June 2, 2011

blossom time


The crabapples are in full bloom here in our little Montana valley, and boy are they gorgeous. As in, I almost drove off the road several times yesterday when one would catch my eye. That kind of gorgeous. All shades of pink and gorgeous whites.


Last spring, we planted two weeping crabapples in front of the greenhouse, and this year they are putting on an amazing show.


Time to break out my Florabella actions and textures and have some fun.

A little texture......


I'm still not sold on my texturing skills, but they are so fun to play with.


I love the pink blossom/whitish blush bloom combination.


A little pink sky....


Who doesn't love a pink sky?

My youngest brought home his art portfolio yesterday and we had a discussion about how to add the surreal factor to your artwork.

This is my contribution to the world of surreal art. A pink sky.

Speaking of pink.....


Water droplets anyone?


I love them all, but I think the first shot is my very favorite.

Here it is again, so you don't have to scroll all the way to the top. I always try to help a sister out any way I can.


Do crabapples do well where you live? Or are dogwoods your spring showstopper? Perhaps the beautiful redbud?

Name your favorite spring tree!

(Disclaimer....I realize for some of you that spring is long gone, and you are currently blazing your way through summer, but for today, pretend you're a northern girl and your blossoms are still doing their springy thing!)

48 comments:

  1. These are beautiful pics Teresa!! My favorite? I confess, I am a little bit partial to the Cleveland Pear Trees in our yard. You've already seen the pics: http://sally-drinkingfrommysaucer.blogspot.com/2011/04/test-for-photo-rollover.html

    However, all of the flowers are long gone, and the trees are filled with shiny leaves -- so pretty. I love these trees at any stage. They're so beautiful in the fall! But, whoa - we don't want to go THERE yet! Have a great day, Friend. ~Sally

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  2. gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! and yes, that first one is my favorite too!

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  3. So beautiful! Our crabapple in the NW is all leafed out - but your pictures remind me again of how pretty it is in spring. Thanks for sharing all your gorgeous pics!

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  4. Ha! Feels like Spring is just getting started here too. :-{
    In my former life in Georgia, I loved dogwoods and still do, especially the pink ones. I imagine they would be pretty against a pink sky too.

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  5. Your photography is wonderful. My favorite is the cherry tree...goes back to my childhood. We would make leis out of the blossoms. Our spring is still springing and I think rather confused. Still many buds rather than flowers.
    And today is gray and rainy. We are headed for some good weather, though.
    Annette

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  6. My yard is fairly new so my trees are small. I have a twisted redbud and it was so pretty this year. The rain knocked all of my blossoms off of my crabapple soon after it bloomed. :( I love your photos! Wish I had your talent. I recently took a 2 hr. photo class offered here. Did learn a little. Before that, when ever you mentioned aperature I had no idea what you meant. I know, could I be that dumb? YUP! I'll never be as good as you, but I need to read and practice, practice, practice!

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  7. living way out here in the desert spring is just a distant memory of my college days in the midwest. But, each April the Palo Verde bloom their tiny yellow blossoms and it is quite pretty!

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  8. Our spring may have forgotten to come this year... My favorites are the weeping cherry and tree peony that are right outside my window. The weeping cherry is done, but the peony has SIX enormous blooms right now. Heavenly! :)

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures.

    Pam

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  9. Our crabapple never looked that good. But our pear tree was gorgeous this year! Wish I could tag along and pick up some of your talented photo skills Teresa!
    xo Cathy - who is very grateful for you foreseeing the need to not scroll back to the top for that gorgeous shot!

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  10. Our neighborhood has some dogwoods. Your photos are always so gorgeous, as is your blog. I haven't tried the textures yet. Afraid I'd never get anything done then! And I barely get much done now. Thanks for sharing the beauty of your surroundings.
    Brenda

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  11. I walk away from this post with a heart-felt belief that I need a pair of weeping crabapples in my life. They shall replace the two dwarf lilacs at the end of the sidewalk to the porch. You know, the dwarf lilacs that died a slow and painful death at the claws of Ralphie and his brutish gang who mistook them for personal scratching posts.

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  12. For some time I have been trying to post a comment. Guess blogger is still acting up. I did find I can post under anonymous. If I try and log in and when I click post comment it directs me back to the sign in page.


    You truly have a God given talent, quite the photographer's eye. I so enjoy visiting...

    God bless and keep you safe.
    Tammy
    simplesouthernhappiness

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  13. Your photos are amazing! Pure gorgeous. I love crab apple blossoms.

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  14. Here in Virginia we've got the state tree dogwood, and dontcha dare cut it in any way! I am nearly 500 years old and still don't know if that's the law or some country cultural thing I was taught. Either way, it's hands off for me, but I do enjoy looking - hope that's legal, right?! Love your beautiful crabapple blooms!

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  15. Beautiful pictures! We have a crabapple tree in our front yard too and I love it! Being that we are in your neighboring state, we're still enjoying spring too. Although I have a feeling summer is going to come blazing in very soon!

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  16. Pretty, pretty, pretty! I, of course, like the one with the bee. :)

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  17. As always your photos are G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S!!

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  18. Dogwoods are the showstoppers here and yes they're pretty much over. But not for long gal. Love the colors, textures, everything. You rock. Carol

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  19. Blazing is an understatement! It has been in the mid 90's all week here in Charleston. We've picked and eaten our first tomatoes already. Your crabapples are gorgeous Teresa! LOVE the pink. You need to stop by my blog today and see the plant I'm featuring, it is a behemoth, but so amazing. Hugs and blessings Nan

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  20. My reaction to the first photo the moment I saw it---WOW! Thank you for reposting so I did not have to scroll to the top to see it again.

