Being much more observant of what’s in bloom in my photographic locations, almost every flower I’ve encountered has been a new discovery. It’s like the wonder of a toddler and it never gets old! Now these pretty, little Blue Flax wildflowers make their wonderful springtime appearance.
Initially I came across these little gems blooming happily at one of the local Botanic Gardens. Having never seen them before they certainly caught my eye. Coming in various shades from pale blue, soft violet to a vibrant blueish-purple, they tend to show up around mid-May.
Opening to the Morning Sun
These little perennial wildflower blooms open with the morning sunlight. If you have the time, you can literally watch them as they slowly unfold.
Sadly these little blooms have a short life-span – lasting only a day before they drop away. It can look like carnage when you see the remnants of all the little blooms on the ground. Such is the lifecycle of these dainty little flowers.
It can be a bit of a challenge to capture photos of them. Often as the sun rises, the wind picks up. As these flowers are on rather thin stems. They can easily get blown around with the slightest of wind. They may look pretty blowing gently in the breeze, but it makes taking photos of them challenging. So when the morning sun encourages these little flowers to open and the wind is minimal, all systems are go – even if it’s for a few brief moments.
Blue Flax Wildflowers and California Poppies
In one of the gardens I like to frequent, I found a patch of Blue Flax wildflowers growing alongside some golden California poppies.
The contrasting colors of the Blue Flax with the poppies certainly stands out. Purples, blues and orange colors in flowers make for lovely bedfellows.
Blue Flax and California poppies appear to have similar flower opening times. The gently unfold in the morning sun. This makes it more convenient to photograph them
I recently come across a patch of Blue Flax growing closely to a favorite cactus which is getting ready to bloom. Fingers-crossed I can capture some photos of the bright red Claret Cup cactus flowers while the adjacent Blue Flax are still in bloom!
Sometimes the Photos Look Like Paintings
Utilizing an an art photography lens the results can be quite lovely. With the soft effects, sometimes the photographs of these delicate flowers look more like paintings – imho 🙂
A Bee Making Its Morning Rounds
Even though I’m highly allergic, I love when bees show up to the party. Watching them navigate the pollinating process while gently moving about these fragile little flowers is quite impressive.
And when I can actually capture a moment of them at work it totally makes my day! 🙂
If you like delicate little wildflowers and enjoyed this post see also:
● Blue Flax Wildflowers in Shades of Purples and Blues
● Sunny Mornings Give Way to Blue Flax Wildflowers