Sunday, April 12, 2009

TODAY'S FLOWERS ~ 23 Autumnal Surprises.

All photos can be enlarged for a closer look.



Colchicum, erroniously also called the Autumn Crocus,
is totally unrelated to the Crocus which flowers in spring,
has proved yet again that life exists where it is least
expected. All the shrubs in this garden bed have
succumbed to our persisting drought, and still in our dry
and sere garden, this joyful emissary of hope appears.



All three clumps are flowering their hardest, feeding
bees and tiny butterflies alike where there is hardly
any other food available.



Wishing you all a Happy Easter, Passover or
just a little break in your everyday life.

Thanks to Luiz Santilly Jr. who initiated this meme
and to the whole team who make it such a success.
at

59 comments:

  1. SharonApril 12, 2009 at 5:13 AM

    Beautiful color!!! Happy Easter:)

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  2. Cedar ...April 12, 2009 at 5:15 AM

    How wonderful that these are surviving so beautifully! I hope that you get some winter rains and next year you have so many more blossoms on many different flowers!

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  3. GattinaApril 12, 2009 at 6:34 AM

    Beautful !! Perfect for Easter !

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  4. CarolynApril 12, 2009 at 6:38 AM

    I love flowers but the first ones of spring are always my favourite because they work so hard to come back. These are lovely photos, thank you for sharing.
    Smiles

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  5. Ruth's Photo BlogApril 12, 2009 at 6:58 AM

    Good Easter Morning,
    Beautiful flowers,flowers of hope just like we have hope since Christ rose from the dead.
    Blessings,Ruth

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  6. MariamellieApril 12, 2009 at 7:23 AM

    Dear Arija, I love your words: "Life exists where it is least expected".... so wonderful. Lovely flowers too! =)

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  7. AnonymousApril 12, 2009 at 7:53 AM

    Wow, very perfect for Easter. I love the color, and this is where I've seen a crocus with a top view. Beautiful.

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  8. NaturegirlApril 12, 2009 at 8:37 AM

    Delightful little pink flower!
    Happy Easter to you!

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  9. BarbaraApril 12, 2009 at 8:44 AM

    Arija
    Happy Easter.
    Love that there are so many clumped together. Gorgous captures.
    Smiles B

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  10. kazuApril 12, 2009 at 9:09 AM

    How beautiful flowers.
    The color is very goog.
    Great photos. I like it!
    Perfect for Easter.

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  11. The Weaver of GrassApril 12, 2009 at 10:13 AM

    In UK Arija, we call these colchicums "naked ladies" because their leaves die down before they flower. They are such a lovely clear colour - I am pleased they have survived the drought - they are jolly hardy (as are we ladies!)

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  12. Suffeli kuvaileeApril 12, 2009 at 10:37 AM

    SO BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS ;)

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  13. Island StyleApril 12, 2009 at 10:47 AM

    Gorgeous shots..love the bee in the center--peony in so lovely..Have a Blessed Easter-

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  14. Müge TekilApril 12, 2009 at 11:34 AM

    Lovely miraculous flowers! Happy Easter to you and your family!

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  15. Ces AdorioApril 12, 2009 at 12:47 PM

    Oh these are truly beautiful! The colors are gorgeous and reminiscent of Holy Week.

    I notice you have space on your sidebar so if you are so inclined to fill it up with more gadgets, stop by and get a couple. Happy Easter my dear friend.

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  16. Gill - That British WomanApril 12, 2009 at 2:00 PM

    those are so pretty.....

    Gill in Canada

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  17. MariaApril 12, 2009 at 2:27 PM

    Herbstzeitlosen! So beautiful! It's funny for us to see them bloom at Easter when here Spring starts :)))
    Happy Easter, Arija

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  18. DeniseinVAApril 12, 2009 at 2:53 PM

    How wonderful that they are so hardy, something to look forward to indeed. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful flower.

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  19. GaelynApril 12, 2009 at 3:02 PM

    Arija, these lovely flowers are survivors and the birds and bees will help recolonize them elsewhere. I'm so glad you have some color in your garden.

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  20. Pat - ArkansasApril 12, 2009 at 3:08 PM

    Beautiful little flower! That bee seems to be enjoying her visit.

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  21. AnonymousApril 12, 2009 at 3:14 PM

    Last week I noticed at my friend's house a patch of crocus's appeared. She was moving house and when she went back to get them someone had dug them up! So thanks for your post today - they are so lovely.

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  22. EbieApril 12, 2009 at 3:39 PM

    The bee is loving your flower, and so am I. Lovely garden.

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  23. LeoraApril 12, 2009 at 4:28 PM

    So nice to see a lovely flower for this year! I hope you get much rain in your fall and winter. It's a beauty.

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  24. dotApril 12, 2009 at 5:33 PM

    Amazing flower and very pretty too. I like the shot with the bee.

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  25. AnonymousApril 12, 2009 at 6:20 PM

    I love the color and the little visitor with the flower. ;-)

    Paz

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  26. kayleenApril 12, 2009 at 7:48 PM

    So pretty and so dainty. It's wonderful that they survived. Great photos.

    Nebraska Birding

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  27. Pamela Terry and EdwardApril 12, 2009 at 8:19 PM

    Edward and I hope you are enjoying a lovely Easter!! Those flowers are beautiful and I love that you are coming into autumn as we are into spring. I feel that the joy of all the seasons is available for me via my friends all around the blog world!!

