The Natural Beauty Of A Rose

I am almost ashame to admit this, but roses are not my favorite flower. However, I have found like many other kinds of flowers and things in Nature, I love to photography them.
Recently, I got a Nikon D3100 camera and I am trying hard to learn how to use it. It is not like my Fuji S1000 which was just a regular digital camera point and shoot. The Nikon is a much more advanced camera and I will admit at first did not like using it. The first time I took the camera out shooting, I took close to a 100 picture and only a hand full came out. I was so disappointed that I was tempted to return the camera and stick to using my Fuji. BUT that challenger part of me said, "NO WAY are you giving up!" So I practiced shooting pictures and just yesterday felt it was time to start using my larger lens.

The picture in this module is what broke the ice for me. When I seen how it came out, I figured okay I think I am getting the hang of working with this smaller lens, let's see what I can do with the big one. So out of (who knows how many picture I have shot) I can honestly say I need a lot of work! BUT I am not giving up because just like learning how to use my smaller lens, it takes a lot of practice!
I am going to share some of my macro photography of roses on this page. I have them displayed at WhiteOak's Photography and a couple at FineArt. Macro Photography is just another way saying taking close up shots of things; in this case Roses.
The beauty of a Rose so elegant and graceful. The most popular flowering shrub in the world over. It is known to express and evoke love, beauty, friendship and passion! No other flower can deliver such a variety of sentiments! I recently found an interest in taking beautiful photos of roses and would like to share these with others who find roses as beautiful and interesting as I do! I will include wonderful photos, tips, and interesting information on several types of roses! Some beautiful rose gardens and ideas to arrange roses.

Different Countries With The Same Beautiful Snow

I have to grateful life in the beautiful country, in Indonesia. There is two seasons in my country, like dry season and wet season.Where the sun almost shine every day. But I have a one dream which I can’t found it in my country. My dream is touch the snow and see the white snow in front of me. Actually there is a mountain in my country. The snow covered this mountain. But the problem is I am not a climber. I can see the snow in far away. I can really touch that snow,I have to climbed it first.Because I am not climber. So I had satisfied saw this mountain just on the news or internet. This mount called JawawijayaMountains.
So all of you who life in the countries which has winter season, you have to grateful to God. I know you all who life in US, Europe, Japan has four season. Like: summer, winter, autumn, spring. And winter is in inside the list. My biggest dream is visiting the countries with the beautiful snow. I think I’ll enjoy make snowman, skiing, and other activity around the snow. I wish my dream will come true.
As we know sometimes snow become a big problem and become disaster when the snowstorm comes. I saw from my television, it interfere our daily activities, we must stay at home, we can not go to the office or working, the student can not go to school. I can talk the bad because of snow. I’ll talk about something beautiful about snow. I hope this become inspiration for traveling idea. There are many countries have beautiful place, when the snow comes. From the 60 countries which have winter season. Only several countries become beautiful countries because of snow. Those countries have beautiful scenery when the snow comes. Here are the countries which have the beautiful snow. Maybe most of these places can only seen in calendar.

Canada
I have a lot of friends here on hubpages from Canada. I can easily found the picture of snow around the hubs. And most of those pictures were awesome. Canada is a country in North America, along Atlantic and Davis Strait to the Pacific Ocean. From Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta provinces until The Rocky Mountains will be turned into a paradise in the winter because of the snow was so beautiful. I hope I can go to Canada someday.

Switzerland
Switzerland is the one of the Midst European countries which has beautiful scenery. And the country which directly bordered with the country like Germany, France, Italy and Austria. I thought most of us familiar with Alps. Most of slopes Alps territory famous as the beautiful place covered by the snow. Therefore no wonder if the Swiss have the best snow scenery in the world.

Alaska (USA Territory)
Alaska is the part of United States of America. But the location of Alaska separate from other state. From many states in Us, Alaska is the state which has the most beautiful natural scenery and that is snow. We know that Hollywood also using Alaska as a background for their movie. I enjoy all the movies about snow. Like: Lara Croft (Thomb Raider), Heart in Atlantis, Mickey.

Norway
Why Norway has the most beautiful snow? Norway is located at Scandinavian Peninsula and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. Norway is a country which has many mountains and mostly covered by glaciers.

French
France is one country that was passed by the Alps. As we know French as a country in Western Europe. It not surprisingly French has beautiful scenery and the snow take a part. When we learn about Geography, maybe we are familiar with Mount Blanc, these mountains located on the south coast of Western Europe.

Iceland
Iceland is a country that partially covered by snow ice.A country which located near the Greenland in the north of Atlantic Ocean. Many unique places which happened by the processed of nature. Like Glaciers, geysers, waterfalls, volcanoes, Rafting, whales and other surprises await you in Iceland.

Sweden
This country bordered by Norway in the west and Finland in the northeast, the Skagerrak Strait and the Kattegat Strait in the southwest, as well as the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia in the east. Right now Sweden became a famous country as a traveling place or tourist destination. I think the government has built this country better than in 19th century. Because long time ago this country has become the poorest country in Europe in the in 19th century.

Japan
When we talk the snow, Japan can’t separated by the Fuji mountain. When the winter arrival, the views of the city will look like a fairy tale.Especially if we see the scenery of snow on the slope of Mount Fuji. It remind me about my favorite movie, when I was child. This movie has a tittle “Oshin” most of this movie taken in the snow.

South Korea
South Korea is the country in Asia which has four seasons, like in US or Europe. Most of topography is the mountains. The most beautiful river is Han and Naktong rivers. In the winter, mountains in South Korea turned into very beautiful snow mountains. I remember Korean Drama which tittle “Winter Sonata”. This is really romantic movie, which most of the scene taken in the winter. I heard the “winter sonata” island become a traveling place.

