Each Sunday evening for 12 weeks I will post 4 pictures from the garden for 2007. You get to vote for the one you like best. Those 12 winners and the 4 highest finishing second place pictures will advance to a round of 16. Over the next 4 weeks you will pick the four finalists. There will then be that one last vote for the fan favorite for garden year 2007. By that time winter will be mostly done, at least in Iowa. (in theory)
You can vote two ways. You can vote on the Mears garden blog located at
http://mearsgarden.blogspot.com/
At the blog there should be a place to vote at the top of the page. You should be able to ask to see the vote totals so far after you vote. You can also vote by just replying to the email. I guess that would be the write in vote.
At the blog you should also be able to go back and look at all the pictures in the contest for the season.
Comments are much appreciated. You can comment by reply email or by using the place in the blog for comments.
So here is the first week’s contest.
Picture 1 is a quintet of snowdrops from March. Remember spring? Snowdrops show up very early in the year. Sometimes they are so early that they are late in the previous year. I am writing in November when the garden is still barely alive. I think in another month I will appreciate and remember snowdrops even more. Actually in another month I will start looking for snowdrops.
Picture 2 is an oriental lily blooming in late July. I am not sure of the name. That is why I put labels most places. Sometimes things just come up and you don’t know who they are. I am growing more and more of these lilies. They are starting to eclipse daylilies in my garden, which I would never have believed. I continue to be amazed at how well they do in dappled shade.
Picture 3 is a calla lily, blooming in August. When I put out calla lilies in April (and I have to bring the bulbs in over the winter) they bloom in mid June. This one was in a group that I bought on sale in June and planted about July 1. They bloomed from August into September. I completely recommend this. The bulbs should go on sale in June. If you get them at that time, they will be inexpensive and you will also have amazing blooms when the garden needs that boost.
Picture 4 is a poppy. I do not know another flower that is as photogenic as the Oriental poppy. Here is a picture taken May 24 of the emerging poppy in its first 30 minutes coming out of the bud. It is just like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
So there you have it; the first week’s pictures. Voting is open through all day Saturday.
Please feel free to share the contest with others. Feel free to comment, either on the blog or in a return email. Tell what you like about a particular picture or the particular plant. Remember there is no correct answer.
This next section, with the pictures exclusively on the blog, is called the bonus pictures section. You do not vote for these pictures. You just enjoy them.
This week there are more poppy pictures, covering the entire life cycle, from caterpillar to butterfly or something like that.
As a final picture here is one of the hanging pumpkins. See the blog entry for last week. I will post a picture each week. You can watch pumpkin art as it evolves.
Happy week 1.
Philip
5 comments:
Rebecca was here and voted. This is good way to share gardens
you're right about the photogenicity, the poppy. All potential, all promise. I think purple coneflowers are a close second--the depth of the centers is like looking at the sky.
What a fun idea! I'll look forward to seeing more photos of plants in your garden. :-)
You've been memed. Check out my site.
Ooh I'm in just under the wire for voting. I'm late in getting to the blog at all (my mom mentioned it to me a long time ago, but, you know, life, working for a living, etc., etc.). Some poppies turned up in the garden at my house this summer. Next summer I'll take some pictures.
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