Tag: rose

Memories of an English Summer – Roses

Nothing probably epitomizes an english summer more than roses. Roses in all shades, hues and fragrances dot the myriad gardens around Britain. Here are a couple from my garden from 2012.

A rose in full bloom
A rose in full bloom
A rose in the setting summer sun.
A rose in the setting summer sun.

 

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Dog Rose – not just a rose for dogs!!

The name dog rose conjures up images either roses for dogs, or rose in the shape of dogs. This is neither! Dog rose or Rosa canina is a common species of climbing wild rose native to Europe.

P1010100

The seeds (hips) of this rose are very rich in vitamin C and used in the preparation of  rose-hip tea (see my post Hip Hip Rose). As for the name of this rose, Wikipedia lists two possibilities – common or worthless or as a treatment for the bite from rabid dogs. I think the former is more likely etymology for this plant as it is genuinely common along hedgerows in England. The flowers are pink, have little or no fragrance.

Photographed on one of my summer walks using a Panasonic TZ30 compact camera.

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Yellow Rose in Autumn

October gets over today, and cold rain and winds lash Cambridge. The nights come early. In the midst of all this, a single rose valiantly blooms for the last time in 2012.

Technical Details:

Nikon D80 with external Speedlight SB-600 flash
Tamron 18-250 f/3.6-6.3 Lens
1/60 at f/6.0 130mm
ISO200
Post-processed using Adobe Lightroom 4.1
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Hip, Hip…. Rose..

Rose hip – funny name for the fruit of the rose flower.. As autumn sets in the dog roses are now fruiting in their bright reds and oranges.

I believe rose hips make good herbal tea and have a myriad of medicinal benefits. But I’d rather see them on the plant instead!

Picture taken with an iPhone 4s using camera! app. Edited in the app to add drama and increase contrast. Click on the picture for a larger version.

 

Study of a Rose

As autumn draws ever closer here in the United Kingdom, the last of the summer roses go out in a blaze of colour for a final time in 2012. The following pictures are of one such rose in my garden. I would be interested in knowing which one of the four you like best, or none as well!

Please click on each picture to view a full size version. In order to achieve a dark background, I have used a flash and post-processed to cut darks and shadows.

Technical Details:

Nikon D80
SB600 Speedlight Flash
1/125 to 1/40 f/7.1 ISO200
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro lens
Post-processed in Adobe Lightroom 4.1

 

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