The rain has been wreaking havoc on the rose bushes, but a couple of dry-ish days allowed a few flowers to open to their potential magnificence—just to get rained on yet again. In the brief window of opportunity that a break in the wet allowed, I went outside and caught this beautiful apricot Sundowner rose, with such an appropriate name.

Visit Flowers for Today to see more blossoms around the planet, and Color Carnival for more brilliant color. SOOC has more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. But why not type in “rose” in the search field here and see what comes up? You can always return to the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

Finally the peonies in my backyard have bloomed! There are a couple of dozen out there, and I picked these. The smell of them in my office is heavenly.

Visit Pink Saturday and Macro Flowers Saturday after browsing around here. You can return to the full blog at Sara’s Fave Photos, above.

I took a walk in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle last week.

This old-fashioned rose with a single row of petals sometimes is prettier than the huge ruffled kind. Below that is ceanothus (see-an-OH-thus), or Wild Lilac in California, or California Lilac up here in Seattle. It also has a sweet scent and can become quite a big shrubby plant, covered in blue in the spring. When I lived in Northern California, it was common and wild, and bloomed with yellow broom on the rolling hills. Pretty nice!

Visit Macro Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Blue Monday after wandering about here.

This is not in my yard; they’re not quite ready yet at my place. But that same Wallingford garden a couple of shots down seems to be a bit earlier with what’s blooming. And I don’t see any black spot on the leaves, either.

All this rain has been tough on my roses, but the day or so of lovely sunshine coming up tomorrow may get them going. As soon as they look good, I promise some nice photos for you.

Visit Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers,  Pink Saturday and Color Carnival after you browse here and there. Try a new tag today! And return to the main blog always by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

This is not my yard. The Wallingford area of Seattle has some older homes with lovely, modest gardens and is a great place to stroll with a camera in hand. There seems to be a lot of perennials used, stuff that keeps coming back; the easy way, in my book.

Color Carnival has lots more bright colors! Scenic Sunday will like this one, too. Click here and there around here to find something new, and return to the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

This chenille plant, or Acalypha hispida, was growing in Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory recently. Isn’t it a fine and lovely thing, and don’t you just want to touch it?

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more rosy rubiness seen everywhere. And be sure to click on the Ruby Tuesday category and the Red tag at the left for more variations on the red theme right here. Sara’s Fave Photos on the header will bring you back to the full blog.

One of the very best things about the Pike Place Market flower vendors is their complete disregard for typical florist combinations. No one told them that bouquets are not supposed to be made with regular old garden flowers. Since they must sell only what they grow, the combinations that result are not seen anywhere else. Below is a bouquet with a Shirley poppy (I think), lupine or bluebonnet in the back, and Dutch iris.

Visit Macro Monday, Blue Monday, Color Carnival and Mellow Yellow Monday for more of the same idea. And do check out a new tag or category on each visit here, just for fun. Return to the full blog by clicking Sara’s Fave Photos in the header.

Peony season doesn’t last long, but it is magnicent. Here are some more from that trip to Pike Place Market this week.

Today’s Flowers has flowers of all kinds from around the world, and Color Carnival has tons of bright colors. Have fun! And Sara’s Fave Photos above will always return you to the complete blog here.

At the Pike Place Market it’s finally peony season at the fresh flower vendors in the North Arcade. They all grow their own, you know. The peonies in my backyard are remaining tightly closed balls with all the wet and cool weather we’ve been having here in Seattle (and it’s almost summer!), but these beauties are open, to my admiration. Their lush perfection is heaven on a stem, as far as I am concerned.

Visit Pink Saturday and Macro Flowers Saturday, as well as Color Carnival and SOOC (straight out of the camera). And another Pink Saturday participant I’m sure you’ll like is One Perfect Bite. Her recipes and photos both are just fabulous.

Have a look at this and that around here, and click back to the full blog on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

My mom used to grow all kinds of bromeliads in South Florida where she lived for many years. She said they like to be watered only from the top and collect water in their centers. You know that the center brilliance is not really a flower, but it sure looks like one, doesn’t it?  Here’s one from the Volunteer Park Conservatory that you might enjoy.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more fascinating rubiness, Color Carnival for more bright colors, and SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos above for the complete blog.