Thanks for your kind comments Tom. Much appreciated.
Hi Phil,
Yes it’s Merv 
Now that I’ve seen the color version, I may not have thought about converting it to B&W.
I should to get in to the habit of considering B&W and maybe even do the conversion just to see how it comes across, heck, it only takes one click to see what it would look like.
I used to shoot B&W almost exclusively in the late 80s (mostly of aunts, uncles, and grandparents on the farm) but everyone kept saying that I need to use color film.
Anyway, I think a color version with a dark BG would work nicely as well but the B&W conversion really made it stand out. Glad you did that and thanks for reminding me about B&W options!
I liked the original a lot, but this is absolutely perfect! The stem is exposed just enough, the black and white treatment superb. Beautifully done, Phil!
Loved this flower the first time I saw it. There is something about B+W that brings out the beauty in flowers. Awesome image. Congratulations!
Hi Phil! When I first looked at the photo I was impressed with the lighting along the branch and the way it led the eye through the photo. Congratulations on the year end editors pick.
Congratulations, Phil. What stunning light you had on this. Very deserving of the editors year end pick.
Congratulations, Phil. I must try B and W on magnolias in the spring, not that far away. This is a very evocative shot.
Thankyou for your kind words @J_Fritz_Rumpf, @Cameron_Wilcox , @David_Haynes, and @Mike_Friel. I was quite surprised to see the image in the editors year end selection. Cheers.
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Well, I was not surprised. It really is a strong, beautiful image, Phil.