I agree that the viewing and voting was so easy...but making only 3 choices was difficult! There are some really talented photographers in this group.

Jay, that is what it came down to with me too. The aethestics of the photo more so than the subject. There are some that I can definitely see as framed art

What fun to look at every one's pictures! Most enjoyable!!

Horntoad said:Since this is a photography contest, I looked for the artistry of the photo. I looked for things like composition, lighting, color, interesting techniques, focus. Whether are not the flower was pretty was really a minor consideration.

Same here. However, I will say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder & what I may think was great interesting composition, color etc. is just my personal reaction to the photo since I am not even close to having a clue as to professional photography.

Some absolutely stunning photos and so hard to choose.
I will have questions for next year perhaps. I just assumed that all the photos had to be from your own garden . There were some that appeared to have been taken in a public garden. If there wasn't a rule about this, that's great -- I just missed that part.

Elfie, photos can be taken anywhere ... they just have to be photos that you personally took.

I don't think the photos need to be taken in our own garden. I grow lots of nice plants but am also always on the look-out for great subjects....in other's gardens, at shows, at nurseries etc.

Lin has got that right, it's a Photo Contest.

Regardless of who wins, I'm having a great time looking at the photo's! I'm thinking I'll come back and look at them over and over through the winter and get some great ideas for next year.

4susiesjoy said:Regardless of who wins, I'm having a great time looking at the photo's! I'm thinking I'll come back and look at them over and over through the winter and get some great ideas for next year.

I was just telling my mom I hope they stay up through the winter. They are good therapy for me in the dark part of the year

Seems like we would be able to view this at anytime. Like we can our other articles?

I hope so. Can't you just feel yourself relax looking at these beautiful photo's - and even picturing yourself in some of those beautiful photo's

vic said:I hope so. Can't you just feel yourself relax looking at these beautiful photo's - and even picturing yourself in some of those beautiful photo's

I sure can.

jvdubb said: I was just telling my mom I hope they stay up through the winter. They are good therapy for me in the dark part of the year

There's always the database with almost 270,000 images ... that will get you thorough the winter and then some.

Browsing through all those photos was good therapy

I was truly experiencing zone envy when looking at many of the contest photos.

Thanks to everyone for sharing such beautiful photos. My vote is for all these gorgeous pictures to be added to our database if they are not already there. Everyone wins!

plantladylin said:I was truly experiencing zone envy when looking at many of the contest photos.

Me too, on the other end of the zone spectrum!

LOL Susie, I spend hours sometimes in our ATP database and find myself with zone envy from pictures that members have uploaded.

Plants are just so amazing. I view photos of cacti and beautiful desert plants and think maybe I'd like to live in the desert, then I will be looking at photos someone from Europe or Hawaii have shared and I think oh, how wonderful it would be to live there, to be able to grow those plants! But, I think I will just have to be satisfied with visiting those areas or looking at all the pretty pictures because I've been in Florida going on 48 years and I'm getting old so I don't think I will be relocating to another part of the country or world in this lifetime.

And just think of all the people that have zone envy for where you live Lin.