Image of the day - 2012

[Bundraba!]

I've grown many forms of C. punctata, which took me a decade to eradicate (mostly), but I fear I have lost the battle with C. "takesimana"; the only way to deal with it invading my lawn and garden and surrounding woods, will be to move to a new location.

Interesting that a genus producing some of the most obstinately demure little plants is also capable of producing these "superplants". We have C. rapunculoides (?) here for decades, if not centuries, but I haven't yet seen the little beauty you describe. Probably best left that way! C. rapunculoides came to my garden on some daylily roots more than a dozen years ago and I have kept it in check -until, perhaps now. it does not prefer acid sand but since I have been modifying areas of the garden (and the garden has gotten bigger LOL!) I fear it is getting loose! I still think that someday I will just be able to go in and redo the entire area where it is beginning to spread and, in so doing, remove it. Errr... Is this folly?

[Booker]

Eritrichium nanum - 'King of the Alps' - Dolomites, Italy.

[cohan]

Love this shot- I love the context shots as much as the close-ups

[cohan]

Some shots from several days ago, after several days of fog...

[RickR]

We never used to have winter fog that lasted more than a day (and even that was rare), until about ten years ago.  Now we get these magical, multiple winter day stretches every year. 

The best part is near the end: the hoar frost has built up so much that the weight the fragile crystals makes them break off and fall, and it is so silent out that your can hear the tinkling symphony of musical notes that they produce.

[cohan]

Having been away for so many years, I don't know what the norms have been recently here- I have only more or less childhood memories, and they tend to have a totally different focus: I didn't think much about weather, for one thing, this was the only climate I knew then, and I didn't question it!  My mother, however, doesn't remember any fog at all growing up here and for many years after, now it's not uncommon through the year, and more common fall through spring..
I also find these landscapes magical- some of my very favourite landscapes of the entire year- the drives to and from work and to town for shopping are beautiful..
Some images shot as we drive (not me!)

1- almost across the road from me
2-poplar saplings looking like a negative image
3-a load of hay on the highway
4-highway scene on the way to work
5-highway scene on the way to work
6-highway scene on the way to work
7-Sorbus in Rocky Mountain House

[Hoy]

Cohan, I recognize that kind of weather! It's not uncommon around Oslo where I grew up. Here at the west coast fog is more common in spring when the land is warmed by the sun while the sea still is cold, and sometimes in the autumn when the sea and lakes are warm (relatively) and the temperature decrease on cloudless nights. However hoar frost of that kind is rare. Another kind of weather which is common at this season is very fine rain and lowlying clouds as it is today - the temperature is 10C.

Cliff, I do recognize the kind of weather in your picture as well - but it is rare - at least here

[cohan]

We also get some odd fog especially in late summer/fall when the evenings are cooling after warm days: patches and strips of fog very localised over low damp/wet areas; you can see them hanging in the air from a distance- often a couple of feet above the ground and only a few feet high, the patches can be sizable of very small..

I'm not sure of the mechanism of this winter fog, but I think it may involve different temperature layers in the air itself, plus lower temperatures at ground level. There was warmer air higher up and they kept forecasting that we'd see those warm temperatures, but it just couldn't make it to ground level for many days..

[Booker]

High above Chamonix, France ... stand of Gentiana purpurea (few in flower).

[cohan]

Beautiful spot! Is the Gentiana the largish leafy plant? Nice foliage combination with the ferns (?)

[Booker]

Hi Cohan,
Gentiana purpurea is, as you suggest, the large foliage ... see attached image.

[Hoy]

Cliff, a perfect setting! It is a familiar plant but the surroundings are not

[cohan]

Cliff, now I remember both you and Tond showing the species before, I liked it then too

[Hoy]

The last months have been very rainy and it is almost impossible to do anything serious in the garden as the soil is completely soaked.
Yesterday the sky cleared a little for a while and the sun shone through and created a double rainbow which lasted a couple of minutes. I barely had time to take some pictures before the motif disappeared.

[cohan]

Always nice to see the sun! My it looks mild there- like summer here almost