I took this for the bright colors of the purple flower, but really, I think the black one is more interesting. Can you see the silky texture of the petals? I once saw a huge Georgia O’Keefe painting of a white and a very dark petunia, and the brilliant, almost iridescent quality of the actual painting of the dark one made me a fan of in-person art forever. In any case, I think it’s amazing what growers have accomplished. Truly this pansy is practically black. No color or other adjustments have been made.

Visit SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera photos, Color Carnival for more bright colors and Macro Flowers Saturday for more of those. If there’s just one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for more.

Here’s a shot from the archives of pretty pink azaleas, taken at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in January (!) Thought you’d like a cheerful flower photo on this gray day here in Seattle.

I’m trying out something new, for me: Twitter. Hey, better late than never. You can follow me @SaraLChapman, and I’ll be letting the world and my followers know about new posts as they arise from my magic computer.

Visit Macro Monday for more neat close ups, if you have a chance. And if there’s only this one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the whole blog enchilada.

The weather is gray and rainy, no surprise for Seattle, so here’s some sunflowers taken last month at the Pike Place Market to cheer us up.

Today’s Flowers has more pretty flowers all around the world, Mellow Yellow Monday has more photos with a splash of yellow, and Color Carnival has more bright colors for you. Visit and enjoy!

As usual, if you see only one photo on this page, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of ’em!

Chrysanthemums are some of my favorite flowers. My mother grew lots of perennial mums where I grew up in Queens, New York City, and I loved the spicy smell of them. This one is from a florist, but it still smells like the backyard ones she grew.

Visit Macro Flowers Saturday for more floral close ups. And if there’s only one photo here, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog.

Had a half hour to kill so I went to a local nursery, just to browse around. Time well spent, believe me. I’ll show the amazing pumpkins and gourds they displayed in another post. Here are just some perfect pink pansies in the afternoon light.

Visit Pink Saturday for more pretty pinkness, and Macro Flowers Saturday, too. Some shadows qualify it for Shadow Shot Sunday, and it’s also SOOC or straight out of the camera.

If you only see the one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for access to the whole shebang.

I’m going to be away for a few days, so look for some new stuff when I get back on Wednesday. Ta-ta!

At a garden club flower show last week, amazingly enough there were quite a few specimens in the “hort” (horticulture) section. It had been raining the evening and morning before the show, so I did not traipse around my garden for blooms to show, however I certainly enjoyed what others brought. This branchlet of fuchsia blooms probably did not win a blue ribbon, because I understand that blooms must be at their peak of perfection, not in bud. But I think it’s lovely, anyway.

Visit Macro Friday for other close ups of all kinds, Color Carnival for other brilliantly colored images, and Macro Flowers Saturday always has floral heaven on display.

Do click on Sara’s Fave Photos if there is only the one photo showing here.

From a couple of weeks ago, a bouquet of dahlias and late zinnias at the Pike Place Market. My plan is to go every month throughout the year to see what flowers they have, as they may only sell local flowers that they grow themselves. I know that soon it will be the dried arrangements, but for now there are still fresh blooms.

Visit Ruby Tuesday to see more photos with great reds, and Color Carnival for more brilliant colors.

If there is only one post here, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the main blog. Thanks!

I love google images. It’s the greatest plant identification tool I ever saw. I have reference books, and I love them, but if you do not know the name of a plant, good luck with finding it. With google images, you can just type in a general category and description and start browsing. This orchid may be called Pamina, or it may be Golden Treasure, OR it may be called Baldan’s Kaleidoscope. You choose. Sure is pretty though, isn’t it?

This was taken at a garden club flower show in Kent, Washington just yesterday.

Visit a new meme, Macro Friday, for great close ups. And Macro Flowers Saturday and Today’s Flowers always have lovely posts. SOOC has other straight out of the camers photos. Do click on Sara’s Fave Photos if there is only the one photo showing here.

These roses from July are just the thing for a Pink Saturday post, don’t you think? Even though they are not totally perfect, they are gorgeous enough in my book to show off here to the world. No, not from my garden, more’s the pity. Maybe next year I can get roses that lush.

Visit Today’s Flowers for more photos of flowers around the world.

If there is only one photo here and you’d like to see the others, please do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the whole shebang.

These simple flowers are welcome in the late summer and fall garden, in the Seattle climate, anyway. They are seen in lavender or white and bloom in shade or sun, and dry seems to be OK. And they come back! I love easy perennials, don’t you? And do you notice the bee working in the background?

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more fascinating kinds of shadows, Today’s Flowers for flowers around the world, and Macro Flowers for more flower close ups. Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday rule, too. Let’s try a new meme: Flowers on Saturday!

Browse here first, clicking on a new tag or category if you have time, and to be sure you are at the latest post, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos.