When you don’t have time to drive out in the wilderness, the Botanical Garden at the University of North Carolina in Asheville is a great place for photography of native plants. They collect plants from the Appalachians and have a very pleasing display with easy access from the parking lot and a series of paths that wander by the flowers. Asheville is at a lower elevation than most of the area, so it is a great place to go in early spring to photograph the first wildflowers. The wind was gusty the day I visited, so I had to wait between blasts to click the shutter.
Dogwood is always photogenic. There were not many blossoms out yet, but I like the stance of this blossom as it was preparing to open more fully. I added a texture to the Dogwood that gave more of a feeling of wind and made it stand out more from the background.
There was an old Cherry tree, half falling over that was covered with pink flowers and deeper pink buds. I used my Lensbaby Velvet 56 to give a painterly feel to the photo, especially the buds in the background.
I find that the Ragwort below is a weed in my garden. I spend time every year trying to get rid of them. They don’t seem to be a photographic subject because they usually look like they are dying. This plant at the Botanical Garden had just come out and the blossom didn’t look too messy. What I liked about this Ragwort is how the buds close-up are purple and really popped out in the sea of complimentary yellow.
