Tag: buttercups

People – Why I Blog & Buttercups

On By TimelessladyIn People30 Comments

I’ve known many of you for years—friendships I would miss dreadfully, if the technology of the Internet, as we know it, should expire. Who you are though, your words, your lives, your posts and comments, are in my heart and thoughts for eternity. I’ve rejoiced that so many of you love God. Through your blogs I’ve visited most of the U.S., Qatar, India, The Philippines, Australia, Europe, Canada, Japan, The Caribbean and many more. I’ve walked with you in the morning and met your neighbors. I’ve loved your chickens…cats…and dogs…and even some donkeys and other assorted creatures. I’ve enjoyed glimpses into your homes and loved meeting your families. I’ve cooked your recipes, used your DIY tips, planted flowers you’ve recommended, admired your photos, commented on your posts, and enjoyed taking part in your blog challenges. In short, you’ve influenced my life for the better.

I have taken great delight in comments left on my blog. In fact, a recent comment was so beautifully worded it gave me the inspiration for this post. I knew I had to share it and leave a link to this lovely blog and the poetry of the author.

“…one of the marvelous things about blogging: people share golden new things, and still shimmering old things.” Leyda Bien/Poetic Heart Dregs

I thank Leyda for the lovely comment found on my post – Mirrors. Visit her blog by way of the link in the blockquote above.

What connection do buttercups have with this post? Well, when they are newly blossomed there is no other flower quite so golden. When they are old, such as pressed between the pages of a book, they still retain a definite shimmer of the beauty they first exhibited. Live Science gives a wonderful explanation of how and why buttercups have a sheen like no other flower. You can read about it here: How Buttercups Get Their Yellow Gloss.

Buttercups reflect so much light it is hard to get a clear photograph of them. Even on an overcast, damp day, they caught the sun and shone it’s light back at me. Buttercups are my choice for today’s FOTD. These beauties are blooming in southern New Jersey this month.

Pressed buttercups are a perfect example of Leyda’s phrase, ‘shimmering old things.’ Even when pressed between the pages of a book for years, they retain their shimmer. Thank you everyone who blogs here and on other sites…I enjoy your lives and you have made mine very full.

For pressed flower tips visit: The Flower Ark.

Plants and Pressed Flowers – Buttercups

On By TimelessladyIn Plants, Pressed Flowers8 Comments

In the Mid-Atlantic States it is the season of the buttercup. I love these sweet yellow blooms. I thought the clump I photographed recently in a public park was a perfect specimen. I hope to paint it one day as a botanical watercolor. There is one problem with the photograph though. Buttercups reflect light so intensely off their petals, the details of the flower are a bit obscured in the brilliance. I found a great article that explains why buttercups reflect light. You can read it here: Why Buttercups Reflect Light.

Buttercups are one of the best pressed flowers for color retention. I have found I need to pinch away the hard green center before I press them in books. You can gently heat the book or just place it under weight for a few days.  I have many flowers to use throughout the year if I am diligent in picking and pressing them in the few weeks they are in bloom. I like to press most with their stems intact. If I chose to use only the flower it is easy enough to snip the stem away. Buttercups combine well with blue lobelia and ferns.