Starting the gardens visits season

It is already the time for gardens visits, and with the unusual rain in past seasons, this year they are in full bloom.  This is pic shows a very Mediterranean image of a country home garden. Next post will be a full reportage of this non-watered garden well adapted to the region.

Images of glorious spring

A gorgeous mimosa tree inmy garden and a floral arrangement for the weekend.

Fumaria officinalis

It's been quite busy in the past weeks and I am missing so much posting that I had found some minutes to admit it: I am delighted that spring is here, I love it and is re-energizing me!

In my daily jog this morning I was amazed by the variety of wildflowers that are blooming nearby, I want to make time this weekend to get my camera and shoot them, this time just for fun!  It will also give me the chance to renew floral arrangements at home.  I am so looking forward to bring the spring colors home, I can't wait.  I hope it will not be not too cloudy, today is kind of light gloomy, but good temperature.

Meanwhile I leave you with one of my favorite images these days, this is a shot outdoors but to me looks like a pattern for a fabric and I think it would make a beautiful spring dress, kind of a vintage 50's, the ones I love. 

Welcome spring - Cherry blossoms Festival, D.C.

If you love in Washington D.C., one of the most awaited moment in the spring season is the "National Cherry Blossom Festival".  Cindy from Enclosure, posted few a beautiful vintage photo and information about the official dates for this year's festival, with a peak happening at the beginning of April.

Today, I would like to celebrate the beginning of the spring for those on the Northern hemisphere, with posting images I took some years ago during the festival while living in D.C.   I used to walk everyday the area surrounding the Tidal Basin to admired the Yoshino cherry trees, offering one of the most beautiful spectacles.  I, like many, was fascinated with the effect of the "pink rain", when seated under one of the trees.

These images are from year 2000, I think I could call them vintage or a piece of history, since they are analog!!  Makes me think how much technology has changed since that year!

Why I don't trust anymore Google

This is an exceptional post.  My blog is about visual content and I try to narrate stories with images.  I have hold this post for two days, but I decided I should shout I am really disappointed.  Google announced that they will cancel the service of Google Reader after July'13.   That comes after they announced they will cancel iGoogle in Nov'13.

Do they not have a respect for their users?  First, they offer everything to everyone in order to attract and gain as many users as possible.  Once they have reached their goal, they do not care anymore about them.

I use Google reader to have a control of rss and blogs I follow in an organized way.   Subscriptions to blogs are OK, but you have to deal with different feed burners and it is not that easy.  Reader for me was a kind of a library where I could have my content archived in folders by topics.  That was an easy way to catch up with what is published on the web.  But now they have decided we, reader users, do not count for them and their business.

Yes, it is true is a free service and they are the owners.  But are not they already taking our money by using every piece of information in inserted in gmail, blogger and every search we do in their browser?  Are not we paying already for their services, a lot?

I had to spend sometime searcing for alternatives to GReader, and I am now transferring my library to another reader, Feedly that  seems to be reliable and even easier to manage.  But I guess we should be concious and find other ways to keep a back-up of our content, in case they also decide "to play" with us.

I am not the only one disappointed about this news, and other companies see this as an opportunity to develop other services.  I hope the time for "almighty companies" is over.  Meanwhile,  I am planning to leave gmail and, if possible, blogger in case they decide to shut down those services as well.

What is your view on the problem?
Let me finish with a smile, with this image announcing spring!

February's landscapes, the geographical factor

The month of February is past, but I feel like looking back and remember sceneries.  The images below are from the same month but different year, 2012 and 2013.  Geography plays a huge role here: different climate zones, different landscapes, and for me very different emotions.  I hope you enjoy the weekend!

Forêt de Soignes, Brussels, February 2012

Cami de Sa Cova, Majorca, February 2013.  Yes, almond trees bloomed already, just glorious!

Crocus vernus "flower record"

Potager at Parc Tournay-Solvay, Brussels

The images in this post are from February last year, I visited the park after two snow storms that left quite a layer of snow and beautiful images of the landscape.  I am fond of portraying parks and garden sin winter, because it is a god way to discover their design, when plants and trees do not heave full foliage.

The Parc Tournay-Solvay is in the border of the comunes of Uccle and Waterlmael-Boistfort and is part of the Bois de la Cambre, the magnificent green forest in the south of Brussels.  The design is divided into different areas in harmonic structure, including some ponds, a rose garden, a vegetable garden and walks connecting the the areas.  The castle is the prominent building but others are a little secluded.

The park was founded by the industrial, chemist and philanthropist Ernest Solvay, who envisioned the area as a place where nature was conceived to be preserved and offer enjoyment to visitors.

This is space dedicate to the potager, a small.but well design "terroir" for various allotments that are managed by neighbors

This area below is planted with fruit trees: apples, cherries, pears, etc., waiting for the spring to bloom.

Galanthus elwesii Hook

From the Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam.

My first snowdrops this year, beautiful!

It was a like a magical carpet,

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is from a windowshop, and I thought is a good wish for today and for the rest of the year

Happy Valentine's Day from Amsterdam!!