My Flower Challenge

The gardenia in my garden, by @LadyDuck
By Anna
@LadyDuck (460346)
Switzerland
January 27, 2016 4:34am CST
Our friend @Raelove asked to share photos of flowers to brighten a winter day. I already posted the photo of a pink honeysuckle with my comment to her discussion. Now I am joining this challenge with a photo of my pure white gardenia. I know it's not colorful, but the pure white with the shiny dark green leaves creates a beautiful contrast. I am sorry I cannot share the smell. I hope you love gardenia.
47 people like this
46 responses
@Morleyhunt (21745)
• Canada
27 Jan 16
@LadyDuck the bright green of the leaves makes suck a beautiful contrast to the white gardenia. My life is filled with shades of gray, dirty snow (the little there is), gray skies, gray trees reaching their bare branches to the sky. Any colour is very welcome.
7 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
The photo is of last summer, now the gardenia is in the greenhouse, the leaves are still green, the flowers will come back in late April.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
@Platespinner I am hoping to see the crocuses and daffodils soon, sometimes in February they are in bloom.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
@Platespinner It's not cold here this winter, but we lack rain, so they are not yet breaking through the surface.
@Juliaacv (48633)
• Canada
27 Jan 16
I do like your picture of the gardenia, it is a beautiful flower and like you mentioned, the contrast in colour with the white bloom and the green foliage looks wonderful.
6 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
I keep the gardenia in a big vase (on wheels) and I push it inside the greenhouse during winter. This plant is now 16 years old.
3 people like this
• Midland, Michigan
28 Jan 16
@LadyDuck Would be nice to have a greenhouse one day, if even a little one to save the plants in that fashion or start new ones before it's warm enough outside. I'm hoping to plant some seeds for the first time ever in another month or so. My problem is having the time to get them into the ground once it warms up.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
@MarshaMusselman My greenhouse is not a big one, I have built one to protect a few plants that would die during our cold winters. I keep the plants in big vases and move them back in the garden in late spring.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
27 Jan 16
The picture of Gardenia you have posted is wonderful. I loved it. Flowers cheer us up in any weather. I am very fond of flowers and specially I love rose. Here is one picture for you.
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
28 Jan 16
@LadyDuck - Here it is winter. It is the best seasons for roses.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
This is beautiful, a mix of bright red and pure white, it's very unusual.
3 people like this
• Bangladesh
28 Jan 16
That's beautiful flower.I love flower and also green tree.
@sofssu (23662)
27 Jan 16
Its one of my favorite flowers. Somehow I cannot seem to grow this plant.
3 people like this
@sofssu (23662)
28 Jan 16
@LadyDuck Here the sun kills it. I never give up I am sure I will get it to grow somehow.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
@sofssu The gardenia do not like direct sun, in summer I place it in a shaded area where it gets the sun only during the morning.
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
It's not an easy plant to grow. Three years ago the cold almost killed my plant, so I moved in in a big vase and now I push it inside the greenhouse during the coldest months.
3 people like this
@DianneN (247216)
• United States
27 Jan 16
I love the perfume of gardenias. Pure white, like the petunias on our lanai, are so elegant. I am photoed out.
6 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
The petunias are nice flowers too, I do not have petunias.
2 people like this
• Bangladesh
29 Jan 16
We are same,I love also flower perfume.
@Vivenda (583)
• Portsmouth, England
27 Jan 16
The weather is so strange here at the moment that we still have a rose out from last summer! By the way, Hi! - I've just got up off my lazy assets to start writing again!
5 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
Hi, I am glad to see you back. We have the strangest winter I have ever seen, it's not even cold.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
@MarshaMusselman We had 3 cold days last week, freezing mornings and nights, then from Monday the temperature started to go up again and now it is definitely too warm for winter we have 55 F during the day.
2 people like this
• Midland, Michigan
28 Jan 16
@LadyDuck You still don't have cold weather? Ours stayed away until after Christmas and then it's been on and off again, cold and nippy to a bit warmer. We had 38 degrees two days this week then a bit of snow last night. A week or so ago it was 12-20 Fahrenheit including a colder wind chill. But, still much warmer than the last winter or two.
4 people like this
@allknowing (130292)
• India
27 Jan 16
I have no gardenias in my garden. Yours look prestine. I have other white flowers. Here are my white roses
3 people like this
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
28 Jan 16
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
I love white flowers, I also have lilies of the valley and white roses.
