Spring Gardening

By Kristin Prelipp Oguntoyinbo

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Some gardeners know how to gently coax life out of even the most delicate plant. They study the soil, the available light, a plant’s specific needs and even give plant food and sprays to keep their plants healthy. My kind of gardening would be opposite of that. It could be called survival of the fittest gardening! I love my plants but once they are in and established they either need to thrive or they will be replaced. I will weed and mulch the beds but I don’t water and I rarely fertilize. So my favorite plants are made for our climate and are hardy as well as beautiful. I want to talk about my two favorite April plants today.

Kerria

Kerria Japonica is not very common. I see a ton of forsythia, which is also yellow and blooms at the same time, but this plant, called The Japanese Yellow Rose, is overlooked. The branches have a weeping willow feel to them and the yellow blooms last for weeks. I have both the “Plenaflora” and the “Honshu” variety, but prefer the former. When mature this deciduous shrub is 3 to 5 feet in height. I have heard that some Kerria plants rebloom off and on all summer long but I have not seen this. Perhaps it is because I don’t baby them enough. They like well-drained soil and perform best in partial shade. Below are three photos of this magnificent plant.

Azalea

Azaleas are very popular here. When I bought my home 11 years ago there were 20 azaleas bushes in the yard. They have all thrived with little care. Every April they bloom, turning my yard into a wonderland. Azaleas are in the genus Rhododendron. They are generally healthy, long-lived plants when their basic requirements are met. They like well-drained soil and partial shade to full sun. To see if you have well drained soil, dig the hole and fill it with water. If the water has not drained out of the hole within one hour, the soil is poorly drained. It is best to trim your azaleas right after they bloom. Here are three photos of some of azaleas in my yard.

Thanks for reading! I am always looking for great photo stories to tell in the Chapelboro area. Just write to me with any questions.

Snow White

I am writing this blog post while it is still Spring but it will not go live until we are deep into the heat of summer. Briana Corke, a fourth grade teacher at Carrboro Elementary School came in for her bridal portrait while the azaleas were in full bloom. We photographed her inside the studio as well as outside. My cat, Eve, who normally doesn’t care for many human beings, loooooved Briana. Her dress, combined with her beautiful complexion, dark hair and relaxed manner made her a pleasure to take photos of. When this posts she will be married! Congratulations!

Here is an update, post-wedding. They ended up with a temperate July day, which nearly never happens. There was a little rain but they were prepared with a tent. Here is what they ended up having at the wedding, in terms of bridal and engagement portraits. I just love to see how clients incorporate their KPO photos into their celebration! I will have their wedding story up at the end of this week. Thank you SOOO much, Matt and Briana, for making us a part of your wedding!

Bridal Portrait on the Front Porch

Jenny Page is marrying Jimmy West on September 26, 2009. She came down from Manhattan for a visit to her family home in Raleigh, NC so we could do a bridal portrait. I am always so glad when we can do a portrait in a location that holds memories and meaning for the portrait subject. Their home in Hayes Barton was Jenny’s mother’s home as a child and, from the age of 15, Jenny lived there, too. Jenny’s grandfather even came to watch! Here are my favorites of this gorgeous, fun bride. By the time I publish this the wedding will have happened, so congratulations to Jenny and Jimmy!

Swain Sisters

Last year I photographed the wedding of Hadley Swain and Tripp Kirkland. Lucky for me, Hadley’s wonderful sister, Caroline, was due to be wed this summer at Fearrington to Josh Strehle, and they chose KPO Photo again for their photos. Prior to the wedding Caroline, her mom, Mary Jo, and good friend Jessica came to visit me at the studio for Caroline’s bridal portrait. I am so glad we took the time do this portrait because on the day of the wedding Caroline changed into another dress for most of the reception. She loves to dance and it that was hard to do that in this formal gown. It was so pretty, though.

What Happens When it Rains on Your Bridal Portrait

Molly Kane had arranged her bridal portrait well in advance. She made sure her dress was ready. She booked an appointment for hair and make-up. Her parents blocked out time to come. All was set for a lovely afternoon portrait in Duke Gardens. Then came the spring rain. Luckily, we have a studio ready to go at all times. I love a garden portrait but the studio can be really wonderful, too. They wanted this portrait session most importantly as a dress rehearsal and to get comfortable in front of the camera. Molly was just stunning!
As usual, I emailed my favorites to my clients shortly after the shoot. Molly’s mom, Margo had this to say:

Kristin-

Margo

Spring has sprung at Fearrington.

Photographing weddings is very cyclical. As one might expect, we are really busy in the spring, summer and early fall. Winter is a time for rest and catching up. Today I officially shifted from dormancy to activity with the bridal portrait of Maaran Luke. Her wedding will be April 18th, 2009 at Fearrington. Although I am posting this bridal portrait today, I am post-dating it so that it will not publish until just after the wedding. You see, the bride and her dress are a highly guarded secret until the moment she walks down the aisle. I would never want to be responsible for prematurely allowing a groom to see his betrothed before the actual walk down the aisle. These portraits, as well as their wedding day images, are in an on-line gallery. To see it click HERE.

I always ask my clients to bring along a friend or relative to their bridal portrait. That person is there to help them to smile and make the whole process fun. Maaran was lucky enough to have her sister-in-law and good friend, Kelly, and both her mother and soon to be mother-in-law along for the shoot. They did a wonderful job of keeping her happy and smiling.

Before we start a shoot I try to get a feel for what my clients are looking for. Both Maaran and her mother, Ann, said they really like a more relaxed style. So that is what we did. I am so happy with the end result!