I’m finally ready to admit it’s fall. Visiting a friend on Camano Island, north of Seattle, the colors are beginning.

A trio of red, yellow, and green leaves in early fall

Connecting up with Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Macro Monday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. If only this one photo is visible, please click on the curly letters of Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see a few more. Thanks!

Rain has begun, but I cut the roses first.

Peace and other roses in a bouquet

Connecting up with Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, Wordless Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Why not try a search while you are here? Vase or bouquet might be nice.

This is my little carniverous Cape Sundew (drosera capensis) plant that I got to help with fruit flies in my kitchen. The plant is about as wide as my hand, and the flower stem is almost a foot tall! I don’t know that it traps all that many fruit flies, but it’s cute, and I was thrilled when it recently began to flower. As instructed, I keep the saucer half filled with water, in part sun, and it seems to be happy. Bonus: TWO photos this post!

Cape Sundew (drosera capensis) on my windowsill with a few tiny fruit flies in its feathery leaves. The flower stem is at upper right.

Tiny pink Cape Sundew flowers, each less than half an inch (1 cm) on a stem about 12″ tall.  Only one flower blooms at a time.

Linking to Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting and please come back soon.

At the last day before the recent temporary closure to complete the restoration at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory (reopening Dec. 6!), these purple vanda orchids did their amazing thing.

Backlit vanda orchids show an almost plaid pattern at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Connecting up with Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off. Why not try a new tag or category while you are here?

Hydrangeas are some of my top fave flowers, blooming all summer and even looking good into the fall.

Hydrangea blooms with fall color

Connecting to Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Try a new tag or category while you are here, and please visit again soon.

California poppies (the State Flower of California) are so beautiful in their simplicity. Very pretty and dependable in the garden, but reseed almost too easily. I deadhead to keep them from taking over.

Orange California poppies in my Seattle garden

Joining up with Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here and do click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if only one photo is visible here.

At Seattle’s Volunteer Park on Sunday, there was a horse, a rider and a person walking.

A horse and rider walk through the park on a sunny afternoon

Participating in NF Catching the Light Monday, Camera Critters, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. If there is only one photo showing here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to see a few more pretty pictures.

Volunteer Park in Seattle has a dahlia garden, very well maintained by the local Dahlia Society. The other day the sun was shining, and I was happy to see this.

Shades of pink, orange and yellow in a dahlia blossom close up

Joining up with Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here and please come back soon.

Today was the last day that Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory was open to visitors so that the long-awaited restoration project can be completed. Look for the grand re-opening in early December.

A beautiful last day for the orchids. Conservatory is re-opening in December 2014

Joining Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Garden Party Thursday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Weekend Reflections, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here first.

Combine perfect flowers, perfect weather, and a blue sky, in the late afternoon sunlight…

Lavender-pink cosmos reaches to the sunny blue sky

Participating in Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Pink Saturday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Thursday Challenge (Blue), My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visiting here and please—come back soon. If you’d like some free, easy tips for taking better photos of any kind, download at the sidebar on the right.