The Flower Hour #17: An Edited Journey of a #Crocus

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Here in Northeastern Washington, we’re another six weeks away from seeing crocus flowers in bloom. Here’s what bloomed last year in my garden!

purple crocus
Purple Crocus

Alongside my passion for photography, I enjoy using filters and coloring apps, particularly Color Planet. This paint-by-number “game” allows me to color and save digital images. Here is one I colored and saved. It is meant to have an “oil-painting” quality.

graphic crocus

Now that AI is available as a tool for editing, creating, etc., I used the WordPress image block to create an AI-generated version of the Color Planet image. It created very realistic-looking flowers and grass.

purple forest crocus
AI-Generated from Color Planet image

Here’s hoping the purple and white ones emerge late next month.

white crocus

Please note that you don’t have to share an edited flower or a crocus for this week’s Flower Hour.

New flower images are welcomed, and archived images are encouraged.

For the Flower Hour, share your images of flowers, gardens, fields of flowers, seasonal leaves and plants, fungus, algae, cacti, blossoms, berries, and wildflowers. Bouquets and silk/faux flowers are welcome.

Remember, there are no specific themes for the Flower Hour, but please use your own photography. And you have all week to link to this post.

New to The Flower Hour photo challenge? Please check out my page for more information! I encourage “double-dipping” with other blog challenges if you do not want to create a separate post.

floral signature

© 2026 Copyright — Terri Webster Schrandt and secondwindleisure.com — All Rights Reserved

All content on this blog is copyrighted. Please do not repost or reblog without my permission.


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96 responses to “The Flower Hour #17: An Edited Journey of a #Crocus”

  1. These are pretty flowers, Terri 💜

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Robbie. Crocus blooms mean winter is almost over.

      Like

  2. Crocus pack a big punch in a tiny package!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I always love the color purple! Beautiful crocus. Here is my link. http://specialmomsblog.mom/2026/02/13/valentine-bouquets/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You are so lucky! At least its sunny over here!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. We’ve had such a mild winter, the daisies are happy!

        Liked by 1 person

  4. […] Sharing for Terri’s #The-Flower-Hour-17 […]

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Pretty flowers and your edits look good. I could be a bit more creative in that regard, though I confess I have zero interest in AI! Here’s mine this week: https://grahamsisland.com/2026/02/11/foster-botanical-garden/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Graham! I always prefer a sharp image of a flower, but editing tools can be a fun alternative.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Gorgeous images, Terri. I love the images you created. I use WP’s AI, and PicMonkey to create all of my images. It’s fun, and I enjoy it. 💕

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Eugi! I’ve used PicMonkey for 10 years! It IS fun!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome, Terri.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. […] More information about Foster Botanical Garden here. Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour. See more responses here. […]

    Liked by 1 person

  8. We have to wait some time before they bloom here, in April – May. It is always a sign of spring

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We’re heading south in March, and I may miss their blooms!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lovely to go to warmer weather

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Lots of family in the south!

        Like

  9. […] participating in The Flower Hour by sharing these images of Siberian Iris, showcasing the classic hue of a deep, vibrant […]

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Hi Terri, I like the crocus – pretty, uncomplicated, and I love what you’ve done using AI. I have no idea how to do digital art.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Smitha! You are an excellent painter, no need for digital art! 😁

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks, Terri. You’re kind. I’m so technologically backward… That’s the only reason I haven’t tried digital art☺️.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Beautiful 👏👏👌👌

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Welcome..let’s support each other by subscribing to each other’s page 🙏

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Purple crocus is stunning. The AI-enhanced photo and the original are so similar, and I can’t detect it if you didn’t say.🤭 🙈

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Hazel! The edits are quite similar, it may be more obvious on a computer.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ah, got it. I’m just using my phone now. My pleasure, Terri

        Liked by 1 person

  13. We had a one-day Spring thaw today … 45 degrees. Woo hoo! I hope we have turned a corner. I need to see if the Snow Drops pop up now in the neighborhood. That’s amazing what you can do with AI for creating paintings from photos … hmm, less messy than painting. I have to return to painting. I had so many photos taken last year to go through that I’ve been sorting through them since January and getting some reading done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. 45! We were at 50 witj sunshine, no coat necessary! I’m afraid my crocuses will bloom while were gone! I enjoy playing around with different editing tools. Looks like you’re doing well on Duo!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Our heatwave was short-lived, but the “heat” and sunshine return on Friday through Sunday. I’m excited for that as I may get my Great Backyard Birdwatch done somewhere besides my backyard. Yes, I went from Amethyst to Pearl as I had a double XP for 30 minutes which put me over the top and at #1 briefly. 🙂 I am still relegated to “stories” though. Oh well. I am going to try with Duck Duck Go – I had to switch to them to see YouTube videos or sign up with YouTube and pay.

        Here is my flower post for Flower Hour. A bee in the blooms:

        Does all this yellow mellow you out? #Wordless Wednesday #Bumblebee in the Goldenrod

        Liked by 1 person

      2. We’ve had two sunny days in a row now that the sun is at a higher angle to burn off the fog. We had flocks of birds in the yard today, so much fun.

        Does your local library have Mango Languages? It’s free to access. If our rural area does, I would bet yours does and you could continue learn French that way. I’ve actually had the free Duolingo max since yesterday, and I can converse with Lily on the “phone.” After 6 years of German, speaking is getting better. Keep at the French, its good for your brain!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. We had a sunny day today but only in the 20s, but I went to the Park for the first time since February 1st as we had the snow/ice storm after that. I waited until later in the day but the walking path was horribly icy and so I had to walk in the snow. Hopefully our warm temps this upcoming four or five days will help … 40s, almost to 50s to get rid of all of it.

