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Contrasts – Blooming Friday

4 February 2011

Swedish Blogger, Katarina at Roses and stuff hosts ‘Blooming Friday’. This week she has chosen the topic ‘Contrasts’ and after much talk, this week I’m finally going to walk the walk and join her.

If you’re a blogger perhaps you might like to join in too… I’m sure she won’t mind if you post over the weekend – just leave a link in her post for everyone to find yours. There are many, many memes in the Blogging World but this one has caught my eye a few times. So, here goes with my first contribution.

With a topic of Contrasts, I knew instantly which two photos I would include…

Colour contrasts at The National Botanic Garden of Wales last July.
Full garden tour to follow (was keeping this for a snowy day).

Contrasts in Architecture/Industry during a garden visit was the other.
July 2009. Clicking on all images should enlarge them

The view from this garden always catches my eye. Now owned by the NTS, Culross Palace (a Merchant’s House in the late 16th – early 17th century trading in coal mining and salt production) with its restored garden on one side of the Firth of Forth. Grangemouth Refineries (an oil refinery) with smoking chimneys on the other side.

Back in my garden, contrasts in garden visitors are always fun to watch and observe from the bold ‘intelligent’ Jackdaw, to the tropical ‘out in all weathers’ Goldfinch.

Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Wood mouse, Hedgehog.
Then you’ve got the contrast of night and day visitors with mice and hedgehogs usually visiting feeders at night – not always though which is great for catching photos and video 🙂

Finally, the biggest contrasts of all for a gardener…

A partially shady back garden with plenty of ground cover,
climbers and foliage providing shelter for birds and other wildlife.

An open sunny front garden with plants that enjoy the sunshine
providing food for butterflies and the very important bees.

Carder bee with pollen sac feeding on Nepata (Catmint)

Other contrasts I considered included the many textures of my plants and the contrasts in plumage between male and female birds. Standing up for the female birds visiting my garden, I think it’s a bit unfair that the males get the coats of many colours 😉

The one species that has caught my eye in the bird Kingdom (although I should add here my knowledge is limited) would be the male Superb Fairywren found in Australia. My friend told me about this bird a few years ago and I’ve never found the right time to post an image until now.

Male Superb Fairywren. Photo from Wikipedia

Nope… no Photoshop has been used to enhance anything here. Isn’t he a beauty? I just can’t imagine this bird flying from feeder to feeder in my garden… quite a contrast he would be! For those who missed my profile on our Wren, you can see the contrast here where you’ll find video too.

I wonder what springs to mind with you on the topic of Contrasts? Care to share? Wishing you a great, contrasting and fun weekend. 😀

14 thoughts on “Contrasts – Blooming Friday”

  1. I must say this is such a cheerful post full of color and contrasts. I really liked seeing the fairy wren. It reminds me of your long-tailed tit only in color.

  2. What a beautiful bird! My husband an I love to watch the birds in our yard. We try to identify as many as possible. I sure love that first photo with the Alstromeria and what looks like speedwell- I had both growing in my previous home in Portland, OR. Beautiful!

  5. The Wren looks like he knows how handsome he is. I liked all your photos but my favourite has got to be the Woodmouse stretching up on his/her skinny legs.
    …Should we get overwhelmed with aphids this year I will know where to send them 🙂

  6. I love that wonderful combination of complementary colours in the photo from the welsh national garden.There's a great article in World of Interiors this month about Great Dixter and the Lloyd family ,but what I love is the way he was so experimental with his colour combinations . It makes life exciting!

  7. That's one great garden.
    You were right about the seed that would take less energy to eat.
    I really should just come to you for ANY of my birding questions.

    I've got nada blooming this month so I find it hard to join the meme.

  8. Heisann!

    What a nice blog you have!
    And a like the way you interpret (if I can say so!) this week's topic …
    The bird is unknown to me, very beautiful.
    Enjoy Blooming Friday, and have a nice weekend ;:OD)

  11. Hi Shirl, I'm so glad you chose to join in! I enjoyed this post a lot. So many beautiful contrasts – in different ways. The bird is a beauty!

  12. Hi everyone, I hope you all had a good weekend 🙂

    We had a surprise overnight on Sunday. Monday morning saw a snow covered garden. Rain had been predicted. Guess the temps dropped.

    Lisa, I’m delighted you enjoyed it. Yes, I see what you mean about the Fairywren 🙂

    Tessa, I agree. Nice to hear you enjoy watching the birds too. Thanks, I loved that first photo too 🙂

    Gela, thanks, hope you did too 🙂

    Gunilla, thanks, hope you did too 🙂

    Denise, doesn’t he just! Ah yes… I had a series with that mouse shot in a previous post. Mm… perhaps I won’t take too many… maybe your birds will need them too 😉

    Gerry, that planting really caught my eye. I agree completely about Great Dixter. We visited when Christopher was still alive and the garden was quite a riot in some areas… definitely not dull 🙂

    Patsi, it was an interesting one. I need to sort out the other photos. Oh… I hope I could answer them. I’m not an expert, I just observe a lot. Nothing blooming here either 🙂

    Vilt, thank-you! It is a pretty little bird isn’t it? Thanks, I did enjoy joining in. We had a nice weekend, hope you did too 🙂

    Lisa/Lisas thank-you, I had fun with my photos. Thanks, I did. Hope you had a good weekend too 🙂

    Fer, hello again, thanks. I love purple flowers too 🙂

    Katarina, you are most welcome! I’ve been meaning to for some time. I had fun with this and was delighted to find an excuse to share the photo of the Fairywren 🙂

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