A Macro View of Spring

After getting a much nicer D-SLR camera, I realized a feature that had been on my more simple point-and-shoot camera.  I am very happy to have the new D-SLR, but I am also happy to know that one type of picture I was always struggling to get with my point-and-shoot is not so hard after all!

There is a macro setting that basically  instructs the camera to use a shorter focal length to focus on a nearby object in the foreground.

I like using this feature to get detailed shots of blooms or different features of plants.  So here's a look at some of the blooms from my last post - only in macro!

Saucer Magnolia Tree (Magnolia x soulangeana)

Saucer Magnolia Tree (Magnolia x soulangeana)

Flowering Almond Bush (Prunus glandulosa)

Flowering Quince Bush (Chaenomeles speciose)

Euphorbia martinii 'Tiny Tim'

Flowering Peach Tree (Prunus persica)

Flowering Peach Tree (Prunus persica)

Dwarf Rhododendron

Our "wild" violets - Wooly Blue Violet (Viola sororia)

Miniature Daffodils - thumb used for size comparison

Everything in bloom

I walked, I cycled, I drove - all over town this weekend.  Everywhere I went I saw trees and bushes covered in white, yellow, pink and purple blooms.

Here at my house there are quite a few sights to see.  In the front yard our Saucer Magnolia and Peach Tree are blooming.  The Saucer Magnolia looks about the same as last year, so I won't post any new pictures.  The Peach tree has grown a lot since last year, though.

Flowering Peach tree - Prunus persica

I love the two different bloom colors on this one tree.  One is a solid magenta and the other is a very light pink with occasional streaks of magenta.

Peach blossoms

In the backyard, our quince and daffodils are still blooming.  Also, the Redbud trees have just started to open.  [I have plans to post more about our Oklahoma Redbuds next month - on Arbor Day.]

Last year I dug up several offshoots from our huge flowering quince bush and planted them along one of our fence lines, with the hope that someday we will have a solid pink hedge along that fence.  The transplanted offshoots are putting out new leaves, but no blooms this year.

Along the same fence I planted a short stem of a flowering Almond bush that my mother-in-law gave me from her bush that was damaged last year.  I was shocked this weekend to see that not only did it survive the transplant and the winter, the tiny stem is blooming!

Pee-Wee volunteered to pose next to the Almond bush (Prunus glandulosa) for size comparison. Note: Pee-Wee is tiny. Inside the tomato cage is a tinier bush.  See the next image.

Buds on my tiny Flowering Almond bush - Prunus glandulosa

Apparently this little bush is happy, since it is putting out blooms at such as small state.  I'm looking forward to seeing this bush grow over the summer.

Stay tuned for more blooming updates.  I have some Redbud pictures and an unidentified white bush to show.