        Thank you for the tip about Mango Languages and I just Googled and yes our library has it and you only need a library card which I have had for a while, unless they have changed card formats. There is a Facebook group for Duolingo – French. They probably have one for German too. People troubleshoot to ask why their answer or translation was wrong or other similar questions and group members discussed their live interaction with Lily and said she disconnected them sometimes … was she polite or her usual sullen self? Funny you said about French being good for the brain. I just heard a story on the CBS national radio news yesterday about how beneficial reading is for the brain and they mentioned another good brain-training exercise was taking a foreign language.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Late winter weather whiplash! U hope the west is kind to us when we get ready to travel. Thanks for the tip about Facebook. Good luck with Mango. I looked at it briefly but haven’t really tried it.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. This time I’m grateful for the weather whiplash. We have nice weather until Tuesday night … rain versus freezing rain that night, so I hope we stay mild. I hope you have easy going for your travels after you showed us pics of the snow on the highway as you’ve got the RV … it can’t be easy doing that.

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Winter is making a comeback here this week. We won’t be taking the RV south. Still too much winter between here and there! Plus no places to camp/park. All car driving, hotels and family homes. We’re pros 😎

        Liked by 1 person

      7. You have it down to an art Terri – travel light and make the most of it! Safe travels to you when you go!

        Liked by 1 person

      8. Thanks, Linda. Ill be taking two short breaks for Sunday Stills, but will keep Flower Hour going.

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Somewhere under all that cold, hard soil, your crocuses are waiting to appear. I love the purple and white combination.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Janis! You’re right! I checked today and the green shoots have emerged. It was 50 here today, way too warm. We’re heading south in two weeks and I’m afraid I’ll miss them!

      I’ll PM you soon with our SD dates.

      Like

  15. […] be sure to also check out Terri’s post and the comments on her post for more shares for this week The Flower […]

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Beautiful flower collection, the edited one is very cool!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Pam. The AI edit did a good job!

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Oh, I like the edited version as well.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, both turned out well!

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Very pretty! I like crocus as well. I remember I had taken some photos of them many years ago when I lived more in the country. 🙂

    Like

  19. […] afternoon, for Terri’s, The Flower Hour #17. ⚘ I’m pretty sure these belong to the daisy family. St. Albert botanical garden […]

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I do so love crocus flowers!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I’m thrilled I can grow them!

      Liked by 1 person

  21. […] I’m joining The Flower Hour. […]

    Liked by 1 person

  22. The purple is a wonderful Crocus. The arty images are great Terri. I have never seen a white Crocus before

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Brian! I’ve only seen the white and purple. The filters are fun, but a super sharp Pic up close is always the winner!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. My Crocus are pink. I’ll make a note for a flower hour post.

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Very pretty purple crocus and the white one, too. I never think to try out filters except one or two that I did in the past. These really turned out good looking. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Barbara! The ones in my garden have emerged with little green shoots. I use the filters sparingly and many photos don’t lend themselves to too much editing!

      Liked by 1 person

  24. […] The Flower Hour #17: An Edited Journey of a #Crocus […]

    Liked by 2 people

  25. Terri, your crocus is beautiful. I know you are anxiously awaiting for them to bloom. I always enjoy seeing flowers that we don’t get here. I like your edited flowers, too. The Color Planet app looks like fun.

    Here’s mine https://wanderingdawgs.com/2026/02/10/sunday-stills-amethyst/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Beth! The green shoots have emerged. I keep them covered with a layer of hay for now. If you want to mindlessly color while watching TV… its a fun app to pass some time with, and you can save and keep the completed image.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Terri, many thanks. The only purple I could think of was flowers. I’m glad you like them. I downloaded the free version but couldn’t get past the ad for another game so I deleted it. Any tips?

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh, I forgot about the ads. I think I pay $10 a year…

        Liked by 1 person

  26. […] Also shared with Terri’s Flower Hour #17. […]

    Liked by 1 person

  27. […] Terri’s #The Flower Hour — photo editing journeys  – 10 February 2026 […]

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Small but very lovely, Terri, and definitely a sight to lift the spirits xx

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Jo! I dont have a pic, but i see evidence the crocus in my garden had surfaced. Yay!

      Liked by 1 person

  29. Your images and words are great and inspiring as we impatiently await a thaw (never mind spring blossoms!). I love the AI image and (very red-faced) didn’t even know that technology was available on WordPress so thank you! pp

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Pam! Many folks are still unsure about AI tech. WordPress has integrated it very seamlessly. You can experiment with a draft post. If you do be sure to delete any images from your media files that you don’t want.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you. I’m very nervous of trying AI (don’t laugh!). But your beautiful crocus image is inspiring me to give it a go. More to follow (maybe). xx

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Don’t be nervous, it’s an image alteration tool and can easily be deleted.

        Liked by 1 person

  30. I love crocuses! They always bring the idea of spring to mind. Wonderful photos, Terri. Great work with photo editing. WordPress’s image AI did a great job with your Color Planet image.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Suzette! I had some fun with this. I was also surprised with the realistic AI version!

      Liked by 1 person

  31. I love the extra images you included: the painted and AI edits. Beautiful shots. Here is my entry:

    https://throughbrazilianeyes.com/the-tiny-crowns-of-spring/

    Like

  32. Beautiful flowers

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Sadje, the crocus is the first sign of spring, but we won’t see it here until late March.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome. We don’t have it here but there are green buds on the trees

        Liked by 1 person

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About Me

I’m a former university adjunct Professor and retired recreation & parks practitioner living in North-Eastern Washington State near the Idaho border. Second Wind Leisure Perspectives is my blog about living a leisure lifestyle, including photography, friends, fitness, and fun.

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