photography – Shorena Ratiani

‘High’ secrets of Morning Glory

Morning glory, botanically known as Ipomoea, is one of my favorite flowers. It’s super easy to grow and doesn’t require too much care – just perfect for lazy gardeners.

dark blue morning glory plant — © Shorena Ratiani Photography

You can grow it from seed. For better results, seeds can be nicked and soaked in water for 24 hours before planting.

The most popular varieties of morning glory plants are native to Japan or Mexico and largely grown in North America and Europe.

dark blue morning glory — © Shorena Ratiani Photography

If your new morning glory plant hasn’t flowered yet, be patient. Morning glories can take a couple of months, up to 120 days from seed to flower, to burst out in blooms, especially if you planted the vine from seed.

But this beautiful climbing plant has its secrets.

Eating morning glory flowers is not dangerous, however the seeds can be poisonous, especially in large quantities. Morning glory seeds can get you high because they contain LSA, a chemical similar to LSD.

Typically, eating morning glory seeds is not dangerous, but in large enough quantities, they can cause hallucinations, physical symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea, and overdose.

Have a look at my morning glory gallery – I found dark and light purple, and also pink flowers during my photo walks.

October 25, 2019 by Shorena Ratiani Categories: Artsy Lifestyle, Flower Photography, Gallery, Nature Photography, photography, seasonsTags: blue, blue flowers, Flower Photography, flower photos, flowers, green, lsa, lsd, morning glory, morning glory flowers, nature, Nature Photography, photo blog, photo of the day, photo walk, photography, photography blog, pink, pink flowers, psychedelic, shorena ratiani photography

Dog Rose facts and photos

Rosa Canina, commonly known as the dog rose,is a one of the most widespread wild roses in Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia.

This climbing plant grows 3 to 16 feet tall, or sometimes even more as it can scramble higher on taller trees.

The name dog rose (bot. Rosa Canina) comes from the belief in the 18th century that it was effective in the treatment of rabid dogs. Another reason given is that the term ‘dog’ has a negative meaning, and as many people thought this plant was inferior to garden roses they called it a dog rose. I don’t really agree with this explanation – dog roses are as beautiful and as soft as garden roses.

The dog-rose is a deciduous shrub that has medicinal uses: the petals, rose hips and galls are astringent, diuretic, laxative, ophthalmic and a tonic. The syrup made from rose hips is taken internally for the treatment of colds, influenza, minor infectious diseases, scurvy, diarrhea and gastritis.

The Dog-rose usually grows up to three metres high. It can stretch that little bit taller with some help! Its sharp spines can grip onto a tree for support.

The dog-rose has oval leaves with jagged edges. The leaves have a sweet scent when rubbed.

Its white or pink flowers open out from June to July and have a light scent which is loved by bees, butterflies and other insects.

Red egg-shaped fruits grow from October to November. These are called ‘hips’. They are a very important food for birds during the winter and also often used for medicinal purposes.

Did you know that dog-rose hips have lots of vitamin C? They are used to make tea and syrup.

Here are my photos of white and pink dog rose flowers.

July 27, 2019October 23, 2019 by Shorena Ratiani Categories: Artsy Lifestyle, Flower Photography, Gallery, Nature Photography, photography, seasonsTags: dog rose, dog rose facts, dog roses, flower garden, flower of the day, Flower Photography, flowers, nature, Nature Photography, photo blog, photo of the day, photography, photography blog, pink, rosa canina, shorena ratiani photography, white 2 Comments

Beautiful orange: blooming trumpet flowers

Climbing plants are my favorites and the flowering ones are my favorites among favorites. Trumpet vines are flowering in Tbilisi right now and it makes me happy!

Trumpet flowers. Photography by Shorena Ratiani

Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans), also known as Trumpet Creeper, Cow Itch Vine or Hummingbird Vine, is a species of flowering plant of the family Bignoniaceae. It is native to the eastern US and naturalized in parts of the western US, as well as in Ontario, parts of Europe, and in Latin America.Growing to a height of 33 ft, it is a vigorous, deciduous woody vine, notable for its showy trumpet-shaped flowers. It inhabits woodlands and riverbanks, and is also a popular garden plant and a living fence.

The beautiful tubular flowers range in color from yellow to orange or red. Blooming occurs throughout the summer and into fall. Following its flowering, the trumpet vines produce attractive bean-like seedpods.

As its ‘nickname” – Hummingbird vine – shows the Trumpet vine flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds, and many types of birds like to nest in the dense foliage.

Trumpet creeper flowers are irresistible to butterflies as well, and many gardeners grow the vine to attract them.

