picture contest- week 17- March 2, the finals

It’s March. The days are getting longer and the melt has begun. It has reached 50 degrees today, which I think will mark the first time we have even reached 40 degrees since January 7. (Interestingly it was 55 degrees on January 7.) I checked on the weather channel yesterday and we had 17 days during that stretch where the temperature was below zero. Wow.
Actually it is sunny outside this afternoon and as I hack at the ice on the sidewalk and in the driveway, I can just smell spring coming. I will not mention the snow expected tomorrow.
To really proclaim that spring is almost here I provide for your enjoyment--

Spring Training pumpkin.


The Cubs have played their first spring training game. Hope springs eternal. Can this be the year?



So here we are, at week 17, and the contest is winding up. This week is the finals, the last week of a great contest. I have enjoyed this again this year. It has been a great way for me to get through the winter. I enjoy picking out the pictures. I really enjoy watching the vote count on Sunday night and then into Monday when most people vote. I also enjoy your comments, whether on the blog or by email. I could use more comments but I understand that this is a new medium.

The contest didn’t quite last long enough this year to get to real springtime. But I have a few ideas for some extra weeks, to get us to, at least, the end of the snow cover. More of that later.

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In last week’s voting we had the closest vote yet, in this the semi finals. The Blue Japanese Iris in the end held on to edge the frog for the fourth and final entry in the finals this week. The 9 vote margin on Monday night was almost cut in half by the end of the week. But in this rough and tough contest at this point, only winners advance.

Here were the results:

1- Frog 22+4=26 for 32.5 %
2- Blue Japanese Iris 27+4=31 for 38.8%
3- Waterlily 8+2=10 for 12.5%
4- Anemone 10+3=13 for 16.3%
The first number in the addition is the electronic vote on the blog, the second the email vote.

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So here are your four contestants in the finals this week.

1- Blue Crocus
2- Pink Water lily
3- Blue Siberian Iris
4- Blue Japanese Iris

Since you have seen and voted for each of these pictures twice already I am running out of things to say about the pictures. Let me just give you a few things about the voting for each pictures, and tell you when the pictures were taken. You of course are absolutely and repeatedly invited to come to the garden to enjoy, in person, each and every one of these flowers this year.

1- Blue Fall Crocus – This was the winner in week 6. It polled 57% and 50% in advancing to the finals. The picture was taken on October 27.













2- Siberian Iris- Lake Keoka- This was the winner in week 4. It polled 69% and 48% in advancing to the finals. The picture was taken on May 29.













3- Pink Waterlily. This was the winner in week 3. It polled 55% and 47% in advancing to the finals. The picture was taken on June 6.












4- Japanese Iris This was the winner in week 10. It polled 51% and 38% in advancing to the finals. The picture was also taken on June 6.












I had no idea before I looked today that two of the pictures were taken on the same day. And three of the pictures were taken within a week of each other. It seems that there is a week about the first of June when the best flowers are in bloom.

So vote away. The blue vote will be very split this week. I see this as an opportunity for the pink waterlily to sneak through to the winners circle.


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Composing the bonus section is a little harder when you have already featured all the contest entries several times.
Since real springtime is miles south or several weeks away I include for your enjoyment some virtual spring flowers, from previous years.

First there are the snowdrops. We followed this little clump for much of last years contest. The first picture was taken on January 7, the second picture March 11.
























Then there is/are? Bloodroot, a native wildflower found in woods in lots of places. Both of these pictures were taken on April 8, 2005. The one picture is 8 in the morning, the second at 11 when the flowers are all open. Bloodroot is a real gem, completely surprising you as it pops up where you have probably forgotten it.






















Finally there are daffodils. Oh please let the daffodils come soon.










There you have it. Enjoy the longer days. Sometimes you just can’t hold back something that is so good. It will come.

Now for a few extra weeks I will have to think of something to keep you occupied. I think for next week I will have a pumpkin contest. Next week will be all about the pumpkins.

As for the next week I will wait and see. A few weeks ago I suggested that maybe you could send me your pictures and we could have a guest week. Well thanks to those of you who sent me pictures. So far there have not been enough. Go dig out those pictures and email them to me. I will still give that a try of there are enough pictures.

Philip