    My crap apple is blooming right now here in MN so I am going to get my camera out right after this and see if I can capture it as beautifully as you did yours. Have my doubts but I will try.

    p.s. NanE: envious of the fact that you are eating garden fresh tomatoes already. It will be about 7-8 weeks before that happens around here.

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  21. Loved your crab apple blossoms photos. My favorite is cherry - the falling blossoms are like pink snow.
    - Joy

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  22. Your photographs absolutely blow me away. The one with the bee? Stunning!

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  23. I have a silly question, but does some sort of apple follow these gloriously marvelous blossoms?

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  24. Yes Ali... to answer/following up on Ali's above comment.

    Which is what I was going to say...

    Crabapples bring back some really interesting memories for me. My grandparents had a small orchard. Us cousins would gather up fallen crabapples off the ground and have a crabapple battle. Ouch! We'd set up a sign and try so hard to sell them alongside the road for who knows how much - along with other fruit and berries. Nobody bought any. But, my Grammy would make a great Crabapple Jelly. ;)

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  25. You are so talented. What kind of camera do you use? Even if my pix could look half as good as your pix I would be a happy girl!

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  26. Dogwoods and Magnolias here in St. Charles, Missouri! And yes, it's blazing hot but the evenings are nice and because of the wicked tornadoes lately, there's a constant breeze.

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  27. I love a red maple tree and have one out my front door!! I just added your lovely blog as a favorite one on mine!!It's beautiful!
    http://claudiafinn.blogspot.com/

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  28. Absolutely beautiful photographs! I wish it were still spring here. It hit 100 today! My favorite spring tree is the redbud, because it's the first tree to bloom down here.

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  29. Nothing can touch the smell of lilacs in spring. And they can actually survive around here! We've had a very long spring/winter here too in Colorado!

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  30. Beautiful Pics!! Definitely HOT here in the midwest & yes, spring is loooong gone! :( I LOVE spring, but it just never seems to hang along very long around these parts!! Seems like we always go straight to summer! HATE that!! As for my favorite spring tree...I like the Dogwoods & the Bradford Pears! :)

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  31. Beautiful pictures!...I can't pick a favorite...I think I like them all!:) I just noticed you're in Montana. I grew up there...Lots of great memories...

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  32. These are beautiful shots! We're one of the ones blazing into summer! I'd have to say redbuds.

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  33. Gorgeous pictures and gorgeous flowers! I am not that familiar with flowering trees except for what I have seen in photos. My dream is to have a flowering tree, maybe a flowering pear, in the backyard. However living in the desert, it may or may not survive.

    I may have to look into these crabapples. They are pretty.

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  34. As soon as I saw these photos I immediately thought Florabella. And then I read through it and BINGO! Oh, how I adore these actions and textures. I use PSE and for the life of me cannot figure out how to get them to work. *sob*

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  35. ahhh....such beautiful photos! i guess my fav here in tennessee would be the dogwoods, pink and white are both beautiful ...or were beautiful about 2 months ago ;) we are well into summer...as in too hot to even walk outside unless you are going to be up to your head in water!

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  36. Beautiful photos, Teresa. I love the first shot, the lovely DOF, and the pink sky is amazing! My favorite spring bloomer is not a tree, but a lilac bush, although I do like crabapples, too. They both smell delicious.

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  37. No need to pretend, I am a northern girl and the dogwoods just shed their blossoms last week. We have redbuds too. Let me just tell you, that is a prolific tree. They grow EVERYWHERE!

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  38. so pretty and spring-like...i just adore crabapple trees...

    i love the blossoms on my seek-no-further apple tree and my little pumpkin russet apple tree...

    we are in summer mode...even though we have rain on the way for tonight..

    so happy to visit here today

    kary and teddy

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  39. I recently stumbled on to your blog and I am in love. Coming here is like a vacation from reality and it soothes my poor, tired soul. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures and your humor.

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  40. Beautiful photos!
    My favorite is the ornamental cherry tree. There's almost nothing as good as standing under one on a sunny day and watching the bright blue sky through the pink blossoms.

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  41. Oh, such wonderful photos! I just love the soft blush tones against the green. So fresh and summery :)

    Have a great weekend!
    Moa

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  42. Lovely photos! Your farm is gorgeous too - I'm having a nice visit! Favorite Spring tree is probably our little cherry - it's got the brightest pink blossoms ever!

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  43. How can you pick a favorite photo with all of those gorgeous shots?! Cherry trees are the show stoppers in my neck of the woods, especially the weeping cherry trees!

    Kat :)

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  44. What beautiful blossoms! Maydays are blooming here in AB and they smell wonderful. We are needing some sunshine though,,it is cold here. Have a happy day playing in the dirt! :)

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  45. Your photos are fabulous! Favorite spring tree? Do I have to choose just one? I love Dogwood, Japanese Cherry, and Hawthorne. Can't choose between them.

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  46. I am "over the moon" for your 'blue sky' and 'crab apple' photography. You have a wonderful eye and artistry.

    I so enjoy visiting Meadowbrook farm. Thank you . . .

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  47. I have never commented here before, but I LOVE you blog and photography. Here down in south Florida we have gorgeous orange Poinciana trees that bloom in the spring. The view of your pond with mountains in the distance takes my breathe away and makes me yearn for cooler weather.

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  48. Beautiful flowers! and beautiful photographs!

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