Winter Blues You Should Know

 

This article will be a good primer for anyone that wants to propagate plants over the winter…in fact winter propagation is one of the best times for woody plants. Are you a business that wants to double their stock? A savvy homeowner that wants to maintain their frugal ways? Or are you just bored and need something to do over the winter? Then keep on reading.
Hardwood Cuttings are by far the best way to start most deciduous plants; althea (rose of sharon), chaenomeles (quince), crepe myrtle, currant, fig, forsythia, gooseberry, grape, honeysuckle, ligustrum (privet), mulberry, multiflora rose, philadelphus (mock orange), pomegranate, spiraea and wisteria.
The first step of the process is to find a healthy host / stock plant that you can multiply and multiply and multiply and eventually take over the world….muhahahaha! Ahem, anyways, it is very important to find a healthy host plant free from disease, insects, or any other ailing problems. We are going to need a healthy gene pool here.
Choose your cuttings after the leaves have fallen and all of the energy has been stored in the plant. Say away from old wood and frail new wood. You want something in the middle, good and sturdy. Harvest 6-12 good stalks taking note of the top and the bottom. Easy way to keep track is to cut the tops at an angle and the bottoms flat. Make sure to use sharp clean pruners and not to crush the cuts. When you have your harvest material tie them together (jute twine will work) making sure the bottoms are all even with each other.
Now there are two options here…depends on your climate.
Our winters are cool like dat (not much snow if any, but a definite season change)
The most important part of this method of propagation is to create calluses development. To do this, dig a hole 12-to-18 inches deep in sandy or well-drained soil in a sunny location and place the bundles of hardwood cuttings into this pit. Place them top end down, so that the bases of the cuttings are about four inches below the soil surface. This promotes root initiation at the cuttings base and inhibits bud formation at the top. Fill in the pit, leaving a shallow basin over the ends of the cutting to channel water and keep the cuttings moist (important).
Our winters are so cold my pug needs to wear booties (too much snow and too cold to care about anything or anyone)
In area’s with severely cold winters, wrap the cuttings in moist burlap and store them in a cellar or cold frame at 32-to-40F. After winter storage, when you see that there is callus formation, lift the bundles and wash and untie them. (Protect cuttings with moist burlap so that the callus tissue does not dry). Then, set the callused cuttings (top end up) directly in a propagation bed or container so that half or two to three buds of each cutting are above the soil surface. Firm the soil around the cuttings and water to eliminate air pockets and assure good contact between the cuttings and the soil.
In warm winter climates, callus may develop in four to eight weeks. In fact, some species won’t need to be stored to develop callus. Cut leafless stems of rose, abelia, bridal wreath, privet and other plants into 8-to-10-inch lengths and set them directly in the propagation bed or container.
So there ya go, just a taste of what you can try out. Tell us your propagation stories (legal ones) and how they worked out for you. Did you find this article useful? Please comment.

How Long Do Cherry Blossom Bloom?

When do they bloom?


The most important factor in determining the blooming time of cherry trees is the geographical location. Basically, the milder the climate, the earlier the blossoms open.

On Japan's southern, subtropical islands of Okinawa, cherry blossoms open as early as January, while on the northern island of Hokkaido, they bloom as late as May. In most major cities in between, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the cherry blossom season typically takes place in early April.
Furthermore, the blooming time of cherry trees differs from year to year depending on the weather. If the weather during the months and weeks preceding the cherry blossom season is mild, blossoms will open early. If it is cold, blossoms will open later. From year to year, the start of the blooming season can vary by as much as two weeks.

How long do they bloom?


The cherry blossom season is relatively short. Full bloom (mankai) is usually reached within about one week after the opening of the first blossoms (kaika). Another week later, the blooming peak is over and the blossoms are falling from the trees. Strong wind and rain can cut the blooming season even shorter.

Cherry blossom forecasts


Every year, weather services and the media, including japan-guide.com, closely follow the so called "cherry blossom front" as it slowly moves northward. Note that the front indicates the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) rather than the arrival of full bloom (mankai).

Of course, not every tree in a city opens on the same day, as trees in shadowy places, for example, bloom several days later than trees in sunny places. For this reason, a set of representative sample trees is selected to define the date of kaika (the opening of the first blossoms) for a whole city. In Tokyo, the sample trees are located at Yasukuni Shrine.

Beautiful Nature In The Heart Of The Urban Jungle

Beautiful Nature

For many city dwellers, the only glimpses of beautiful nature they’ll have on a regular day would be in the images of their desktop nature themes or screen savers. Unless you live near an urban community garden or a rooftop garden, the only green you’ll see sometimes is the flaking green paint on your neighbor’s wall.

Photographer Tim Simmons in an initiative called The Urban Land Project seeks to break the monotony of the urban scenery by injecting billboard images of nature right along busy metro arteries. Large scale, highly-visible billboards showing Simmons’ vivid images of breathtaking natural scenes — underground pools, forest floors teeming with life, moss-covered stones, etc, — are placed next to hard urban features in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

Beautiful Nature

 In a way, it’s a challenge to people to reflect and reconnect with their surroundings.

“From the outset I have tried to produce work that captures the feeling of a place, and expresses the memory of that feeling. That is what I am trying to communicate to others,” says Simmons.

“This project is meant to stimulate awareness. These images against these backdrops accentuate the tension between the human and natural worlds.”

Nature Is Mighty

Nature is mighty

Nature is strong

Nature is usually always right

Nature is rarely ever wrong

Nature is beauty

Nature is moody

Nature is smart

Nature always has the greater part

Nature is blue

Nature is green

Nature is every color possibly seen

Nature is true

Nature is beaming

Nature is dreaming

Nature is in every place

Nature is always with grace

Nature is true

Nature is you

Nature is me

Nature will forever be free.