While looking through a photo album containing nearly twenty year old photographs, in search of some pictures to post on Facebook of my ex-mother-in-law who passed away one week ago, I happened upon these three photos. Being this old, they must be some of the first attempts at photographing flowers that has now turned into my passion/obsession. The original 4×6 proofs were nothing spectacular until I boosted the colors using the free software program Picasa, offered by Google. With just one click of Picasa’s boost button, I was amazed at the results.
Resurrection Lilies, whose botanical name is Lycoris Squamigera, are a member of the Amaryllidaceae family of plants. These unique flowers are so named because their thick, grayish-green leaves first grow in early spring to a height of twelve inches tall and an inch wide, and then die back during June. Then during August and September, the bare stalk of the flowers seeming rise from the dead to a height of two feet, with each stalk bearing four to seven funnel-shaped flowers. The blooms range in color from white to pink to magenta and are quite fragrant.
Sometimes referred to as a Surprise Lily, Magic Lily or Naked Lily, Resurrection Lilies are believed to have originated in either China or Japan, perhaps as a hybrid plant. Resurrections are very cold hardy and grow in nearly all soil types, especially well in organically rich, medium wet but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.
If I am fortunate to have you view my photographs and you find the color saturation too much or the color schemes of the mats do not match either themselves or the photograph, please let me know via a comment. Being color-blind, what might look great to me might look like crap to everyone else!
Steven H. Spring
TalkingLoudAndSayingNothing 