art with the poster edges and her texture called Memories of Paris.  I got kind of mixed up but in the end of I liked what I had done and left it there.    The bokeh overlay came from a Life Texture Pack from www.imagenskins.com that I downloaded some time ago.  

Photo Art Friday is hosted by Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art.   Have a wonderful weekend. It is supposed to rain here all weekend.   My house has not had a good cleaning lately as I have been out in the garden as much as possible so with the rain I can make some inroads on the clutter.  

 

Warmth for Texture Tuesday

 

The last couple of days have been really hot.  We had a good downpour last night but it did little to help the parched Sandbox.  The flowers have theirs heads hanging down and look pathetic.  I found a picture in my archives for this weeks challenge at Kim Klassen Café.  The seedtops of the Rhubarb plant make for an interesting display in this old watering can.  I did use Kim’s newest texture “Sunday” and another texture by Pixel Dust called “motherlove”.

I am joining Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen Café.   See you there. 

 

A Graphic Poppy

For this photo I took a picture of an orange poppy from the Sandbox garden and added a texture of Kim Klassens called Epiphany.  From there I took the photo into Topaz Adjust 5 and chose a preset called blueprint.  

I am joining Bonnie for Photo Art Friday.   Have a great weekend.   Because we had a long weekend last week the week itself seemed to go quickly.  My Horticulture Society is having its annual plant and bake sale on Saturday so this weekend will fly by too.  

 

When a Wildflower is Not a Friend of the Garden

 

Oh this flower may look pretty but it is no friend in your garden.   In fact if you see it in your garden pull it and all its friends and family out.  Garlic Mustard or Alliaria petiolata is know as hedge garlic, sauce a lone, jack by the hedge, poor mans mustard or jack in the bush.

The important thing to know that this plant was brought into the country by pioneers that got out of local cultivation  and has become such an aggressive plant that is is now on the invasive weed list.

 

This week I attached the back fence of our property and pulled as much of it as I could get at. Garlic Mustard is an annual and spreads by seeds but one plant can produce 150-850 seeds.  The seeds are viable in the soil for 5 years.  The plant competes with native wildflowers that also flower in at the same time and that insects need as a food or egg laying source.   In fact it is told that cows that graze on Garlic mustard will produce garlic tasting milk. 

This is not a good picture of the pile of Garlic Mustard that I dug up.  It was a huge pile.  I could not get it all out as it is growing wildly in my neighbours yard.  I will be at this every year.

To destroy this plant you will need to pull it up and dispose of it by placing it in a garden waste bag and send it to your municipal composting station where it can be properly composted at a high temperature.  Do not put it in your compost as most home composters do not reach the appropriate temperature for these plants.   In Ontario we have a pesticide ban and home owners are banned from using pesticides and herbicides.   A weed company with the proper registrations may be able to spray it for you but consider the plants in your yard that you would not want to be affected by overspray from the sprayer. 

This information was from OMAFRA Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food

I hope that will be on the look out for this plant and destroy it.  

Light for Texture Tuesday

 

The other morning while out to get the paper at the end of the driveway I spotted the pulsatilla seed heads sparkling in the sun.   I ran in to get the camera.  For this photo I used two layers of Kim Klassen’s texture “Lilly” removing the texture over the seed head.  I added some text and that is it.  

I am joining Kim Klassen Café for Texture Tuesday.   Have a great week.

Seed Planting in the Sandbox

 

This weekend was perfect to be outside doing anything but if you wanted to do a chore in the garden you had to be out there early in the morning.  If you were not the day got too hot.    I planted some flower seeds in the little circle garden that we built in the backyard last year.  Last year I had great success with a packet of seeds from Renee’s seeds in California that had scarlet runner beans, nasturtiums and red zinnias in it.   It was called a hummingbird selection.   The flowers were amazing and I took scads of photos of them.   This year I put in a selection I got from Renee of Heirloom Runner Bean “painted Lady”, mounding Nasturtiums “Copper Sunset” and cutting Zinnias “Raspberry Sorbet”.  I will keep you posted on how well they do over the summer.   I hope that you have been enjoying the weather and planting some seeds of your own.

I am joining Mary for Mosaic Monday.  Have a great week.  

