Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: Jerusalem star

(+ a link and an image above in notes) Oh, how I love Goatsbeard flowers! I discovered these on my property the first spring I was here, lovely yellow blossoms growing tall and proud on their strong stems. I didn't know they came in purple until I identified them in a flower book. It would be my third year living here before I would find a purple on on my property, and what an exciting day that was! These flowers also create truly enormous seed balls like dandilions, and make outstanding photography subjects! :D From Wkipedia: Purple Goatsbeard (Tragopogon porrifolius) is a plant cultivated for its ornamental flower, edible root, and herbal properties. It also grows wild in many places and is one of the most widely known species of the salsify genus, Tragopogon. It is commonly known as purple or common salsify, oyster plant, vegetable oyster, Jerusalem star, goatsbeard or simply salsify (although these last two names are also applied to other species, as well).

Here's a blossom shining in the early morning sunshine with a bud in the background! :) From Wkipedia: Purple Goatsbeard (Tragopogon porrifolius) is a plant cultivated for its ornamental flower, edible root, and herbal properties. It also grows wild in many places and is one of the most widely known species of the salsify genus, Tragopogon. It is commonly known as purple or common salsify, oyster plant, vegetable oyster, Jerusalem star, goatsbeard or simply salsify (although these last two names are also applied to other species, as well).

I wanted to see if I could get a dreamy kind of image with soft bokeh and just a bit of the flower in focus. I am not sure this picture is exactly right...do you like it?

This morning I went out to take pictures when I remembered a surprise I discovered yesterday! On the edge of our road, there's one place where Purple Goatsbeard grows. I tried to take pictures of this flower two years ago with my older camera, but sadly they didn't come out. Last year I was on the lookout for them each day and just when they were about to bloom, deer came by and ate the flowers! DRAT AND BLAST! I was so unhappy and I made a note to keep an eye open this year to see if I would get lucky. The other day I noticed they were growing, and yesterday they looked like they might be opening up, so this morning I went down to check and I squealed, "OHHHHHHH!!!" when I saw three of them open! What a delight! I took a bunch of pictures, and I hope that you like the three that I'm showing today. I think I'll try again tomorrow for more pictures, I'm not sure these are good enough for these lovely blossoms! :) Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and the glass 'armonica'. He facilitated many civic organizations, including a fire department and a university. Wikipedia: Benjamin Franklin