Today's ruby red is more of a dark burgandy or red wine color from the flowers on my Rose of Sharon bushes. They are one of my all time favorites to photograph. The buds start out very tight before bursting open to reveal just a hint of what's to come. It always amazes me that the tightly wound bloom is such a dark rich color.
As the flower opens more and more it reveals the deep burgandy in the center and the lighter gentle pinks of the outer part of the petal. As the bloom nears its end the veins in the petals become more prominent and take on the look of gauze. The ants love the flowers too as you can see by that tiny little fellow on the outer edge of the petal in the foreground.
Downloading photos often brings surprises as this particular image did for me. Doesn't that look like a little hand perhaps indicating to the ants and bees - 'I want you to stay away!' Or, maybe there's a little Smurf living in there. :)
Posted for Ruby Tuesday.
