I can’t believe I’ve lived in the Seattle area for eight years now and have never visited Snoqualmie Falls until now. It’s much closer than I had any idea of, and even though you can’t walk right up to the falls for another year or so until they finish the improvements, it’s still a fabulous view and well worth the trip.

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for more photo fun. Browse around here first, why don’t you? Remember, if there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the others. Thank you for visiting!

That Garden Club District flower show not too long ago was so much fun. I love seeing what other gardeners can grow that do well around here. I believe this is a hardy fuchsia, which means that the top part may die back in the winter, but the plant will survive. They bloom late, but so welcome in the garden.

Visit Ruby Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Color Carnival, Macro Flowers Saturday, Macro Monday,  and Macro Friday. Remember, if there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the others. Thank you for visiting!

Have I mentioned how much I love camping? A tent, in the woods, the whole thing. I just love the air outdoors, the oxygen. And what could be better than a campfire? Just the quiet sounds of the flames whispering, the logs snapping, the crickets. I could stare at this for a long, long time.

Visit Thursday Challenge (Fire), Outdoor Wednesday, Color Carnival, Scenic Sunday, Macro Monday, Macro Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera). And if there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see them all.

Highline Botanical Garden does water features so very well. Wouldn’t you just love this one in your backyard?

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Wordless Wednesday and Weekend Reflections. I love photo memes, as you can tell. And you can always see the complete and up-to-date blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or on the curly lettering on the banner above.

Time for a scenic photo. This is at little Lake Burien, south of Seattle WA, a few weeks ago. Don’t you just love, love, love those pink skies? I also thought it was nice of the person to wear that pretty red top for me to photograph.

Visit Skywatch Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Wordless Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday, Pink Saturday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), and Weekend Reflections. And my Best Post of the Week! If there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the others. Thank you for visiting!

An old-fashioned flower, for sure. My mom used to grow this one. It’s very, very tough, can bloom in sun or shade, reseeds very vigorously. Also it’s on the tall side, which I like. But the color of its small flowers (one inch or 3 cm) is extraordinary: an electric magenta that seems to move to red—just the most shimmering, intense color, and combined with its silvery stems and leaves, a real showy plant.

Visit Wordless Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday, Color Carnival, Pink Saturday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday and Macro Friday. And remember, when there’s just one photo showing here, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos (that curly lettering on top will do fine) and see the rest.

This is from last year when we went camping at the Dungeness Recreation Area campground in the Olympic Peninsula in the Pacific Northwest. To me, the water and the pinkish, foggy air is even more beautiful than the big flying bird, but it was quite a moment in any case.

Visit Wordless Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Scenic Sunday, Skywatch Friday and Camera Critters for more photo fabulousness.

Last minute reminder: If you are in Seattle tomorrow on Thursday, August 4 at 6-8pm, please come to the Conservatory’s free Open House and book signing for my new book, Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory: Blooming Month By Month. Take a tour and meet the author (me!). You can find more info about the book on the home page here, or order at pre-launch prices with free shipping on the Book Order page. Thanks for visiting!

A warm evening in the summer is heaven anywhere, but here in the Seattle area we feel particularly blessed when we can eat dinner on the patio and take in the garden view. This was last evening’s lovely view. Hope you can enjoy it with me.

Visit Pink Saturday, Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Color Carnival, Today’s Flowers, and Wordless Wednesday. Also, I think it is so cool that my new book and the launch party at Volunteer Park Conservatory on Thursday, August 4 got a mention in the Seattle PI garden blog!

It’s party time! Thank you to all my blog readers and followers who have supported me over the last three years by your encouragement and creative, thoughtful comments. You gave me the confidence and courage to actually do this! My new book, Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory: Blooming Month By Month is just about here and we are ready to ship books very soon. My Best Post of the Week, for sure!

This book was born from a dozen or so visits to the Conservatory here in Seattle over the course of a year. It changed so much each time I visited. I was entranced and enthralled by the beauty of the displays and the opportunity for thrilling, perfect flower photos, and could not believe there was not even one book about this incredible gem of a place. Thus this book was born. Side note: The flowers on the book’s cover image are brugmansia, or Angel’s Trumpet.

The launch party and free Open House is coming up next week at the Conservatory on Thurs., August 4, 2011, 6-8pm, so if you are in the area, please do stop by and say hello, and get the very first look at the book in person.

By the way, there is a special pre-launch price available to my loyal readers. More info about the book is on the home page lovethatimage.com (you can always get there by clicking on the photo banner at the top of the page) and the order info is here.

This cover image qualifies for these memes: Macro Flowers Saturday, Macro Monday, Macro Friday, Color Carnival, Today’s Flowers, Pink Saturday, and Ruby Tuesday. Thanks again to all meme hosts and participants for your encouragement on this big, big project.

Hope you are not getting tired of all these macro photos lately. This one is a leek plant in my garden. I love the way they look in the vegetable bed, very tall and sculptural with the big ball flowers—like the rest of the onion family. For eating, though, I think it’s best to remove the flower stems early and then harvest soon. Leeks sure are good in soups and such, I found out this spring. But do let at least a couple go to seed for future harvests.

Visit Today’s Flowers, Macro Flowers Saturday, Macro Monday, Macro Friday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Wordless Wednesday and Watery Wednesday for more photos with a theme. Memes are great! Do browse around here first if you have a minute, remembering that if only one photo below, clicking on the top Sara’s Fave Photos banner brings you to the complete blog.