COVID-19 lockdown: Beautiful foxgloves lit up by reflections from the lake at Haddo House & park, Methlick, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Photos taken while complying with UK Coronavirus lockdown. Into Phase 3 (Scotland) and enjoying the parks even more.

Digitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials commonly called foxgloves.This genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, but recent phylogenetic research has placed it in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae. This genus is native to western and southwestern Europe, western and central Asia and northwestern Africa. The flowers are produced on a tall spike, are tubular, and vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, and yellow. The scientific name means "finger-like" and refers to the ease with which a flower can be fitted over a human fingertip. The best-known species is the common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. This biennial plant is often grown as an ornamental plant due to its vivid flowers which range in colour from various purple tints through pink, and purely white. The flowers can also possess various marks and spottings. Other garden-worthy species include D. ferruginea, D. grandiflora, D. lutea and D. parviflora. The term digitalis is also used for drug preparations that contain cardiac glycosides, particularly one called digoxin, extracted from various plants of this genus. Foxglove has medicinal uses but can also be toxic to humans and other animals. The name "foxglove" was first recorded in the year 1542 by Leonhard Fuchs, whose family name, Fuchs, is the German word for "fox" (the plant genus Fuchsia is also named for him). The genus digitalis is from the Latin digitus (finger), perhaps referencing the shape of the flowers, which accommodate a finger when fully formed. Thus the name is recorded in Old English as foxes glofe/glofa or fox's glove. Over time, folk myths obscured the literal origins of the name, insinuating that foxes wore the flowers on their paws to silence their movements as they stealthily hunted their prey. The woody hillsides where the foxes made their dens were often covered with the toxic flowers. Some of the more menacing names, such as "witch's glove," reference the toxicity of the plant. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitalis

Stately and striking, Haddo House casts a huge impression from the moment you set eyes on it. Designed in 1732 by William Adam, the house underwent an opulent remodelling in the 1880s. As a result, it has the clean elegance and swooping lines of the Georgian style with a luxurious Victorian interior. Family portraits trace generations of Gordons, who played a huge part in Scottish history. George Gordon, 1st Earl of Aberdeen was Lord Chancellor of Scotland; the 4th Earl served as Prime Minister. More recently, Haddo was a maternity hospital during World War II – over 1,200 babies were born here. In 2016, a painting of the Madonna at Haddo received a lot of attention when it was identified as being probably by Raphael. We’re now working with Dr Matthias Wivel, curator of 16th-century paintings at the National Gallery in London, to try to arrive at a definitive attribution for this beautiful painting. The house is surrounded by a terrace garden with a lavish herbaceous border and geometric flower beds. A magnificent avenue of lime trees leads to Haddo Country Park. www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/haddo-house

Taken in: UK / Scotland / Schivas (show map)

Taken on: July 18, 2020

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Digitali

foxglove

herbaceous

perennial

shrub

“Haddo House”

gardens

park

“William Adam”

1732

Georgian

Gordons

Aberdeenshire

Scotland

“George Gordon”

“1st earl of Aberdeen:”

“lord Chancellor”

“Maternity Hospital”

Methlick

Ellon

Tarves

house

chateau

“Marquess of Aberdeen”

“500 years”

“Palladin style”

“George Hamilton-Gordon”

“4th Earl of Aberdeen”

“British prime minister”

“1852–1855”

“Burn of Kelly”

trees

lake

loch

pond

water

wood

forest

“Coronavirus lockdown” “Canon 80D”

“Tamron

SP 35mm F/1.8

Di VC USD”

Aberdeen

“Siorrachd Obar Dheathain” « less

Sets appears in: • Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, Scotland • Flowers, insects, macro more » • Natural textures and colours • Scotland • Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8, Di VC USD • Trees, woods, forests, parks & gardens « less

Groups appears in: • FlickrCentral • Macro more » • Flower Photography • * FABULOUS FLOWERS (NO insects, seeds, b&w) • Flower Flower Flower « less

Camera: Canon EOS 80D, f/1.8, 1/3200 sec, 35mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 80D
Lens:	TAMRON SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD F012
Aperture:	f/1.8
Exposure Time:	1/3200 sec
Focal Length:	35mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 21.0 (Macintosh)
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