Chasing the Light

 

What a wonderful time of spring! The sun rises earlier and is higher in the sky, lightening up different parts of the garden. I love to go out in the morning and follow the light how it moves from one area to another, playing with the darker parts and brightening up others. There is constant change until the garden is bathed into golden morning light.

The filigrane shapes of this decorative piece that I found at a yard sale is highlighted in a narrow strip of sunlight.

The flower bed with its Jupiter's beard (Centranthus) and the young pomegranate tree slowly emerges from the shadows. The flower stalks of Jupiter's beard - which is also called Red Valerian - look gorgeous when backlit before a dark background.

Kibeau is looking for a sunny spot as well where he can watch the little bugs and spiders bustling through the leaves.

Look at the leaves of the Japanese Maple!

The birds have turned up as well. If you look hard at the left picture, you can see a male Hooded Oriole in the leaves of the Pineapple guava whereas the Cedar Waxwings are easy to spot at the top of my neighbor's gingko tree.

The clematis is spectacular. It blooms like crazy in the spring and then again later in the summer, but not quite as vivid.

There are peony buds and the blue-green foliage of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) caught in the light...

... as well as Coyote mint (Monardella villosa) and Calamintha nepeta, a bee magnet later in the summer that also has a lovely scent...

... and even some succulents like Sedum Autumn Joy and the little decorative bird next to the Echeveria.

I love this little angel sitting on a piece of driftwood right in front of the birdbath.

Some plants are fully immersed in the morning light...

... while others just capture the first little bits of light. Oh, how do I love this!