By now the purple Allium (Ornamental Onion flowers) are flourishing throughout the gardens. The days are warmer and the hummingbirds have returned and are whizzing around above. At this time a welcome sight are the dainty Blue Flax wildflowers. Coming in various shades of blues, purples and a lighter lilac color, they open wide to the morning sun. As morning progress, they shimmer and dance around in the spring wind.
Apparently as far as wildflowers go these are very easy to grow. Being drought tolerant, these happy, little perennial flowers appear to thrive in the xeriscape gardens. They share the space with other wildflowers and cactus too!
Like so many of the flowers I’ve encountered at the gardens, each moment offers a unique Nature photography experience.
Kissed by the Morning Light
When the morning light is just right, the sun not only encourages them to open, but the highlights it creates on the petals is beautiful.
With their little buds dangling, you can see the intricate details on the blue and purple petals. The yellow centers offer a bright contrast of colors.
When I’m able to get things just right, photos of these little flowers come out looking more like paintings. They make me think of old Victorian wallpaper or china. Or maybe I’ve watched too many episodes of Escape to the Chateau?
Either way I love the results!
They are lovely in patches. But getting an isolated shot of a Blue Flax can be magical. The image gallery below shows some of these recent shots.
Blue Flax Wildflowers – Short-lived but Beautiful
In all their delicate beauty, sadly. these flowers are short-lived with their blooms lasting only one day. You can see the remnants of blooms that have gone before them on the ground around the plants.
The beauty of these little Blue Flax wildflowers is not just the blooms themselves, but actually watching them unfold.
Closed up tight in the morning, they open wide to the warming the morning sun. As in the photo to the right, their tiny, purple, pointy buds beside them awaiting their turn to bloom!
Usually I am able to capture a few photos of bees buzzing around these flowers, but not this season. Perhaps my timing was off? Or our unusually wet spring had them foraging elsewhere?