Not sure whether this is best called Japonica, Pieris, or Andromeda, this big shrub with tiny bells is actually fragrant! The white-flowered one is, too. Lean your nose in and inhale. Very sweet. I had no idea until someone told me last year. This pink one is blooming at my driveway and I caught it on our rare burst of sunshine on Saturday.

The red stems count for Ruby Tuesday, I think. Visit Macro Monday, Outdoor Wednesday and Pink Saturday, and if you have a minute, do click on Free Photos “next door” for an additional selection of pretty flower and scenic photos.

From about a year ago, here’s a breath of Spring for you from the Pike Place Market near the waterfront in downtown Seattle. I sure love those bouquets. I’ve got to go down there again soon, just to breathe the scent of the flowers. And to take photos, of course.

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday, Color Carnival and Ruby Tuesday for more neat photos, and SOOC has more straight out of the camera stuff. Do check next door at Free Photos to see what’s new. And if there’s only one photo below, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest of them.

Oh, the flowers of late summer! I’ve noticed that the items in my archive that are half a year away always seem to be the most compelling. Do we always want what we don’t have? I do love dahlias and especially miss them since my own were such no-shows last summer. Maybe this year I’ll get some going so I can have bouquets like this again.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more interesting photos containing red. Color Carnival has brilliant color, Mellow Yellow Monday has yellows, and SOOC has more straight out of the camera stuff. And don’t forget to check out the latest uploads on Free Photos next door. Remember, if only one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog.

Continue Reading »

That amaryllis that I (amazingly) regrew from last year was in full bloom about a week ago, in the sun before this unwelcome cold, snow and basic winter weather hit here in Seattle. But the weather changes, and we will have sunshine again. In the meantime, enjoy the color and shadows in my living room for a little while.

I love this photo with its deep shadows and look of peace and comfort and I am categorizing it as my Best Post of the Week. Hope you agree.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Today’s Flowers, Window Views and Ruby Tuesday for more photos with a theme. Do check next door at Free Photos to see what’s new. And if there’s only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest of them.

Well, my hubby’s love, anyway. I love being able to receive a bunch of beautiful flowers at least once in awhile. Flowers are a feast for the senses and for the sense of mystery they engender. Why do we love them so much? They have such brief beauty, and then to the compost pile, but they comfort and delight us so. Have you ever noticed that so many people give each other flowers on important occasions? Why is that? But they are magical, and their meaning always seems just beyond words. So here is an image, instead.

I am honored to be Guest Friend on Today’s Flowers today! The great team there headed by Santilli – Denise – Pupo – Sandy Carlson gives the world more beautiful flowers.

Visit Macro Friday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday and Shadow Shot Sunday for more intriguing images.

Try clicking around in Free Photos for some interesting photos, too. And if there is only the red rose below, Sara’s Fave Photos here or above has the rest.

Sponsored Ad:
Everyone loves receiving flowers in different color arrangements, whether it’s for a special day or just as a sweet surprise.

I can’t believe I got last year’s amaryllis to actually rebloom. A miracle! Garden tip: For one thing, they tend to be so top heavy that I’ve learned to plant the bulb in a clay pot, not the plastic one provided in the “kit” sold around here. Toppling over is so not good for those huge blossoms. So after the bloom a year ago I kept the plant on my sunny, south-facing windowsill, kept watering with the dilute plant food I use for all my houseplants, enjoyed the sculptural strappy leaves all year, watched as they died back gradually, and was amazed when I saw a flower stem emerge!

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more photos with red, and Outdoor Wednesday. You might try a tag of RED here (lower right) first, just for fun.

When I was a kid I didn’t like radishes—too sharp and spicy for me. But now they seem to taste quite a bit milder than they used to. I think they grow different varieties, or maybe my taste buds changed. In any case, aren’t they beautiful to look at, if not to cut into the salad?

Visit Ruby Tuesday and SOOC (straight out of the camera shots), plus Thursday Challenge (textures) and Color Carnival, for more interesting photos with a theme. And they are certainly wet, so hop on over to Watery Wednesday also. Before you go, be sure to check out a new tag or category here, or Free Photos right next door, for a fun browse. And if only one photo appears below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the whole enchilada.

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.

Bromeliads are fun. They are pretty like flowers but the center part is only colored leaves (called bracts, I believe). This kind likes to get watered from above and collect water in the center. My mother used to grow different kinds in Florida where they can grow outdoors, and she had quite a collection. This one is in the Volunteer Park Conservatory here in Seattle, where they certainly cannot grow outdoors, or at least not in January.

Visit Macro Monday, Color Carnival, Cactus Monday and Ruby Tuesday for more cool photos with a theme. And do poke around here before you go!

On New Year’s Eve we like to have a crab and cream cheese dip, and to make sure there are enough calories, only with ridged potato chips. Only once a year, but still. So in recent years, I”ve been adding a vegetable plate, also very good to stick in crab dip. This year we got to use the crab we actually caught ourselves in September, which was super wonderful. I hope your New Year’s Eve was as delicious.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more intriguing images with red. And look around this blog or Free Photos while you’re here, why don’t you?