This year the seed-started cosmos plants have done very well. The cool wet spring helped them to get established, especially since the slugs don’t seem to like them. Some of the plants had a real problem, like the petunias, but the cosmos all stood undevoured. Now they are beginning to take off. Don’t forget that they are good in bouquets, too!

Visit Macro Monday for more wonderful close ups of all kinds. Color Carnival has more bright colors. Mellow Yellow Monday thinks everything is better with a splash of yellow. Isn’t it? The Shadow is kind of neat, too. And this one is SOOC, or straight out of the camera.

Try a new link or category while you are here. Why not? The latest post is always at Sara’s Fave Photos.

Here’s a beauty of an orchid photographed at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle. Wonderful place. I don’t know the name of the yellow ones in back, but the front ones are Phalaenopsis, which I think means Looks Like a Butterfly. Which is does.

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday for more splashes of cheerful yellow and Macro Monday for more fabulous closeups.

While you’re here, try a new tag or category. And return to the latest post  by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, above.

I was browsing through my archives trying to create a slideshow of flowers for the garden club I belong to and found this image. Neat, isn’t it? But I have no idea what it’s called. Anyone?

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Color Carnival and Today’s Flowers for great sites in blogland. Browse around here while you’re already here, perhaps something like “sunset” or “rose.” And if you’ve landed here via the permalink, an easy way to the latest post is by Sara’s Fave Photos, above.

I love the ‘Broadway’ rose. The buds are the prettiest of the entire 18-rosebush bed. Not sure what exactly it is, but they just seem long and perfect to me. Plus, it’s fragrant!

Visit Macro Flowers Saturday if you like flower close ups, Pink Saturday for more pretty pinkitude (I made that up), and Color Carnival for more brilliant colors.

Here is Mt. Rainier and the moon at dusk, a longer shot than the one I posted of this scene a few weeks ago. That’s quite an overlook of Puget Sound, but it’s just a neat view from a road near my house.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies of all sorts seen everywhere, and Scenic Sunday, too. The Internet is an amazing thing for a world-wide perspective, isn’t it?

While you’re here, you might as well check out something new. Try “Mt. Rainier” in the search field, perhaps. And you can always find your way back to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, above.

Did you know that the “hydra” in the name of hydrangeas refers to water? Meaning, don’t let these dry out! Not soggy, of course, but not dry, either. And also, cuttings are super easy to root. When you prune them back, just poke a few of the cut stems into the shaded soil near the mother plant. Keep all moist and check back later and voila! New plants!

These lovely ones were in the Matonti garden on the Federal Way Symphony garden tour, actually in Tacoma. They had some fab hydrangeas there, for sure. Catch them next year!

Visit Thursday Challenge for more photos on the theme of “blue.” And you might try clicking that tag while you’re here, always easily returning to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle has more than just flowers and ferns. Inside that amazing Victorian glass structure there is the most delightful water feature, a little slice of heaven. Is there any prettier sound than the sound of gently plashing water?

Visit Watery Wednesday for more kinds of wetness. It’s quite a tour. Also Weekend Reflections and SOOC (straight-out-of-the-camera shots) are well worth the visit.

You might try exploring a new tag like “water” while you are here. To return to the latest post, just click on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

My ‘Oklahoma’ rosebush has the deepest red roses, which try as I might, I cannot photograph, or even Photoshop, into a closer approximation of reality. The actual color of the flowers is the deepest, darkest, richest, burgundy red, and almost black in the shadows. You’ll just have to imagine.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ruby redness around the world. And this is also a post for Macro Monday and Blue Monday. Is that sky blue enough? And I like this photo so much I’ve called it my Best Post of the Week.

If you’ve found this post from the permalink, getting to the latest photo post is easy. Just click on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

When we went shopping for roses last summer for the new bed, this one had no name but I could see it was pink and fragrant. Sold! Anyone know the name?

Visit Pink Saturday for more pretty pinkitude, Today’s Flower for all flowers and Macro Flowers Saturday for amazingly lovely flower close ups. You might try clicking on a new tag like “scenic” or “rose” while you are here. The latest posts can always be found at Sara’s Fave Photos.

I love having my little Canon S90 camera with me always. I was in the parking lot at the local Trader Joe’s and we were finally having a sunset worth of the name. So here it is, for you to enjoy.

Visit Skywatch Friday for other amazing skies seen round the world, and Scenic Sunday for more visions of the outer world. And how about Color Carnival for more brilliant color?

Maybe it’s just me but I like this sunset very much. It seems like a fitting end to a fairy tale or old movie or something. I’m going to call it my Best Post of the Week.

Try exploring a new tag while you’re here, but you can always find your way back to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.