Saturday, February 4, 2012

Weekend Reflections & TODAY'S FLOWERS - Amazonian Waterlily


Victoria amazonica had a hothouse all to herself at the Adelaide
Botanical Gardens. The sign read that she would start opening at
5 p.m. but she had barely managed to split her sepals at that time.
Unfortunately the superstructure of the hothouse reflects rather
dramatically in the lily pond, making it challenging to get just the
lily and it's pads without posts and girders.


The first petal is open and the bud is stretching allowing her
heady perfume to waft through the humid air.


Every part of the plant that has contact with the water is
protected by spines, the leaves, so smooth on the upper side,
are prickly everywhere else, as are the bud and stalks as well
as the eventual seed casing.


Gracefully she floats . . .


slowly, eve so slowly, flicking another petal from the central
bud . . .


and just when the unfurling drama is reaching it's height, the
keeper of the lily house evicts us . . . we beg to be locked in for
the night, to document the wonder of this flower but to no avail.

We are banished like common criminals although the gardens
are open for another hour. Disappointed, we slink away under
giant plane trees and along hidden paths, back to our car to face
the now thinning peak traffic home.



Enjoy the flower and her narcissistic reflections and visit many
more by clicking on either or both relevant Logos on my side bar.

43 comments:

  1. i loved your story of being evicted just when it was getting good! these are beautiful, arija!

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  2. Oh this is amazing. The flower is gorgeous.

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  3. You do always have a great story, Arija! Your flower captures are exquisite and such lovely colors and reflections for the day! Hope you've had a good weekend so far! Take care. Enjoy!

    Sylvia

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  4. Oh how cruel to kick you out during this amazing process. Love your photos!

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  5. Beautifully captured .... Beautifully written! Yes evicted like common criminals we were but not without a glimpse of the beauty starting to unfold before our very eyes..... A magical moment.

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  6. C'est un sujet classique, mais je suis toujours charmée ... la deuxième photo est parfaite !

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  7. You can believe,I enjoy your flowers and reflections by my full heart!
    We still have -30 Celsius, I can see blue sky and white snowy landscapes but no flowers :)
    Happy Sunday to you, Arija!

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  8. Beautiful series of shots! The flower is so lovely to see. It smells good too I am sure.

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  9. How beautiful and how frustrating. Thank you.

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  10. WOW!! Gorgeous reflections and beautiful flower, Arija.

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  11. I like these giant lily pads, go asmall patch here in our hot house.

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  12. What a marvelous flower, and I love your explanations too! The reflections are exquisite!
    Have a wonderful day Arija.
    B.

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  13. aww, what bad timing! these are amazing photos...how gracefully she floats.

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  14. Arija, your sequence shots tell of the beauty within.. sort of like Beauty and the beast.. Lovely.. if only the ugly stepmother never showed up to stop your documentation...

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  15. Beautiful blooms and reflections!

    Have a great week ahead.


    Regina

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  16. This is my favourite water lily! Would love to see it in its habitat, but have just seen it in greenhouses so far. It's a fantastic plant.

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  17. What beautiful lilies and I love watching the flower unfurl. That's too bad you were evicted!

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  18. absolutely gorgeous! I can see why you wanted to stay. I once watched a water lily open or a lotus, it took an hour, so slow that without looking away i could barely tell it was changing!

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  19. Isn't she beautiful, how cruel to chase you all away just as she began to show her full beauty.

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  20. I have never seen one open. Don't they look like magnolias?

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  21. Hi there - wonderful flowers - I think they have some in the Botanic Gardens here as well.

    As you can tell your comment issue seems to be fixed!

    Stewart M

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  22. Evicted, oh my...that is a shame, and just when the action was at it's peak...but you did so manage to get some wonderful images in the process. Have a beautiful week Arija~

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  23. Noooooooooooooo!!! Oh nooooooo! Foiled by the heartless keeper of the hothouse. Booooooooo. Talk about suspense! Waaaaaaaaaa, that was gorgeous. Those leaves are humongous!

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  24. Wonderful photography! What a shame that you got chased away when such a beautiful event was taking place.

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  25. Well at least you saw some of that wonderful process, but no doubt frustrating when the gardens were not closing for another hour. Ah, the keeper of the hot-house keys, the power it gives! Loved your photos Arija.

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  26. Oh wow - fabulous shots! And to think she blooms for two nights only - first white and then pink.

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  27. What a beauty. I'd beg to be locked in too.

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  28. I've never seen this fairy flower in private nor I have felt its scent. I enjoy both in your writing and in the process of these lovely photos.

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  29. No doubt, this is a supreme post. Very well written, too well photographed, post designed with a flowing theme, with good information, and an amazing flower, with its flowering stages! Wow : )

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  30. What a beautiful capture of this waterlily! We see these here too with the extra large lily leaves, but not as much as the smaller ones.

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  31. Wow! What a great story Arija -- and the pictures of this beautiful diva (with her own greenhouse!) that you did get are just amazing.

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  32. ahh! i could take pictures of lilies and their pads forever! (i think i did last time i was at a botanical garden...) great post! :)

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  33. Beautiful photos of these lovely lilies! I had to stop by when I saw you had flowers to show. Being in the dreary winter here, it is nice to see some color and warmth and flowers!

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  34. Hi Arija, I wanted to stop by and let you know I will be thinking of you and your sister every day.

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  35. Great post!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  36. Arija, I found your message on my Journey blog and I am praying for you and your sister and husband. Hugs and prayers from here.

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  37. Beautiful reflections and photos.

    Regards and best wishes

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  38. Arija, what a beautiful flower. I am starting to think that you ARE locked away somewhere as you have not posted for a week. Is everything okay? I just want you to know that I'm thinking of you! Sending hugs and prayers just in case you need them!

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  39. Sorry I am bit late on this post Arija.. The reflections are wonderful to see..
    Take care xx

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  40. Wow these flowers are so beautiful. Great job.

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  41. My condolences, Arija. I am so sorry.

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