Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Flowers with Spider Webs and Tree Seeds!

When I went out to check my Columbine garden a few weeks ago, it was during the time that all of the Poplar trees were shedding their seed pods and they "snowed down" on everything.

When I went to take closeup pictures of my Columbines, I noticed that they looked like spider webs hanging all over them.

In some cases, the spiders actually took up residence and used the seed pod "cotton" to make webs as well amongst the flowers.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy looking at the delicate webs both the tree seeds and the spider webs made:

If you look close at this one, you WILL see a spider who is taking advantage of the windfall seed pods. He is in the lower left of the picture!:

There are just a few "webs" in the flowers on the right of this photo:




This one is all fuzzy from the seed pod webs:




This one needs a shave!
Doesn't it look like a little bird on the right, with a yellow beak, ready to take off in flight?:





Again, the spiders already found this condo to live in:






This is a closeup of the fuzz on the delicate petals of this one:








This one is wearing a toupee of it!:


You could hardly see any of this with your naked eyes....it only showed up when I loaded the pictures larger on my computer...and I was quite excited to see what detail and fun it brought to the pictures of the Columbines. Nature always finds a way to amaze me!

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27 comments:

  1. ♥ Boomer ♥July 7, 2009 at 9:07 PM

    These are simply amazing!! And what close-ups you got! I'm afraid that close, my camera, poor thing, would only blur everything!!

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  2. BernieJuly 7, 2009 at 10:39 PM

    And your post always find a way to amaze me....more great photos my friend, your love of nature shows through in all that you do...Hugs

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  3. lagirl/sweet teaJuly 7, 2009 at 10:49 PM

    That spider is darn clever!
    Will he damage your plants?
    My flowers have not done well this year so I am enjoying yours! Beautiful!

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  4. blushing roseJuly 7, 2009 at 11:01 PM

    Oh, how I love my columbine. Love shaking the seeds throughout garden to come back next year ... & they do.
    Yours are breathtaking. TTFN ~Marydon

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  5. L. D. July 7, 2009 at 11:08 PM

    Beautiful photos of columbine. I think they look a lot like Japanese lanterns. You have a nice collection of colors, webs and all.

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  6. Tatyana@MySecretGardenJuly 7, 2009 at 11:17 PM

    Wow! Actually, two Wows!! First, for the amazing pictures and comments and the second wow is for having a columbine GARDEN! How many types do you have, I am curious. I have only 3.

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  7. Catherine@AGardenerinProgressJuly 7, 2009 at 11:29 PM

    Pretty neat what you can see in a macro shot. These are great. You have beautiful Columbines. How did you find so many pink ones?

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  8. BhushavaliJuly 8, 2009 at 1:36 AM

    This is lovely... What cam do you use...???

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  9. SueJuly 8, 2009 at 4:24 AM

    It's fun to see what "shows up" when pictures get loaded. Your photos are wonderful!

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  10. MicheleJuly 8, 2009 at 6:39 AM

    Your closeups are really and truly amazing. It is incredible what nature has to offer from what we can see but get down like a little bug and see it from their view and it's a whole new world!

    Very nice post.

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  11. Wanda.....July 8, 2009 at 7:27 AM

    Beautiful Columbine photos Joan...their misty coating made them unique...I missed the sight of the flying snow from the Poplar trees this year...our rain interferred I guess.

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  12. The Retired OneJuly 8, 2009 at 9:25 AM

    Boomer: Same with my old cameras. This one (my Panasonic Lumix) simply amazes me!

    Bernie: Yes, I love my nature pictures. Be careful, I might get into nudes next....what is closer to nature? ha

    LaGirl: No, I didn't see any damage from the spiders..no holes in the leaves and the flowers grew well. ha

    Blushing: They DO produce seeds, don't they??? I collected a lot in envelopes last year and I still found TONS of seeds that started sprouts in the garden anyway! (They must have fallen out of my hands as I was shaking them into the envelopes). I love them all though.
    Between those and the forget me nots in my garden, they fill in everywhere!

    L.D.: They DO look a lot like Japanese lanterns! They are all so different...some point up some point sideways, some down...different colors and still they remind me of tropical flowers.

    Tatyana: I think I have 5 or 6. Some were hybrid ones I bought and about 3 are ones that were growing wild in a yard in an old house we purchased.

    Gardener: I bought some (believe it or not at Walmart) and the rest were growing in a lot with an old house on it that we bought. I just sprinkled the seeds from them in my garden and viola, they grow there every year now...I am getting more and more.

    Mitr: I use a Panasonic Lumix. Believe it or not it is a point and shoot (not a DSRL) but it does have ways to adjust to almost manual settings too. I love it because it has a 18X zoom and 10 megapixels. It is the best camera I have ever had!!

