Thought I’d give you a vision of July flowers on this gray January day. Going through the archives to upload more photos into Free Photos “next door” (do check it out, or subscribe in that section, to see what’s new), I came across this shot of part of my front garden in my last house. I love flowers; can you tell? One of the things that happened in the four years or so we lived there is that our neighbors began to plant more flowers, and they said that we had inspired them. That felt good, and looked good, too!

Visit Today’s Flowers for more beautiful flowers from around the planet.

When I was in Northern California recently, this camellia plant was beginning to come into bloom. In January! When I lived there I had an old shrub of just this kind of pink flower outside of my house. These grow to at least 10 or 12 feet tall (3-4 meters)! No scent, but such flower perfection.

Visit Pink Saturday, Today’s Flower and Macro Flowers Saturday for more great photos, and if you have a minute, do click on Free Photos “next door” for an additional selection of pretty flower and scenic photos.

These are Meyer lemons, grown by friends in Northern California. Don’t they just look cheery? Meyer lemons are supposed to be a bit sweeter than regular lemons, but I don’t know. Their fragrance is a bit more flowery, perhaps. All lemons are good, especially in January, when their little sunny orbs are a feast for our eyes.

Visit Macro Friday for more interesting close ups and Color Carnival for more bright colors. And you might try a tag of Yellow while you are here. Remember, if there’s only one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest.

Here’s a view of Santa Rosa from the hills of Windsor, California. I may have mentioned that dusk is my favorite time of day, especially with peaceful winter views like this one. The tangles in the oak tree branches to the right are mistletoe.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more great skies around the world, and Scenic Sunday for more scenery. Post one of your own, if you like; participating is great fun.

While you’re here, do click around here and there to see what you might find. I promise many pretty pictures for you!

Spring Lake, in Santa Rosa, California, just a week or so ago was so scenic! Even in the depth of winter, Northern California Wine Country just doesn’t get too dreary. The duck likes it, anyway!

Visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday for more neat photos, and Scenic Sunday, SOOC (straight out of the camera) and Weekend Reflections have great stuff too. I invite you to view a tag like Water or Scenic (to the right) while you are here. Thank you for visiting, and it would be so appreciated if you left a comment and shared how you felt about what you see here.

These anthurium flowers aren’t really flowers, just like some bromeliads and pointsettias, with their colored leaves (bracts) looking for all the world like a flower. I just love the way the shine on them lights up in photos. Very photogenic plant. Did you know that some flowers are far easier to photograph than others? During the summertime at the Volunteer Park Conservatory when they had their fabulous display of brugmansia, or Angel Trumpets, I tried with so many photos to capture their magnificent presence. So lovely and graceful in person, and so frequently awkward and charmless in a photo. I do love anthuriums for their good looks in photos, if for no other reason.

Visit Ruby Tuesday and Mellow Yellow Monday, Color Carnival, Macro Friday, SOOC and Macro Flowers Saturday for more photos with a theme idea. And check out a new tag or category here if you have a minute, or you might see what’s new at Free Photos next door. If there’s only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.

And even though I do like the two scenic photos above very much, I’m choosing this one for my Best Post of the Week. If you don’t see any above, just click on Sara’s Fave Photos and they will appear.

Yesterday there was a bit of sun (yay!) and I ran out to the Volunteer Park Conservatory to get some photos of orchids. I might as well tell you that I am working on a book about the flowers there, coming out later this year. My first book, and a very exciting and big project! I think I may use this image in it.

Visit Today’s Flowers, Macro Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday for more neat photos with a theme (that’s what a photo meme is). Before you go, be sure to browse around here and next door at Free Photos, checking out the multitude of photos on so many topics.

When the petals are not just one flat row, the flowers are called doubles. The edge of a different color around the petals is called picotee. These azaleas with maidenhair ferns on the side from the Volunteer Park Conservatory are pretty special for both reasons, and you probably won’t find too many like this in your neighbor’s front yard. I think they are so sweet and cheerful!

Visit Pink Saturday, Color Carnival, Macro Friday, SOOC Sunday, Today’s Flower and Macro Flowers Saturday for more photos with a theme. Be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos if there is only one photo below. Thanks for visiting!

Yesterday was a rare sunny day, so even though it was cold I went out for a walk, and was happy that the view of Puget Sound and the sky from the Normandy Park, Washington overlook, quite near my house, was even more beautiful than usual. This late day light is my favorite time of day.

Skywatch Friday has more incredible skies from photographers all around the world (this week the guest “photo” is an awesome time-laspe sky video, complete with shooting stars!), and Scenic Sunday has more great scenery. Do take a look.

This photo really floats my boat. I particularly love the shape of the trees curving around the sky. I am calling this my Best Post of the Week.

If there is only one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for more. And visit Free Photos for even more!

Santa Rosa in Northern California gets almost no freezing weather and so the geraniums live from year to year. This sunlit leaf was photographed on a cold January day.

I am entering the Gardening Gone Wild Picture This Photo Contest for macros taken with point and shoot cameras. I can’t wait to see the other entries using the special camera on a jar technique suggested. Also Macro Friday has lots of neat close ups.

Do browse around here, perhaps the tag “close up”? or at Free Photos next door. New photos coming soon!