Flower Friday – Dahlia

March 18, 2016March 18, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 9 Comments

Dahlia - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Dahlia – Photograph by Laura Lecce

When I took this photo, I never imagined this was actually a dahlia, although now that I look at the buds and leaves more closely it makes sense. The dahlias my granddad used to grow always looked like giant pompoms (which is correctly spelt pompon in French, but was misheard as pompom by the English). Anyways, back on topic… dahlias have such a large array of variations because unlike most other plants which have two sets of chromosomes, they actually have eight! This allows for a multitude of genetic combinations and contributes to the wide diversity seen amongst these lovely flowers. Have a bright and cheery weekend everyone!

Flower Friday – Aerangis Punctata

March 11, 2016March 11, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 5 Comments

Aerangis Punctata - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Aerangis Punctata – Photograph by Laura Lecce

This teeny little beauty is an orchid originally found in Madagascar, and suitably named Aerangis Punctata. The plant size is usually about an inch big, and the flower it makes is bigger than the plant itself. I would watch the bud forming for months before it opens. It forms with a curled nectar filled spur which it unfurls just before the flower opens. Definitely builds an orchid lovers anticipation! Most Aerangis orchids make perfume at night to attract particular moths which have a long proboscis to pollinate the flower. Interestingly, the nectar in the spurs of some of these orchids have a concentration gradient which gets sweeter the deeper into the spur. This encourages the moth to penetrate the spur all the way and thus successfully pollinate the flower, and not waste sugar on moths with a short proboscis. Have a great weekend!

Aerangis Punctata Bud - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Aerangis Punctata Bud – Photograph by Laura Lecce

Flower Friday – Oncidium Sharry Baby

March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 16 Comments

Oncidium Sharry Baby - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Oncidium Sharry Baby – Photograph by Laura Lecce

This Friday I have chosen one of my favorite orchids to show you… which was terribly hard to choose because I have so many favorites for so many different reasons! This one is Oncidium Sharry Baby. Far from being the biggest or flashiest of orchids, I have chosen it because it smells amazing. Fittingly it is nicknamed the Chocolate Orchid, because that’s exactly what it smells like, and quite powerfully so. It flowered reliably for me every year at Christmas time (summer in Australia), and used to make a Christmas tree like explosion of flowers along a very tall stem. Every day on my balcony it smelled like someone was baking desserts and would make me crave chocolate! A wonderful orchid indeed… Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Oncidium Sharry Baby Spike - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Oncidium Sharry Baby Spike – Photograph by Laura Lecce

Flower Friday – Pink Water Lily

February 26, 2016February 26, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 22 Comments

Pink Water Lily - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Pink Water Lily – Photograph by Laura Lecce

So I’m introducing something new…Flower Friday! Not that Fridays need to be any more awesome than they already are, but hey, it sounded good. The first flower I have chosen is the water lily, and in particular, this perfectly formed pink one. It is one of my dreams to eventually have water lilies in a pond in my very own backyard (first I need a yard though, but a minor point). I imagine my water lily pond to be home to a huge family of frogs (now you see where I’m going with this…). Lots of very cute and shiny subjects to photograph! Have a great weekend everyone 🙂

For You Mummy

February 22, 2016April 28, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 23 Comments

This painting is designed to make us stop and remember the simplicity of what children find beautiful and interesting. As kids we’d collect sticks in different shapes and sizes, see colorful fences to climb on and blow dandelion seeds into the wind. As adults we see dead branches and weeds against a dirty old fence. An acknowledgement for the way that time and age changes us… We know more, and appreciate different things, but maybe sometimes we need children to remind us to appreciate the simpler things in life. To find a million exciting uses for those cardboard boxes, and instead of filling them with the meaningless material junk in our lives, we should go back to feeling like the kings and queens of our fortresses.

Confused Blossoms

January 22, 2016April 28, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 13 Comments

I took these photos in Charleston, South Carolina about 3 weeks ago. Sadly, the trees are confused, they think spring had arrived. Similarly in New York, all the trees have buds on them, even the magnificent magnolias in Central Park. Little do they all know, winter is still ahead of them. This week they have felt true winter temperatures for the first time this season, and this week will bring a large snow shower. Poor trees with their hopeful buds. They aren’t the only confused hopefuls, as even the bulbs planted in Central Park were climbing their way through the soil and peeking out. I hope the snow won’t destroy them too much, and when spring truly comes, they will rejoice with the rest of us!

Blossoms - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Blossoms – Photograph by Laura Lecce

The Polka Dotted Butterfly

December 18, 2015April 28, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 1 Comment

This photo was taken in Ontario, Canada, on the way to see Niagara Falls. I sat next to this large pot of colorful flowers, and this butterfly decided to sit next to me. I absolutely love the white polka dots on his black and brown wings.

Spring Sunshine

December 7, 2015April 28, 2016 ~ laura lecce ~ 4 Comments

Eye Catching - Photograph by Laura Lecce — Eye Catching – Photograph by Laura Lecce

These beautiful flowers were photographed in Tasmania, Australia. Usually not a fan of the color orange, these brilliant and vibrant flowers were too wonderful to ignore. They are the bright sunshine on a gloomy day. Looking back at these photos made me wonder why that particular flower, out of all of them, deserved a close up. I will never know the answer, but it’s nice to think that there is still an individual in a seemingly endless sea of perfect flowers.