“Away with the colors of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Show us what “Yellow ” means to you.” Photo Challenge at WordPress – December 19th
My first thought for this challenge was to choose a photograph of yellow flowers. I have dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of flowers on disc. Many of the photos have been taken in my own gardens, others at local public gardens in the area I live.
I decided instead to combine a favorite flower, zinnias, with a yellow swallowtail butterfly. Perfect. I love swallowtails. Lately, the weather and environmental issues have diminished their ranks, but hopefully their numbers will rebound in our area soon.
I love zinnias, and especially am entranced by the yellow ring of flowers surrounding their center. I always give this ring of small flowers, technically called “disc flowers” my own whimsical name of fairy ring flowers. This is where the butterflies find the nectar that they drink.
Zinnias have “Heads composed of both disc and ray flowers, with disc flowers tightly packed together in the head’s “eye,” while enlarged ray flowers function as petals radiating outward from the eye.” Composite Flowers – Backyard Nature
Here’s a closer look at the yellow “fairy ring” of zinnia disc flowers, this time hosting a Skipper butterfly.
I loved this photograph so much I used it as a reference for a 5 x 7 watercolor, and posted the finished results on this blog: Skipper on a Zinnia
Another visitor to the zinnias is a bumblebee in a fuzzy yellow jacket. Gorgeous insects all!
This post is definitely a tad out of season, but perhaps you are like me, and at the threshold of winter enjoy being reminded that Spring is only three months away.
MINDING MY P'S WITH Q 
Beautiful shots especially the bee who looks like he has on a beautiful yellow fur coat. 🙂
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Aren’t bumblebees lovely? We are brave here, and once in a while, when they are nuzzling a flower, we will softly, and very quickly I must say, pet that fur coat. They don’t seem to mind. 😀
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Wonderful summary photo’s! And I am a big insect lover as well!!
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Thanks so much for taking a look. 🙂
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Makes me wish it was spring – great photos!. I finally took a good picture of a bumblebee this year and I was thrilled 🙂
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They are so beautiful. I wish it was spring too.
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I especially like that last one. It’s like the big bee is saying “we understand each other, don’t we my beautiful yellow darling?”.
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Perfectly said! Thanks so much for the comment and “buzzing” by my blog today. Have a perfect day. 🙂
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Lovely flowers and great closeups of the butterflies and bees!!
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🙂 Thank you! They are a favorite subject of mine.
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beautiful images for the ‘yellow’ challenge. in fact beautiful, at any time. thanks for sharing.
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Thank you…thanks also for visiting my blog. 🙂
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awesome shotzzzzzz 😎 happu holidazzzzze frum da Q
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Thanks so much Q…happy holidays to you too! 🙂
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Lovely post. I love bumblebees but from a distance 🙂
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Thank You…they are beautiful, aren’t they? 🙂
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