The Trumpet vine grows vigorously so gardeners need to keep it under control by pruning otherwise the vines will cover everything and climb and cover trellises, walls, arbors and fences. I wouldn’t actually mind Trumpet vines invading my garden but I would need to have much more space 😄😄

Like the daffodil, Trumpet vines symbolize new beginnings.

Here are my photos of lovely bright Trumpet vine flowers. Enjoy!

July 17, 2019October 23, 2019 by Shorena Ratiani Categories: Artsy Lifestyle, Flower Photography, Gallery, Nature Photography, photography, seasonsTags: Artsy Lifestyle, bignoniaceae, campsis radicans, cow vine, hummingbird vine, photo blog, photo of the day, photo walk, photography, photography blog, shorena ratiani photography, trumpet creeper, trumpet flower photography, trumpet flowers, trumpet vine photography, trumpet vines 1 Comment

Daisy – the beginning of a new day

Several quick facts about my favorite flowers – daisies:

The daisy is a flowering plant belonging to the family Asteraceae (also called Compositae).

Daisies belong to the family of ‘vascular plants’ which make up almost 10% of all flowering plants on Earth.

There are approximately 4000 species of daisies of different sizes, shapes and colors.

Daisies are found on every single continent except Antarctica.

Daisies can live in both wet and dry climates, and they are resistant to pesticides and insects. Not a picky plant, daisies grow well both in full sun and in part sun or even shady areas.

The Daisy is a herbaceous plant that can grow from 3 inches to 4 feet (!) in height, depending on the species.

The daisy plant leaf texture varies and can be smooth or covered with trichomes (little hairs).

Some daisy species are annual, lasting only one year, and some are biennial (life cycle ends after two years). The color of the flower depends on the species. The most common daisy is white with a yellow center, but there can be found purple ones with a brown center, red with yellow, orange with yellow, pink with yellow center, yellow with a dark red center, blue with green center and so on.

The flower symbolism associated with the daisy is one of purity, innocence, loyal love, beauty, patience and simplicity.

The name Daisy comes from the Old English “daes eage,” meaning “day’s eye.” The name derives from the way they close their petals in the evening, and open again in the morning, which symbolizes the beginning of a new day.

Daisies have been popular flowers in history and are believed to be more than 4,000 years old.

Daisies have lots of medicinal properties.

Daisy leaves can make a tasty addition to salads (they are closely related to the artichoke and are high in Vitamin C).

The largest game of “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not” was played by 331 people in Milan, Italy. Participants plucked daisy petals to determine if their secret crush loved them back.

Daisies are often depicted in meadows in Medieval paintings and were described as a “flowery mead.”

Egyptian ceramics were decorated with daisies. The English daisy (Bellis perennis) is considered a stubborn weed in North American lawns.

The daisy family was classified by Paul Dietrich Giseke, a German botanist and close friend of the Swedish ‘father of modern taxonomy’ Carl Linnaeus.

A daisy actually consists of two flowers in one. The (usually) white petals count as one flower and the cluster of (usually) tiny yellow disc petals that form the ‘eye’ is technically another.

Daisy leaves can make a tasty addition to salads and contain Vitamin C.

Bees just LOVE daisies. These include Goldenrod, making them an important friend of honey makers.

Now have a look at some daisy photos I’ve taken recently.

July 12, 2019October 23, 2019 by Shorena Ratiani Categories: Artsy Lifestyle, Flower Photography, Gallery, Nature Photography, photography, seasonsTags: blooming, blooming flowers, blooms, daisies, daisy, daisy facts, daisy symbolism, Flower Photography, flower photos, flower symbolism, flowers, georgia, nature, Nature Photography, photo, photo blog, photo essay, photo of the day, photo walk, photography, photography blog, photos, white, yellow

China Calandine – a real hero survivor

This lovely plant with lovely bright yellow flowers is China Calandine (or Greater Calandine).

China Calandine. Photo by Shorena Ratiani

It grows everywhere, literally everywhere – on ground, on rocks, anywhere where it can find a little bit of soil.

To me this plant is a real symbol of life – it can even drill into cement to find a place to thrive. China Calandine is a real hero survivor!

I’m also fascinated with the colors of its leaves. Its colors are so different – when it is in full bloom or when it turns to ‘autumn mode’.

The botanical name of China Calandine is Chelidonium majus. It can be found growing wild in almost all European countries, West Asia, North Africa, and North America. The plant prefers dry sunny areas and is often found next to buildings, or thickets.

Greater Calandine is a perennial plant belonging to the poppy family (Papaveraceae). It can grow up to 60 cm in height and the whole plant contains a large amount of yellow that turns orange when it comes into contact with air.

The whole plant is widely used in herbal medicine in many countries. I remember how my grandmother collected and dried them for medical purposes – it was a pity that I never asked what ailments it was believed to cure.

Part of my greater calandine photos in my gallery.