Taken recently at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory. The amazing irony of a cactus in bloom! The flowers are very small, perhaps a centimeter or so, or less than half an inch.

Magenta pink flowers on a barrel cactus

More themed photos at Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Thursday Floral Love, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by.

This variegated hosta leaf is just so voluptuous in its curves and folds, don’t you think? Love the seersucker effect. Taken recently at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory.

Wrinkled, variegated large hosta leaf collects a bit of water

Visit Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Thursday Floral Love, Water World Wednesday, and Straight out of the Camera Sunday.

Outside Seattle’s beloved Volunteer Park Conservatory the planting beds are unusually beautiful this year. Here brilliant red zinnias are set off by some kind of ornamental grass. So pretty!

Brilliant red zinnias in an outdoor planting bed in Seattle’s Volunteer Park

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Thursday Floral Love, and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Thanks for visiting and please come back soon.

I’m going to be on vacay for a bit so I’ll schedule posts of a few photos from a recent visit to my favorite flower haunt, Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory and link to the various photo memes I love so much when I return.

This agapanthus or Lily of the Nile is almost more beautiful in bud than in flower.

Dark blue Lily of the Nile in the growing beds outside Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle

Linking (eventually) to Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Thursday Floral Love, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Thanks for visiting and please come back soon.

Some friends have a lovely place with a gorgeous view, even on a gray day.

Late day sunbeams decorate the sky in this Seattle area scene

Joining Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Water World Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Thursday Floral Love, My Romantic Home, Garden Tuesday, Fishtail Cottage Thursday, and Scenic Weekends. I appreciate your visit here and please come back again soon.

At a friend’s birthday party in the park yesterday, I brought flowers and there was a purple tablecloth. I like this photo because such a tiny slice is in focus, and that isn’t even much of the big rose and its petals, but mostly the sepal of the bud. Do you like it? Be honest, now.

Double Delight rose blossom with rosebud

Linking to Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Thursday Floral Love, My Romantic Home, Garden Tuesday, Fishtail Cottage Thursday, Outdoor Wednesday, Saturday Show Off, Shadow Shot Sunday 2 and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos at the top to see all the photos if only one image is shown.

Sometimes petunias in the garden get leggy, and the only thing to do is cut off the long stems, feed the plant, and hope you get a second flush of blooms. I brought in the cut stems and figured I might as well put them in a vase. I was surprised to find how fragrant they were.

A petunia bouquet shows color, form and texture

You might check out Pink Saturday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Thursday Floral Love, My Romantic Home, Garden Tuesday, Fishtail Cottage Thursday, Outdoor Wednesday and Saturday Show Off. If there is only this one petunia photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos at the top to see several others. Thanks!

From last year at this time, some begonias in front of my house:

Rieger begonia flower basket on a foggy August Seattle day

Visit Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Thursday Floral Love, My Romantic Home, Garden Tuesday, Fishtail Cottage Thursday and Outdoor Wednesday. Let’s try a new one, Saturday Show Off. Don’t forget that you can download free tips for taking better photos without fancy equipment or confusing settings, in the sidebar at right.

If you haven’t been to the Dahlia Garden in the big lawn across from the Conservatory in Volunteer Park in Seattle, it’s time right now for a visit. Put “dahlia” in the search field to the right to pull up more posts showing this stunning garden, free to stroll and photograph.

Glorious yellow dahlia with red tips

More themed photos at Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Thursday Floral Love, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Stop back soon, or sign up for email notification so you don’t miss a post.

I don’t know why I always want to take photos of boats in a marina. Maybe it’s the reflections, maybe it’s the neat picket of the masts, maybe it’s just the possibilities waiting for adventure. The Des Moines, WA marina looks good at sunset, doesn’t it?

Sailboats at rest in the Des Moines, WA marina

Linking to Ruby Tuesday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Water World Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, and Scenic Weekends. Thank you for your visit here and please come back soon.