Blossoms Of Autumn

Do These Petals Remind You Of Waves On A Beach?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This is probably the last serious flush of roses in the garden at Casa Authorblog. After a mild start to our spring and summer, they were heat-blasted through January and February, when the scorching conditions and lack of rain took a severe toll.

But now that we’re in the second half of autumn, the roses have made their last stand. I shot these images last weekend, late in the afternoon on one of those days when the slanting sun can produce light that sometimes encroaches on the very subtlety that you are trying to capture with a camera.


Yes, there were fresh blooms unfurling on this beautiful Chicago Peace rose bush. Yes, there were high, proud buds. Yes, there was a profusion of spent blooms that were less than 24 hours away from withering. But I decided that I would use the light to emphasise the intricate pastel shades spanned by a single bloom that was well past its use-by date.

I particularly like the first and last shots in this sequence, because they capture the delicate waves and subtle nuances of colour. At its best, this rose is brilliant in vivid orange and pink tones, with a distinct buttery quality to some of the blooms.


Not only does it have a wonderful perfume, the size of the blooms is also so striking that two stems are often enough to dominate a huge crystal vase. I thought the playing card would be a great visual aid to show you just how large the blooms are.

Yes, I deliberately chose the King of Spades card because I was the person who actually dug up the turf to put in what was then a tiny bare-rooted plant with a few minor sprouts.


Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.

Buzz Stop

My Garden Is A Hive Of Activity

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Some months ago, before the hot, dry summer that even killed some of the rose bushes at Casa Authorblog, it was a lazy afternoon that demanded photography. I'd spent about half an hour or so shooting some of the freshest roses that surround our property, when I decided to take a complete change of approach.

I went looking for the oldest rose bloom in the greatest state of decay. That just happened to be this specimen, standing tall but distinctly ragged and well past its best on a bush called Chicago Peace.


Since I had a macro lens on the camera, I figured this was the perfect opportunity to go for the unflattering close-up. Forget the petals, forget the colour that had faded well past its best display. I figured I would go so close that I could literally stick my nose in the rose.

I was going to concentrate on the miniature tendrils at the very centre of the bloom. Let's put this in perspective. They are absolutely minuscule, a few millimetres long at the very most. As I could see in the clear afternoon light (and as you can see in these images) even they had succumbed to age and were completely tattered.


I got a couple of decent shots and then I thought I heard a sound. I knew it wasn't a sound from within the inner recesses of Casa Authorblog. I knew it wasnt the distant sound of an angle grinder. I knew it wasn't the sound of the camera.

So, like some of the shrewdest generals in military history, I staged a retreat. No, let me amen that. I staged a strategic pull-back to assess the situation.

Sometimes my brain isn't the quickest on the planet. The sound I'd heard was the unmistakable buzz of a bee.

Sure, and it wasn't the theme music from 'The Sting'.


Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.

Pistil Whipped

Careful, Sheriff, This Evidence Is `Planted'

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I hadn’t heard of the Project Yellow theme until I saw a reference to it on Texican’s blog. Then I heard from Anna Carson, asking if I’d be interested in taking part. I had a look at her blog, liked what I saw and told her she could sign me up straight away.

This rose is the only Chicago Peace variety we have in our garden and I just wish I’d planted more. They’re huge, double-coloured, stunning blooms with a very long-lasting scent and even though we’re halfway through autumn, this bush is still in full bloom. This particular flower was in the last stage of withering on the stem when I photographed it.

I guess it just proves that if we care to look deep enough in all walks of life, it is truly possible to find beauty in decay.

For details, or to join the theme, go to Anna Carson.

Pressure Tactics

Putting On Airs And Graces

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken this week, at one of our local service stations. We all pay for petrol. We all pay for oil. We all pay for everything else, but not for the air we put in our tyres. That's still free, so I thought this photograph was perfect for this week's Photo Hunt theme.

The theme reminds me of a great story about a very close friend of mine. About seven years ago, he asked me about the wording of an advertisement for new cars on offer at a major dealership. "Free air", the ad proclaimed in bold letters.

"Yes," I answered, "that's fairly normal."

But he was still puzzled. "Why make a big deal about free air in the tyres?"

That's when I looked left and right to see if anyone else was listening in. Very quietly, I told him that "free air" didn't refer to properly inflated tyres. It meant there was no additional cost if a buyer chose an air-conditioned car instead of a non air-conditioned car!

But if we really think about it, there is no shortage of free products. Blogging is free. Email accounts are free. Local newspapers are free. In come countries, local phone calls are free.

And what of the other treasures of everyday life? They're all free, and where would we be without them? Friendship. Love. Advice. Prayer. Faith. Courage. Laughter. Fellowship. Reliance. Help. Support. Loyalty. Trustworthiness. Honour. Respect. They were the cornerstone of the upbringing that my brothers and I received from our parents, and they are the watchwords we have passed on, in turn, to our own children.

And if you want free roses, just drop into our home and you can help yourself to as many as you want. These roses are called Chicago Peace. They are huge blooms, larger than the palm of my hand and they have a wonderful, subtle fragrance. It's also interesting to see the colours they span. Have a look at this shot of a bud that just started opening in my garden ....

Now have a look at the same flower a couple of days later (below). I took this shot indoors and you can see that the bloom, in a vase, has taken on much more pastel shades. I guess that brings me to the conclusion of this post. Allow me to point out another thing of great beauty that we often take for granted - Mother Nature.

Greetings, Card

A Peace Of My Mind

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

We've got about sixty rose bushes at home and the blooms on this one are not only huge, they also have a wonderful perfume. The rose is called Chicago Peace and in various lights it is buttery yellow and delicate pink with subtle orange highlights. In full bloom, each rose is bigger than the span of my hand. To give you an idea of perspective, I took the second shot (below) with an SD memory card placed carefully on the rose.


Click here: Pentax K10D, Shutter 1/60, F 5.6, ISO speed 800, Flash disabled.

Petal Pusher

How Does Your Garden Groan?

Photograph copyright: MELANIE McMAHON

In Victoria, we're being promised some more rain this week, which is welcome news across the drought-stricken countryside. My garden, normally ablaze with colour, looks like as dry as an Outback farmer's boots. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought someone took a blowtorch to my azaleas, but the hardy roses are still thriving in the dry conditions. This one is a Chicago Peace variety. The shot was taken just after the drizzle yesterday, which left this bloom with tiny pearls of moisture - the first in weeks.