Heaven on earth: beautiful flower festival in Hitachi Kaihin Park, Japan (17 photos)

Over 4.5 million blue nemophilas were blossoming over the hill "Miharashi No Oka" during "Nemophila Harmony" flower festival in Japanese Hitachi Seaside Park, Ibaraki.

Nemophila is a genus found in the flowering plant family Hydrophyllaceae.

Most of the species in Nemophila contain the phrase "baby blue-eyes" in their common names. N. menziesii has the common name of "Baby blue-eyes".

Nemophila menziesii, the Baby blue eyes is a common annual herb of California, Oregon, and Baja California. It is a spring-blooming wildflower that gets its name from the bright blue flowers of two of the three varieties that are recognised. It is also cultivated in gardens. It can occasionally be found outside its native range as an introduced species, in Alaska, for example.

Nemophila menziesii, the Baby blue eyes grows virtually throughout California at heights from sea level up to almost 6500 feet (2000 metres). It grows in many types of habitat.

The plant is variable in appearance. The leaves are lobed and oppositely arranged. The flowers are blue or white.

Etymology: Nemophila means “woodland-loving.” It comes from the Latin word nemus, which means "grove" and the Greek word philos, which means "loving".

Info: Wiki

Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (Russia, 12th-century)

© glam Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (Церковь Покрова на Нерли) 

The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the Nerl River (Russian: Церковь Покрова на Нерли, Tserkov Pokrova na Nerli) is an Orthodox church and a symbol of mediaeval Russia.

The church is situated at the confluence of Nerl and Klyazma Rivers in Bogolyubovo, 13 km north-east of the ancient capital of Vladimir.

The church was commissioned by Andrei Bogolyubsky. It was built in 12th-century. The monument is built in white stone, has one dome and four columns in the interior. For centuries, the memorial church greeted everyone approaching the palace at Bogolyubovo. In spring, the area would be flooded, and the church appeared as if floating on water. The church itself has not been touched by later generations, only the dome's shape slightly changed, and galleries-porches were built in 12th-century, rebuilt in 18th-century and then demolished. The walls are still covered with 12th-century carvings.

In 1992, the church was added to the UN World Heritage List as part of the site White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal.

Photos: Vokrugsveta, Яндексфотки, Фото.сайт

Info: Wiki