There were some really beautiful moments last week on the Fourth with the clear skies we had. Here’s a peek at how lovely the fireworks looked on a sky not fully dark. All around little Lake Burien (near Seattle) people lit red lights on the shore, and the one near us gave this tree an eerie light.

Visit Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Mellow Yellow Monday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday 2, and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for other interesting images. Thanks for visiting here!

I just love that late-afternoon light. After MUCH rain and clouds, the sun peeked out the other evening and of course I was out there with my camera. These are mostly ‘Double Delight’ roses, my long-time favorite rose. Very available in nurseries, fabulous fragrance, strong grower. And this image is purely SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera).

This year I am attempting to grow roses without the usual systemic plant food laced with pesticides, hoping that this year I won’t feel the guilt of watching a robin poking for bugs in the soil and hoping the robin is OK. I am using alfalfa meal as a fertilizer this year and so far am very happy with the results.

Other interesting photo sites: Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday,  Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Mellow Yellow Monday and Macro Monday. And do browse around here first. Maybe click a category on the right like “My Garden”? Thanks for visiting!

This may be my new favorite rosebush in the garden. Growing roses in the Pacific Northwest is tough with our damp climate. I have 18 different rosebushes in front of my house and after three years, ‘Proud Land’ seems to be the star. It’s huge, disease resistant, and just covered with dark red, fragrant flowers. Very satisfying. I’m calling this my Best Post of the Week.

For more cool photos, you might pay a visit to Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, and Ruby Tuesday 2. If you’ve arrived via a link and there is only one photo  below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the complete collection here. Thank you so much for stopping by!

When I went to the East coast in March, I was lucky enough to take some scenic drives, especially in Connecticut. You can’t go wrong with boats stacked on the beach, waiting for the good weather to come again. Especially with colors like these! Come to think of it, this would make a neat jigsaw puzzle, wouldn’t it?

You might check out Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Ruby Tuesday 2, Color Carnival, Mellow Yellow Monday and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Lots out there worth a browse. But poke around here first, why don’t you, and maybe click on a new tag or category, just for fun.

Can’t you almost smell them? Lilac shrubs are very long-lived, I understand, so sometimes there’s a bit of a wait before they will flower, even if conditions are good. I know they can get huge, as I once saw clumps of them in Maine that were the size of small apartment buildings. Here in Seattle the acid soil can be a problem, so a handful of dolomitic lime in the fall and spring has really helped. Finally, the flowers are beginning to look like something this year. They bloom on last year’s growth, so I’ll wait until next year for a bouquet.

You might check out Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Macro Monday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Pink Saturday, Color Carnival, Outdoor Wednesday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Try a new category or tag, perhaps My Garden or Close Up, just for fun?

Happy Mother’s Day! Everyone had a mother who gave birth to them, and we thank you. In honor of this day, I am pleased to post a photo taken by my daughter, who is the reason I am a mother, on her recent trip to Northern California. The vineyards were filled with not just orange, but red poppies also!

Please visit Scenic Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Ruby Tuesday 2,  Skywatch Friday and Outdoor Wednesday, lovely entries all, for more great photos. If you’ve arrived via a link, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the entire collection here. Thanks for visiting!

Sometimes I just have no idea what a flower is, especially trees. Anyone have an idea? But isn’t it pretty, with the light coming through the petals like that?

Various flower memes worth visiting include Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, plus there’s  Pink Saturday, Macro Monday, Skywatch Friday and Outdoor Wednesday, just for fun.

If you’re in Seattle, be sure to hit the Volunteer Park Conservatory plant sale tomorrow, Saturday. It’s the best, and I’ll be there, signing books, too.

I’ve taken photos of this pond at Highline Botanical Garden, south of Seattle, before. This latest one was taken a week or so ago on my birthday. Wasn’t I lucky to have some blue sky and calm weather on my special day? Of course you’ve got to be quick, in a city where “sun breaks” is an actual weather forecast.

Lots of lovely blogs out there with other versions of photos with a theme. You might visit Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, A Piece of Heaven, Skywatch Friday, Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Weekend Reflections, and Wordless Wednesday. Do remember to click on the blog title, Sara’s Fave Photos Blog, for the complete story here. And thanks so much for visiting!

This spring scene of a tree near a pond was taken on my recent trip to Connecticut. Don’t you just love the pattern of shadows? The reflection of the spring flowers on the water surface isn’t too shabby, either. What a lovely day that was. I am so glad I always have my camera with me! Speaking of which, don’t forget to download the “7 Secrets to Better Flower Photos” at the right. You don’t need more than a pocket camera to take really nice pictures, is how I feel about it.

You might enjoy Mellow Yellow Monday, Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, A Piece of Heaven, Skywatch Friday  Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, and Wordless Wednesday. Please follow this blog on the new widget to the right if you enjoy the photos. Thanks for visiting!

When I was in New York last week, everything was in bloom, at least the early spring flowers and trees. And no wonder, with a solid two weeks of 75 degree F weather (which ended before I got there, sadly). There were a lot of trees with white flowers blooming, and the bark was rough so I knew they weren’t cherry trees. But what they were, I do not know. Any ideas?

Interesting photo memes you might enjoy are Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), A Piece of Heaven, Skywatch Friday and Scenic Sunday. If you’ve arrived via a link, click on Sara’s Fave Photo Blog above for the complete selection here. Please follow this blog on the new widget to the right if you enjoy the photos. Thanks for visiting!