    Sue: thanks so much. I loved them when I saw them too!

    Michelle: It is an amazing macro world, isn't it? I agree...you see things your eyes can't....I love the details of things when they are blown up like a microscope!!

    Wanda: Thanks so much. Wow, you couldn't miss the Poplar snowing this year here...everything was covered...our lake looked like it had snow on it again!

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  13. A Brit in TennesseeJuly 8, 2009 at 10:59 AM

    Just beautiful close-up shots of your columbines, even the little spider himself ;)
    You have an amazing collection, thank you fro sharing them with us..

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  14. glnrozJuly 8, 2009 at 11:55 AM

    Reduntant here: Great shots,, it had to be said,, thankx

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  15. grannyannJuly 8, 2009 at 12:54 PM

    How interesting! Never had seen anything like that. Need to look closer. Thanks

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  16. LadyFiJuly 8, 2009 at 1:51 PM

    What stunning pictures! And such vibrant colours.

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  17. Linda CollisonJuly 8, 2009 at 2:24 PM

    Good eye! How much is all around us that we don't see...
    I love spiders and flowers. Your photos are amazing.

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  18. AnonymousJuly 8, 2009 at 2:47 PM

    Such vibrant color!! Good job!! You must have a very steady hand.

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  19. SquirrelQueenJuly 8, 2009 at 3:02 PM

    This is why I love macro so much, it brings out details that the eye will miss. I took a shot of a bee yesterday and when I downloaded it to the computer I saw little spider legs under a leaf.

    Great photos, your flowers are beautiful.

    Judy

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  20. The Retired OneJuly 8, 2009 at 6:13 PM

    Brit: You are so welcome! Thank you for visiting my blog often and leaving comments..it inspires me to keep writing and taking photographs.

    Ginroz: You are new to my blog! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a wonderful compliment. Please join on as a Follower so that you can be notified of my posts. I would love that!

    Grannyann: I never would have noticed either, except when I loaded my pictures on my computer and could see the macro pictures..it is always like Christmas. ha

    Ladyfi: Thanks so much. I loved taking them! You are new to my blog! Welcome. Please join on as a Follower..I love when people are regular readers.

    lscollison: Linda, you are also new to my blog, right? I stopped by and joined on as a Follower to your blog, I hope you do the same! I would love it if you would regularly read my blog. I loved some of your pictures, too...and did you know I am a retired R.N., too?

    Cathy: I am lucky in that I have not had to use a tripod yet. Even when we were on the boat with the waves rocking it, I was able to catch the eagle pictures. A few were blurry, but I take quite a lot of shots in case this happens!

    SquirrelQueen: Thanks Judy! Yes, macro has opened a whole new world for me. In fact, I started this blog to be able to do some creative writing....but when I got my new camera and had the macro and zoom capabilities, the blog quickly turned out to be more of a photography blog than a creative writing one....

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  21. Rick (Ratty)July 8, 2009 at 8:48 PM

    I really love the deep red of some of these flowers. Your flower pictures are giving me an appreciation of flowers that I never had before.

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  22. ShelleyJuly 9, 2009 at 8:10 AM

    I always love the detail you capture w/ your flowers - neat to see this!!

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  23. The Retired OneJuly 9, 2009 at 9:21 AM

    Ratty: I am so glad! Its okay to be a guy and love flowers...I think my husband loves them even more than me, now. I have really gained a better appreciation than ever since I started photographs of them.

    Shellmo: Thanks! I love my flowers and birds. ha

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  24. Sandi McBrideJuly 9, 2009 at 11:54 AM

    You don't know the lengths I've gone to in order to find your blog! I saw you had joined my blog as a follower and I wanted to return the favor...at long last, I've run you to earth...and on a great post...I adore my Columbine garden and have encouraged all and sundry to start one of these wonderful perennial beds! They'll be blessed every spring and summer, won't they? Lovely post and photos!
    Sandi

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  25. The Retired OneJuly 9, 2009 at 7:28 PM

    Sandi: So sorry it was so hard to find my blog for you..all you needed to do was click on my comment on your blog where it said "The Retired One". That would have brought you to my profile and under my links it lists my blog...then you can just click on the name of my blog and viola...get to it.
    Anyway, I am so glad you found me!
    I am enjoying your blog, too!
    Thanks for joining on as a Follower!!

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  26. Ana-MariaJuly 10, 2009 at 12:22 PM

    Beautiful photography flowers!Congrratulations!

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  27. The Retired OneJuly 10, 2009 at 3:43 PM

    Ana Maria:
    Thanks so much! Hope you stop by often and if you haven't already, join on as a Follower! I would love that.

    ReplyDelete

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