I learned the fancy word for what a lilac flower is: a panicle. Seems like a nice, strong word for a flower with such a remarkable shape and fragrance. Unforgettable. The ones in my front yard are finally beginning to bloom. Thank heaven for the garden.

Double lilac flowers decorate the sky.

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I was at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle not too long ago and saw this rosette of a succulent in the Cactus House. Did you know they are having later hours for the summer? I’m so excited to hear that. Their new space with the tile floor is so beautiful (see below). Don’t you want to just sit there and read a book?

Rosette of hen-and-chicks sedum succulent at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Seasonal House at the Volunteer Park Conservatory after remodel

Linking up this week at Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Macro Monday, Scenic Weekends, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday and Pink Saturday. Thank you so much for visiting!

These red and white striped tulips were in a vase on a desk. I need to have some of these in my garden, absolutely. They look so antique and so totally modern, both.

Red and white striped tulips bouquet

Participating at My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Fishtail Cottage Wednesday. Thank you for visiting and please click around for some interesting photos here. Do download the “7 Secrets to Better Flower Photos” at the right, all simple things you can do for better photos of any kind, without fancy equipment. It’s not the camera!

I was at Highline Community College the other day and found this amazing view of the Olympic Mountains and the waters of Puget Sound. The skies have been clear and beautiful this week here in Seattle and we so appreciate it.

View of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound at sunset

Participating at Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Scenic Weekends, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters Sunday, and Weekend Reflections. Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend.

I love our two columnar apple trees. These are dwarfer than dwarf trees, bred to do well in containers or on patios. These two trees are 7 or 8 years old and have been in the ground a few years. One has red apples and one has yellow, and both are yummy. At this stage, the most important thing you can do for your fruit trees which need pollination is to make like a bee. Unless you have lots of bees and other helpful insects around, go out there with a little dry paintbrush, or a Q-tip, and go back and forth between the blossoms of the two trees. It’s incredible what a huge difference this makes in the amount of fruit that you get. Do it a few times so you get the early blooms and the late ones. Apple crisp, here I come.

Two columnar apple trees blooming in a bed of forget-me-nots

Linking up at My Romantic Home, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Scenic Weekends, Pink Saturday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Floral Love and a new meme, Fishtail Cottage Tuesday. Thank you for stopping by here, and happy Spring to you. May your garden flower well for you.

The color of these primrose flowers is hard to photograph properly. It’s a wonderful blend of purple and magenta and red, with bright yellow centers to set it all off. And those healthy, crinkly leaves. I want some!

Purple, magenta and red primroses with their deeply textured leaves

Check out Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Ruby Tuesday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Monday Mellow Yellows and Macro Monday. Let’s try a new meme today: Floral Love. I appreciate your stopping by here so very much. Thanks!

These wonderful leaves were in a planter outside a commercial building in Seattle. What a difference some backlighting makes! The leaves might be a kind of dracena. Stay back!

Yellow and green spiky leaves in sunshine

Participating at Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday and Monday Mellow Yellows. Glad to have you browse around here and thanks for visiting. And check out the “7 Secrets to Better Flower Photos” at right, for free!

I took this awhile ago when I was at the Skagit Tulip Festival in Washington. Who can resist the message, whatever it is—Bloom where you are planted? Be who you are? Primary colors rule? What caption would YOU put on this image?

One red tulip blooms in a field of yellow flowers

Linking up at Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Scenic Weekends, Ruby Tuesday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday and Monday Mellow Yellows. I love this image and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week. Thank you so very much for visiting. Why not browse around a bit, long as you are here?

Puget Sound has so many beautiful water views. This was taken at Redondo, a little town south of Seattle, and those are the snowy Olympic Mountains out there in the distance.

A seagull flies over Puget Sound in this Pacific Northwest view of the Olympic Mountains

Check out the great photos at Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Pink Saturday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Scenic Weekends, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters Sunday, Monday Mellow Yellows and Weekend Reflections. Thanks so much for stopping by!

My BFF and I went to the new Chihuly museum in the city center in Seattle. I wasn’t expecting to like it all that much, but it was wonderful. This photo is a tourist being blown away by the remarkable glass sculpture ceiling, filled with sea-creature-and-flower-like forms. I like the light shadows on the walls almost as much as the sculptures.

The glass ceiling of colorful blown glass forms at the Chihuly Museum in Seattle.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Ruby Tuesday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday and Monday Mellow Yellows. I love this image and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week. Have a great day and come back soon.