I’ve been meaning to post these hyacinth photos for the longest time but life gets busy as you may know and the seasons pass. Delft blue is an unusual color for flowers but I love this crisp colorful hue in early spring. When these hyacinths bloom in their blue and white porcelain pot I know that spring on the back patio has officially begun!

Thanksgiving is a special holiday because it celebrates family, the abundance of the harvest, and gratitude for the gifts and blessings in our lives. Setting the table for the annual Thanksgiving feast is one of my favorite ways to make the day memorable for our family.

I’ve realized that I measure time in flowers, that each year is summarized in the form of a home grown bouquet. This season dahlias in a range of pinks and burgundy were most memorable and are still blooming beautifully now in late September.

As spring approaches I find myself looking through the many floral and garden photos I’ve taken over the years. The star magnolia photos are some of my favorites because they symbolize the birth of spring to me and our magnolia tree is the first tree we purchased and planted for our home.

The studio is bustling this month with the sound of holiday music playing as I paint a myriad of flowers on glass ball ornaments for gifts and for sale. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the season and make something special for friends and collectors.

The growing season here in California lasts well into the fall. In fact October is one of the most beautiful and fruitful times in the garden because the stifling high temperatures of summer are gone and the growth cycle begins again. We often find a surge of warm season edibles and flowers just as the first cool season vegetables start to sprout.

The garden this year is filled with experiments as I am learning to grow new varieties of flowers and vegetables. It has been a cool June in central California, so the yard is lush and green. Our elevated garden beds are packed with herbs and vegetables while most of the flowers are still in seed trays waiting to be planted for late summer blooms.

I have been wanting to move toward a new color palette lately and these dramatic and earthy blooms seemed like the perfect way to experiment with heavier more opulent hues in my work.

The 26th Annual Spring Obsession Art Competition at Ironstone Vineyards is a lovely celebration of art, wine and flowers. It is an art show and sale that coincides with the annual release of the Ironstone Obsession wines and the splendor of spring which is marked with daffodils blooming throughout the property.

Cafe au lait dahlias are cultivated for their beauty and stunning colors. They are often used in wedding bouquets and are well known for their unique, frilly petals and large size.

Creating botanical paintings is a joyful and rewarding process. It celebrates the beauty of something simple and abundant in nature while capturing the essence and individuality of flowers.