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  28. Sylvia KApril 12, 2009 at 8:47 PM

    Exquisite flowers, beautiful colors! Always love your photos and your words. Hope you've had a great weekend!

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  29. LannyApril 12, 2009 at 9:44 PM

    Isn't it amazing what will survive in spite of everything?

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  30. Sara Chapman in SeattleApril 12, 2009 at 10:09 PM

    I read that the precious herb saffron is harvested from Autumn Crocus stamens, but the illustration looks only similar, not the same, as these. Yours are very beautiful and welcome to see even here in the rain and wet.

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  31. CarlettaApril 12, 2009 at 10:36 PM

    I saw your title and saw what I thought was crocus - I was confused. :)
    These are lovely. I love how you caught the light on them. Thanks for telling us about them.
    Lovely shots.

    My post is here: Carletta’s Captures.

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  32. RAApril 12, 2009 at 10:45 PM

    Very beautiful crocuses! Thank you for sharing. Have a great week :)

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  33. ArijaApril 12, 2009 at 11:02 PM

    Sara, and all those who are confused: the flowers I have poted are COLCHICUM, alias Autumn Crocus. They are NOT related to spring flowering Crocus at all.
    COLCHICUM is beautiful but poisonous.
    Saffron is harvested from CROCUS sativa, the only Crocus I know of that has an edible part.

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  34. Day4plusApril 12, 2009 at 11:16 PM

    I love these brilliant Fall flowers. Such brightness in the drought, too.

    Thanks for visiting my other blog too. MB

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  35. MirageApril 12, 2009 at 11:45 PM

    A beautiful surviving bunch! Hope the situation with water gets better....All the best to you!

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  36. AnonymousApril 13, 2009 at 12:28 AM

    Wonderful purple flowers. We get them too here, but in September!

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  37. Reader WilApril 13, 2009 at 12:31 AM

    These crocusses are lovely and I am glad that there are again flowers in your garden . My garden is small and I have only two flowering shrubs: the camelia in the back garden. In the front garden a flowering forsythia and some bulbs.

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  38. RaceApril 13, 2009 at 1:26 AM

    that's really a joyful sight! love the shots, so vivid!

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  39. Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪April 13, 2009 at 3:02 AM

    Are these yellow stigmas similar to the saffron we get?

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  40. Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪April 13, 2009 at 3:02 AM

    Are these yellow stigmas similar to the saffron we get?

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  41. AnonymousApril 13, 2009 at 3:06 AM

    Love your colourful "Herbst Krokus".
    We are still waiting for spring and you are showing fall flowers.
    Hope rain will return for the coming garden season.
    -Cheers Gisela

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  42. VALKYRIENApril 13, 2009 at 4:06 AM

    Gorgeous flower, and perfect for Easter! Lovely photos Arija!

    Happy Easter to you!

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  43. NealApril 13, 2009 at 4:08 AM

    Those are really, really beautiful.

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  44. Bradley HsiApril 13, 2009 at 4:14 AM

    We used to have crocus in our garden. They struggled to come out after the harsh winter of northeast, like your colchicum struggled out after the dry summer. Not easy to be a flower. Thanks for visiting our blog and nice comments.

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  45. This Is My Blog - fishing guyApril 13, 2009 at 4:26 AM

    Arija: Very neat, I didn't know they had a Crocus to bloom late, very neat.

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  46. AnonymousApril 13, 2009 at 4:35 AM

    Lovely flowers that will brighten up any place :)

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  47. MicheleApril 13, 2009 at 4:43 AM

    Absolutely beautiful, how refreshing to see such colors on my morning!

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  48. SunshineApril 13, 2009 at 5:25 AM

    absolutely beautiful, love the color..

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  49. JanApril 13, 2009 at 8:00 AM

    Bautiful. Love the last one with the bee.

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  50. TulipApril 13, 2009 at 8:02 AM

    my favorite color so lovely flowers. happy easter!

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  51. MedaMApril 13, 2009 at 11:40 AM

    Beautiful series of lovely flowers that really remind me of crocuses. Hope you have a happy Easter!

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  52. AnonymousApril 13, 2009 at 1:13 PM

    Happy Easter to you! What a beautiful color for Easter - it's perfect!

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  53. Karen ~Georgia AngelApril 13, 2009 at 5:41 PM

    So pretty. Thanks for sharing & thanks for visiting my blog.

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  54. sunnymamaApril 13, 2009 at 6:43 PM

    They're very pretty flowers!

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  55. Lilli & NevadaApril 13, 2009 at 8:41 PM

    wow those are beautiful i like how you capture the bee

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  56. OlgaApril 14, 2009 at 6:05 AM

    Those are so pretty! Love the vibrant color.

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  57. Tammie LeeApril 14, 2009 at 9:04 AM

    Oh my such gorgeous images!

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  58. Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪April 14, 2009 at 10:25 PM

    Today on our TV, a presenter was showing a crocus flower. It looked like your photo.

    She kept the stigma and said it was the expensivie saffron.

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  59. Luiz Santilli JrApril 15, 2009 at 7:33 PM

    Arija

    Your post for TODAY'S FLOWERS is fantastic!
    Marvelous flowers!
    Thanks for visiting my blog.

    Luiz

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