The Glow of Flowers

 

There is a certain part of the day where everything in the garden takes on a golden glow.  Photographers call these times at the end of the day the Golden Hour.  This is one of the best times to take photographs. The other best time is first thing in the morning.   My Iris have begun to bloom.  These two are new plantings from purchases I made last year at the garden sales.  Also the alliums are just beginning to open and in another couple of days they will be love orbs of purple.  My photo art to day is just a simple collage to show off these beauties.

I am joining Pixel Dust Photo Art for Photo Art Friday.   In Canada we are having a long weekend casually called the 2-4 weekend and the beginning of camping, cottage or bbq season.    Hope you have a wonderful one. 

Japanese Quince for Texture Tuesday

 

The Japanese Quince is beautiful at this time of the year but it needs a severe pruning.  It tends to ramble through the flower bed and it is becoming too large for the area.  

I began editing this photo with a texture called Raggedy Paper 4 and then something came over me.   I began to be the mad scientist adding this and subtracting that and lost track of what I did do so I cannot give a snip today.  I really like the dark painterly feel of this picture though.  I think that the Quince really suits this kind of photo.   I also found a template for the four corners but I have no idea where it came from. 

I am joining Kim Klassen Café for Texture Tuesday.  

Happy Mother’s Day

 

I hastily put this mosaic together even though it is rather late but I did want to wish all you Mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.  We had a lovely supper at the new home of our younger son.   They moved a month ago but hubby has been too ill to go and see it.  Today was lovely and warm and a perfect day to go visit.  Our oldest son and his wife and my husband’s uncle were also there.  It was very nice. 

I hope you all had a great day and your family pampered you in some way.   I am joining Mary for Mosaic Monday.   Have a great week.  

Beginning to Bloom

 

Yesterday when I was in the city of Toronto I saw the fruit trees all in bloom.  Here in the Sandbox the Montmorency sour cherry tree is just beginning to bloom.  The apple tree must have lost its blooms during the frosts because it is putting out leaves now.  Usually it is so pretty to see for a day or two.  I am thinking we may not see too many apples on it then either.  I see bits of pink on the redbud and am keeping my fingers crossed to see a few flowers before the leaves appear. 

I am joining Kim Klassen Café for Texture Tuesday.   I used a new texture of Kim’s called Chase.   I added an action of Isobelle LaFrance’s called iris glow and a frame  of hers as well.  I thought it was dainty like the new blossoms.

Valerie 

 

An Afternoon in a Garden

 

It was a bright and sunny day today and just right to be outdoors in a lovely garden. I attended a plant sale at the Toronto Botanical Garden in Toronto today but before I lined up with all those anxious plant buyers I took a stroll with my camera around to see what is in bloom.  As this garden is in a zone 6 and I live in a 4B the trees and flower were farther ahead of us.  The fruit trees were in an amazing displays of colour and the rows and drifts of flowers were something special to see.  There were many people in the gardens with cameras  and others strolling with their families.  The parking lot was packed very early.  I did purchase a few plants for my own garden.  

I am joining Mary for Mosaic Monday.   Have a wonderful week.   Valerie

As Green as Grass

The springtime is the only time you will see green grass in the Sandbox.  We have had plenty of rain the last week or so and the grass is green and growing.  I gave it a nice cut yesterday.  Hubby said it did not need mowing but when it was finished he said it looked much nicer.   Grass is one of those things you love or hate.   Some people want a thick green lawn and fertilize and water it every day.   I don’t care one way or another.  Some grass makes the flower beds look nicer but beyond a once a year fertilizer we just let it be.  In summer when it is hot the grass goes brown and that it okay.  In the fall when the rain falls more regularly the grass turns back to green again. 
I took this photo with the Lensbaby lens and then used a filter from Topaz Adjust 5 called light pop grunge to jazz it up. 
I am joining the Leap into Spring Photo Challenge at Live and Love Out Loud.  The theme today is grass/green.   Have a wonderful weekend.   Valerie

Parrot Tulip for Texture Tuesday

 

I took a photo of this lovely parrot tulip at a flower show I attended over the weekend.  I was intrigued with the fringes on the edges of the petals and the colourations.    I remembered to snip my processing if it helps anyone.  I used Kim’s Subtlyyours texture and another that I do not remember as the owner called rebirth cool. 

I am joining Kim Klassen Café for Texture Tuesday.   Valerie