{"id":141740,"date":"2025-03-17T02:41:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T07:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=141740"},"modified":"2025-07-07T12:19:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T17:19:10","slug":"shades-of-green-on-st-patricks-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/03\/17\/shades-of-green-on-st-patricks-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Shades Of Green On St. Patrick’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

I tend to think of shades of green on St. Patrick’s Day, and this year, I knew I had a lovely image I\u2019d been keeping under wraps that I want to share today.<\/p>\n

\"ShadesShades of green – Leafy Fantasy Horse, USF Botanical Gardens, Hillsborough County, Florida \u00a9 2005<\/span><\/p>\n

I took this photo in February 2005, more than 20 years ago now. I used a Nikon bridge camera for this image while my best friend, Patty, and I explored the USF Botanical Gardens in Tampa, Florida<\/span><\/a>. We explored a lot of Florida together when I lived there.<\/p>\n

While we were wandering a plant with huge green leaves caught my eyes and I decided to take close up, kind of abstract photos of the leaves. The dark background behind the leaves added a touch of drama.<\/p>\n

As I moved around the leaves taking photos, I saw this through my viewfinder, stopped, took a breath, then captured this frame.<\/p>\n

I don’t recall the name of this plant, it might have been a deliciosa, but that isn’t important to me now. What mattered to me then, and still does today, is that I saw a fantasy horse, or maybe even a leafy green dragon, in this image, complete with an eye, nose, and an ear!<\/p>\n

I can’t unsee it. That’s called pareidolia<\/span><\/a>, when the mind picks out a pattern or image in something random, like spotting a face in clouds or on a tree trunk.<\/p>\n

The leafy horse or dragon is in shades of green, which fits perfectly with the color scheme of St. Patrick’s Day!<\/p>\n

Maybe you see a horse, a dragon, or something else besides a green leaf. That\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n

I thought this image was simply wonderful for St. Patrick’s Day!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my flower, shrub, and tree photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I tend to think of shades of green on St. Patrick’s Day, and this year, I knew I had a lovely image I\u2019d been keeping under wraps that I want to share today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,2324,5346,2206],"tags":[16294,16295,16298,16296,37,13931,5742,4557,16297,5679,9610,16299,16300,16293,373],"class_list":["post-141740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-florida","category-hillsborough-county","category-shrubs","category-usf-botanical-garden","tag-abstract","tag-botanical-garden","tag-dragon","tag-fantasy","tag-florida-2","tag-garden","tag-green","tag-hillsborough-county","tag-horse","tag-leaf","tag-leafy","tag-shades-of-green","tag-st-patricks-day","tag-usf-botanical-gardens","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/leaf-dragon-horse-mia-mcpherson-6860.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-AS8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8198,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/04\/24\/goin-green\/","url_meta":{"origin":141740,"position":0},"title":"Goin’ Green","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I've posted about Thinking Pink and Shades of Blue so today I thought I'd share some images about Goin' Green.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Leaf Abstract, USF Botanical Gardens, Hillsborough County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/huge-leaf-mia-mcpherson-6857.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/huge-leaf-mia-mcpherson-6857.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/huge-leaf-mia-mcpherson-6857.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/huge-leaf-mia-mcpherson-6857.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":117305,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/22\/cuban-tree-frog-in-a-golden-tunnel\/","url_meta":{"origin":141740,"position":1},"title":"Cuban Tree Frog In A Golden Tunnel","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 22, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning, I am sharing a photo of a Cuban Tree Frog. The image was taken at the USF Botanical Gardens while I was there with my best friend, Patty.","rel":"","context":"In "Cuban Tree Frogs"","block_context":{"text":"Cuban Tree Frogs","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/cuban-tree-frogs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Cuban Tree Frog in a golden tunnel, USF Botanical Gardens, Hillsborough County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cuban-tree-frog-golden-tunnel-mia-mcpherson-6936.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cuban-tree-frog-golden-tunnel-mia-mcpherson-6936.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cuban-tree-frog-golden-tunnel-mia-mcpherson-6936.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cuban-tree-frog-golden-tunnel-mia-mcpherson-6936.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7465,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/07\/a-flaming-hibiscus\/","url_meta":{"origin":141740,"position":2},"title":"A Flaming Hibiscus","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 7, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This flame-colored Hibiscus takes me back to a warm, sunny day in Tampa at the USF Botanical Garden, for awhile when I look at this I can forget the fog building outside my window and the snow on the ground.","rel":"","context":"In "Close up"","block_context":{"text":"Close up","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/photographic-styles\/close-up\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Flame Hibiscus, USF Botanical Gardens, Hillsborough County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hibiscus-flame-mia-mcpherson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hibiscus-flame-mia-mcpherson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hibiscus-flame-mia-mcpherson.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/hibiscus-flame-mia-mcpherson.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46723,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/05\/12\/peachy-daylily-before-my-bird-photography-obsession-took-hold\/","url_meta":{"origin":141740,"position":3},"title":"Peachy Daylily – Before my Bird Photography Obsession Took Hold","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month I was looking through some of my earliest image archives and came across a photo of a peachy-colored Daylily that I had taken while exploring with my friend Patty at the Florida Botanical Gardens","rel":"","context":"In "Florida"","block_context":{"text":"Florida","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/florida\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Peachy Daylily, State Botanical Gardens, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/bella-and-mia-sploring-mia-mcpherson-8968.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/bella-and-mia-sploring-mia-mcpherson-8968.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/bella-and-mia-sploring-mia-mcpherson-8968.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/bella-and-mia-sploring-mia-mcpherson-8968.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51264,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/17\/shades-of-green-with-a-house-wren\/","url_meta":{"origin":141740,"position":4},"title":"Shades of Green With A House Wren","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"It just seemed fitting on St Patrick's Day to post something with a bit of green in it so I selected this House Wren photo I took in May of 2014 in the Targhee National Forest in Clark County, Idaho.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"House Wren with a green background, Targhee National Forest, Clark County, Idaho","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-idaho-0982.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-idaho-0982.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/house-wren-idaho-0982.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14556,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/14\/something-is-fishy\/","url_meta":{"origin":141740,"position":5},"title":"Something Is Fishy","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Long ago in a subtropical clime with plenty of heat, humidity and the occasional hurricane I used to photograph with a small point and shoot camera from Canon and had great fun doing it.","rel":"","context":"In "Florida"","block_context":{"text":"Florida","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/florida\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Koi swimming in a pond at the Florida Botanical Gardens","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/koi-florida-mia-mcpherson-7730.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/koi-florida-mia-mcpherson-7730.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/koi-florida-mia-mcpherson-7730.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/koi-florida-mia-mcpherson-7730.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}