What’s in Bloom

Today we’re featuring photographs taken by Katherine Boyle and Heather Emelander.

Katharine Boyle’s photographs show the progression from bud, to partially open, to fully open pseudo-umbel of the beautiful, tropical-looking Agapanthus africanus. Native to southern Africa, we know it as Lily of the Nile or African lily, although it’s not in the lily family. It’s not winter hardy in New Jersey, but makes a lovely container plant with its long, strappy green leaves and periwinkle blue flowers.

Heather Emelander provided a photograph of the Cotinus coggygria plant (smoke bush) growing in a bed next to the lower parking lot. This multi-stemmed shrub can grow to 23 feet in height, with green rounded leaves covered in a waxy glaucous sheen; when in bloom the pinkish-purple feathery plumes present a smoky appearance, hence the common name. Also from Heather is a photo of an upright scape of white, pendulous, fragrant Hosta flowers, sometimes referred to as plantain lily or funkia.

Thank you Katharine and Heather for sharing your photographs with us.

I got an email from Shawn Allen yesterday, enclosing a group of pictures he took last week. His note read,

“I went for a walk in the Arboretum one morning last week and took some photos to highlight the surrounding beauty that day. In one image with a yellow water hose, if you zoom in, you can see the blur of a hummingbird flying. It was moving so fast that’s all I could capture. Enjoy!
Kindly,
Shawn Allen”

Thanks, Shawn, for the nice views of the Frelinghuysen.

Regular contributor, Katharine Boyle, sent a beautiful batch of pictures from a recent visit, saying,

“I had a lovely visit to the arboretum on Saturday; here are some of my photo highlights. I was especially pleased with the sunflower that looks like it’s winking! The agapanthus had a variety of different blooming stages on display (three examples enclosed). “

Thanks, Katharine, for sharing the arboretum’s summer beauty with all of us.