March 19, 2023 • 61

Lens-Artists #241: Spring

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.

William Shakespeare

This week, Sofia asks us to describe spring.

For me, it’s a time of hope and vitality, when my corner of the world is young again–giving life to new flowers, new grass, new buds on the trees. Tender shoots and buds are bravely asserting their place in the world, despite the threats of sudden cold, sudden frost, and heavy rains.

Spring is also brave because it defies the months of darkness and cold. And it is hopeful, sometimes against all odds—-like the time we stumbled upon this sight in Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona when the wildflowers burst into bloom all at once. (To read more about the superbloom and see some great photos check out Donna’s site this week.)

Lost Dutchman State Park, Arizona. Original Color. Shot with a Canon 40D.

Flowers are a necessary part of spring. How could I not love spring flowers, which do their best to cheer up the world? Here’s a gallery of some of my favorites.

Birds join in the celebration of sunshine and new life. At this time of year, I hear them more often, singing and soaring past my windows. Here you can see a sparrow that swooped down and landed on our table in the park, hoping for some leftover crumbs.

And spring is the color of new grass, when the fields turn a brilliant shade of green….like this pasture in Switzerland.

And spring is the time when people in Florence head to the river bank, and stretch out in the sun–a spring and summer ritual. You won’t find me on the grass, but I’ll be on the steps in a piazza or sitting on a park bench, soaking up the warmth.

I’ll end my post with one more tulip, captured outside the Tulip Museum in Amsterdam a few days ago. There, I learned that tulips are not native to Holland. In fact, they originated in Central Asia. During the Ottoman Empire, sultans admired, collected and displayed many tulips. Some linguists believe the word “tulip” comes from the Persian word for turban. If you look carefully at a turban, it does in fact resemble the shape of a tulip just before it blooms.

Now that we’re back in Florence, spring has arrived. The magnolia tree is blooming across the piazza, so it’s official! We invite you to join Sofia’s Spring challenge–no matter what season it is in your part of the world. We are all looking forward to seeing what spring means to you. Remember to link back to Sofia’s post and include the Lens-Artists tag.

Last week, John challenged us to explore our most often travelled road(s) in photography. We certainly take many different paths, but we’re united in our desire to create the most visually-pleasing images. Next week, Anne will inspire us, so be sure to visit Slow Shutter Speed next Saturday at noon EST. Until then, have a week filled with good health, sunshine and plenty of inspiration.

For more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.

Categories: LENS-ARTISTS, Photography

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61 replies »

  1. Lovely, lovely!! Is that wisteria in the Jardin Botanico in Malaga, Spain? It looks so familiar! Thank you for your lovely spring images as we await spring in the upper midwest, still. The good news is that temps will be above freezing for the next 10 days! Utter bliss!! Enjoy your week!

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    • Thanks, Toby! The wisteria is from the Villa Bardini in Florence. I can imagine how beautiful the gardens are in Malaga! I hope you have started the official “warm up” to spring! Enjoy your week, too.

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      • Yes, that Jardin is so beautiful in Malaga! Can’t wait to see it again. Hoping for next spring when the wisteria will be in bloom. Warm up begins today, whee!!

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  3. Wow, Patti, what a great post! I love your words, I love your flowers, I love that you showed a bit of the human behaviour because of Spring. I also loved you mentioned the same event as Donna that I knew nothing about, it’s wonderful to learn new things, just like that. I think I’d seat on that grass tho, it looks inviting.

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  4. Patti, thank you for taking us around the globe with your beautiful floral images. While I was gone, there were several storms in the Sacramento area. I came back to sunshine, but another storm is hitting us today.

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  5. A beautiful post as always Patti – I envy your visit to Amsterdam. Tulips may not have originated there but I suspect there are more there than anywhere else in the world. I’d love to see the tulip fields in full bloom! Until then I shall live vicariously through you and your glorious floral images.

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    • Hi, Tina. Yes, I think you’re right. There must be more tulips in the Netherlands than anywhere else! We saw the fields many years ago when I wasn’t that interested in photography. We wanted to go this time, but we were there about 2 weeks too soon. Next time? Thanks for your kind words about my post, too. And have a sunny week with some golf, I hope!

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  6. I second the sentiment from Tina – I’ve never been to the Tulip Gardens in Amsterdam and have a deep desire to do so. May be one day! The Wisteria garden is awesome, as are the rest of the pictures Patti!

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    • Thank you, PR! I’m going to plan my next trip to Amsterdam so that I can capture the tulip fields. We were around 2 weeks too early this time. Too bad! But the tulips and daffodils were starting to bloom. They really do bring happiness to so many of us!

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    • Hi, Yvette. Yes, that orange! Isn’t it spectacular! I have been wearing an orange scarf in that same color. It’s such a rich color, isn’t it? I hope the sun is shining where you are!

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      • Oh your orange scarf Sounds awesome – I can imagine it
        I grabbed a small and thin “tan and brown” faux fur scarf in February (mega clearance and so I thought – eh why not”) and I am not normally a scarf wearer (but I love the way they look on so many folks) anyhow / I expected the scarf to sit in my closet unused – but guess what? I wore it three times already – we had frigid mornings (20s) this week and so it was just “fun” throwing that little “fresh new and warm” scarf on..
        Ahhhh how fun to have scarf talk!

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  18. It’s funny, before I read your post, I was thinking Florence must be fun about now. Everyone comes outside to the patios, coffee bars, and the grassy fields. And there you are…

    Thank you for the shoutout. Lost Dutchman is a blaze of color right now and a favorite viewing spot. That shot is beautiful and one that we only see when conditions are right. I have also learned (off the subject) that twice a year in March and November(?) the shadow on the Sups at sunset, is in the shape of a cougar.

    And I have to say, your favorite flower photos are also mine. Beautiful. Happy Spring, Patti.

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  22. Pingback: Lens-ArtistPC-241-Spring – WoollyMuses

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