An allium bud.
THE FIRST FLOWERS of spring always draw me close with my camera to bend and crouch and ponder how I might photograph buds and/or petals in a way that seems anything but ordinary.
I study buds clasped so tight I wonder how they will ever release. I marvel in delicate petals and the green of leaves and stems and in coiled fiddleheads.
Bleeding hearts
Every spring flower, from the first jolts of lemon-hued daffodils to the vibrant red and yellow tulips and now the pink of dainty bleeding hearts and the lavender of long-stemmed waving allium, pulls me close. Yes, even the dandelions.
A dandelion gone to seed.
As we transition into May in Minnesota, I consider the annuals I will pot, the seeds I will sow in flower beds and the perennials yet to bloom in the heat and humidity of long summer days.
This truly is the time of year when all seems brighter and greener and, oh, so full of promise.
© Copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Seems so long ago already since my Crocuses bloomed, now it’s my Spurge bush and Columbine that’s blooming 🙂
I love your macro photos , very nice!
I took these photos about a week ago and the allium are now in full bloom and the dandelions have been mowed off, with a few popping up here and there. I shot these with a regular lens. But I sure would love a macro.
What beautiful blooms and buds. It sure does make you feel like spring has definitely sprung when you see colours like this emerging in your garden. What beautiful vibrant colours xx
Everything seems so much greener, so much brighter in the spring. Just beautiful colors everywhere.
That first photo STUNNED me, Audrey. Incredibly beautiful.
Thank you, Emily. That compliment coming from you, a talented nature photographer, means a lot to me.
I’ve been thinking the exact same thoughts!