Time for a trip to the archives for some summer flowers. These roses bloomed in my front yard last July. It may be gray and dark outside now, but it’s less than three weeks until the solstice and lengthening days!

Visit Macro Friday for more things seen up close, Macro Flowers Saturday for just beautiful flowers, Color Carnival which specializes in bright colors, and SOOC for more straight out of the camera shots. Do click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see this complete blog.

Before I began visiting the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle regularly, I had no idea anthuriums existed in so many forms and colors. Here’s sort of a holiday look for you in red and green. And don’t you just love the heart-shaped leaves?

This tropical plant is a great entry for the Hot, Loud and Proud plant and flower meme out of Hawaii. And Color Carnival has more bright colors for you.

If there’s only one photo below, it means there are tons more for you if you click on Sara’s Fave Photos here or above.

Here’s some early Christmas decoration for you. I’m not sure if these are holly berries or what, but they sure are pretty, aren’t they? They were at the Pike Place Market in Seattle not too long ago.

Visit Ruby Tuesday and Color Carnival for more colorful photos. SOOC has more straight-out-of-the camera shots, too. Outdoor Wednesday is showing Xmas decor, indoors and out. And if you see only this one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog with lots more photos you might like.

These starry yellow mums with orange centers are just so cheerful, aren’t they? They almost look like the fall version of some daffodils. In any case, here they are for your gray weather pick-me-up. They were on display at the Volunteer Park Conservatory a couple of weeks ago.

Visit Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday for more neat photos. Color Carnival has more bright colors, too.

Only one photo below? Do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.

‘Princess Flower’ or ‘Glory Bush’ is blooming now at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle. The flowers are only an inch or two (3-5 cm) but bloom at such a dark time of year here. In the background are chrysanthemums, coleus leaves, and more huge pink mums further back. Do pay them a visit if you are in the area.

Visit Today’s Flowers for more beautiful flowers from all around the world. I have the honor of being Guest Friend there today. Thank you, Today’s Flower!

This post really holds up for me so I’ve put it in the Best Posts of the Week category. Hope you agree.

Only three short weeks ago, this bloomed in my garden. Astrantia is one of my new favorite perennials. It bloomed and bloomed and bloomed, and seemed to be perfectly fine in quite a bit of shade. With pretty and unusually shaped leaves to boot, what more could you want from a garden plant?

Visit Macro Friday, Pink Saturday and Macro Flowers Saturday if you have a chance. This one is SOOC, or straight out of the camera, too. If you’ve found only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for more.

Well it’s snowing hard outside, so winter is truly here, calendar notwithstanding. But here’s one more look at the glorious colors of autumn, taken just a week or two ago. Aren’t those red stems great? I like them so much I’m calling this my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday if you’d like more close ups and more cheerful splashes of yellow, and Blue Monday for more blue shades. Ruby Tuesday has more exciting reds. Color Carnival is always a fun browse, too. Taking a look at other straight-out-of-the-camera shots is fun. And if there is only one photo here, be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest of ’em.

I just love the way this rose looks. So tenderly colored, so perfect.

Pink Saturday has lots more pink things, and SOOC has more straight-out-of-the-camera photos. Today’s Flowers has blooms from around the world. Do check it out!

I’m trying out something new, for me: Twitter. Hey, better late than never. You can follow me @SaraLChapman, and I’ll be letting the world and my Twitter followers know about new posts here as they arise from my magic computer.

If there’s only one photo here, you’ve arrived from a link. To see the entire blog, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

I took this for the bright colors of the purple flower, but really, I think the black one is more interesting. Can you see the silky texture of the petals? I once saw a huge Georgia O’Keefe painting of a white and a very dark petunia, and the brilliant, almost iridescent quality of the actual painting of the dark one made me a fan of in-person art forever. In any case, I think it’s amazing what growers have accomplished. Truly this pansy is practically black. No color or other adjustments have been made.

Visit SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera photos, Color Carnival for more bright colors and Macro Flowers Saturday for more of those. If there’s just one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for more.

Kale can be quite delicious if you cook it right, but this kind is just for pretty, as my mom used to say. A local nursery had such a nice collection. It’s practically a flower, don’t you think?

Visit Macro Friday for more macros of all kinds. This one is SOOC, or straight out of the camera. And as usual, if there’s just one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog.

I like the lighting on this post a lot so I’ve put it in the Best Post of the Week category. I hope you agree.