2 people like this
• Preston, England
27 Jan 16
beautiful flowers - a terrific share
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
27 Jan 16
That is beautiful. I think there is something about a pure white flower that is extra special.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
I agree, I am fascinated by pure white flowers, I also grow lilies of the valley, they also have a wonderful aroma.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
28 Jan 16
@LadyDuck I haven't got any lilies ofthe valley, but I agree that they smell beautifully.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
27 Jan 16
Your gardenia is beautiful - I have never had a potted gardenia before, maybe I should get one to go with my other beautiful Geraniums
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
Now it's potted because the cold almost killed it when it was in the garden. I have to move it in the greenhouse in winter.
• Bangladesh
29 Jan 16
Yes,her gardening is pretty.
• Midland, Michigan
28 Jan 16
Very nice, Anna. Even though I cannot smell this lovely flower, the colors are exquisite. The leaves look velvety. I'd have to do some digging to find some pretty flower pictures. Most of my images are of the weeds that take over my flower garden from year to year. I did get several varieties of bulbs planted this December before it finally got too cold, and will have new pictures this next year to share for next winter.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
I have also planted some bulbs, but I see nothing blooming this year. Last year I had crocus in January. The lawn is covered by wild violets, they usually bloom in February. It's a weird year.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
30 Jan 16
@MarshaMusselman The bald spot can be a rock near the surface, or "a cat"! Try to soak the area with water several days and see if this helps.
1 person likes this
• Midland, Michigan
29 Jan 16
@LadyDuck our bulbs don't usually pop up until april, and the crocus maybe in March. My wild violets come much later, after the bulbs usually because for several years I'd wonder why I had a bald spot in the yard, and then when they'd bloom I'd remember why.
1 person likes this
@just4him (308536)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
27 Jan 16
It's a beautiful flower. A flower doesn't need a lot of color to be beautiful.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
You are right, I love white flowers, also the white lilies are beautiful.
1 person likes this
@just4him (308536)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
29 Jan 16
@LadyDuck Yes they are. They make a good contrasting flower when there is a lot of color all around.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
27 Jan 16
that is a beautiful white flower, my friend. the green in contrast with the white is a thing of beauty.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
The gardenia are such a beauty, but they suffer the cold weather, so I push it inside during winter.
2 people like this
@acelawrites (19273)
• Philippines
27 Jan 16
So beautiful white gardenia flower;looks so healthy!
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
My plant is healthy, I take care of it, it's a pretty old plant, I bought it 16 years ago.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
@acelawrites Yes, they bloom every year for several months.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19273)
• Philippines
27 Jan 16
@LadyDuck , wow so nice to know you had taken care of it for so many years, and it is still bearing beautiful flowers.
2 people like this
@gudheart (12659)
27 Jan 16
It looks stunning despite its lack of colour :D
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
27 Jan 16
I love the pure white and the smell of the gardenia flowers.
2 people like this
@gudheart (12659)
27 Jan 16
@LadyDuck I wish I could smell the scent too :( lol
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
27 Jan 16
Thats a nice photo Anna! I Am sure Jabo has some wonderful pictures of her flowers have you seen them so colourful!
2 people like this
@TheHorse (207500)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Jan 16
Looks Springy. Maybe I'll join later! I have some nice wildflower pictures.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
The gardenia is an evergreen, it's in the greenhouse now, the flowers will start to bloom in late April.
• United States
27 Jan 16
Close up- pink geranium
I remember when I was a kid, we had neighbors who grew honeysuckle. Lovely smell and taste. Here's a shot of a flower for the collection.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
This is a beautiful macro photo. I have pink honeysuckle in the garden, it covers the fence. In Summer we can feel the smell inside the house.
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Jan 16
@LadyDuck How wonderful. I only remember the white. Thanks for the compliment.
1 person likes this
@paigea (35824)
• Canada
27 Jan 16
They look lovely. Is that a planter for outside or inside?
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
I keep the gardenia outside from late April until the end of October, then I move the vase inside the greenhouse. It can stay outside in mild climate, not here in Switzerland.
1 person likes this
@Ladypeace (2028)
• Singapore
28 Jan 16
I can't participate as I don't grow flowers, but these are so beautiful and lovely to look at.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (460346)
• Switzerland
28 Jan 16
Yes you can, you can use a photo from Pixabay, just choose a flower that you like.
1 person likes this