The tulip display is only getting more so at the Pike Place Market’s North Arcade where all the flower sellers are. These are forced ones, but the weather is warmer than usual here in the Seattle area and the field ones will be a bit earlier than usual. I can’t wait for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival (about two hours away) in April. This year I’m sure some will be blooming at the very beginning of the month.

For more ruby redness, visit Ruby Tuesday, and be sure to check out Color Carnival while you’re at it.

This photo was taken at the NW Flower & Garden show, so it’s forced and blooming under indoor lighting, but still, isn’t it glorious? I think this kind with the frilly edges is a parrot type, but I could be wrong about that.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ravishing redness. And Color Carnival is where the other bright colors hang out.

I was at the Volunteer Park Conservatory, right near the Asian Art Museum, having a fine old time with my little Canon and the help of a monopod to help brace the shots. I actually hate shlepping and setting up tripods. I want to take too many shots from too many angles for them to work for me, except in special situations, of course.

I am trying to get the Conservatory to feature a wall calendar for 2011 with photos of their incredible plants and flowers, a calendar created by yours truly. When you visit a place like that, are you tempted by a photo calendar? (Assuming it’s wonderful.) What do you think of that idea?

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more photos featuring the color red, and SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots.

This urn at the NW Flower & Garden show was almost as tall as I am, and the forsythia stems must have reached almost ten feet. Now that was one impressive bouquet! They keep the lights quite low to keep the plants lasting well, I am told, and the dim lighting was a bit of a photo challenge, but still so pretty.

For more interesting visions of red, visit Ruby Tuesday. And check out Color Carnival for more photos like this. And see SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots.

They do smell heavenly. But be super careful about getting the pollen on your clothes, as it can stain permanently, I’ve found out, unhappily. I grew this and it bloomed in August. They are actually pretty darn easy to grow, but do put in stakes early, because they get tall and delightfully covered with flowers and then maybe a wind comes along and pfffft, it’s a mess. All you gardeners out there, stake early and stake well! You’ll be glad you did.

Visit Macro Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Ruby Tuesday for more great photos in blogland. And for sure, Color Carnival, too.

I saw this fine old car in Portland awhile ago. I do not know what kind it is. Do you? Happy Ruby Tuesday!

That amaryllis ‘Red Lion’ has bloomed and I do love it. Very satisfactory. They don’t always do so well, in my experience. The south-facing window with mostly cloudy days helped, I’m sure, plus I’ve learned to put the bulb in a heavy clay pot rather than the flimsy plastic one that comes with the “kit.” Also, they really mean it about good drainage. No wet feet!

For more interesting visions of red, visit Ruby Tuesday.

That amaryllis bulb from a week or so ago is continuing to open. It’s in a south-facing window, but it’s mostly been cloudy and rainy, which is actually great if you are a plant like this one. I’ll keep you posted.

For more rubine redness, visit Ruby Tuesday. Color Carnival is always a thrill. And go check out SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots.

This is the plate I made for New Year’s eve to go with our ritual crab and creamcheese dip and potato chips. I love veggie platters. People only really eat raw vegetables when they are cut up pretty and on a plate in front of them. This assortment is especially fine because the carrots and purple cabbage came FROM MY GARDEN. That is so exciting to me, especially since we had a serious cold spell last month. But the cabbage waited in the fridge and the carrots waited in the ground! Their green tops were ratty from the freezing weather but the carrots are just fine, if not even better than in the summer. I will grow them again, that’s for sure.

For more ruby redness seen in photos around the world, visit Ruby Tuesday. And Color Carnival is back!

I know Christmas is over, but just one more photo of lights, and then I promise I’ll stop. My new camera, the Canon S90, is especially good in low light so I had to see what it could do handheld with holiday lights. This fired at 1/60th of a second, which is great for a night shot, even one with lights.

I truly love this candycane archway and would love to have something like it. It was very tall, and felt so cheerful and welcoming. Where do people get stuff like this?

For more photos with some ruby redness, visit Ruby Tuesday.