Looking through my archives, found this peaceful photo of a friend’s cats staying warm. Isn’t this relaxing just to look at?

Two kitty friends nap in cozy bed

Also at Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Thankful Thursday, Timeless Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, and All Seasons Sunday1. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

I can feel the light growing! The earth has tipped its axis and the daylight begins to return. Happy New Year to you and yours.

Red amaryllis and paperwhites, blooming even in dark times

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What a year. We are all so grateful for the return of the light. May your world be bright!

Paperwhite narcissus bulbs bloom in winter solstice sunshine

Joining up at Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Thankful Thursday, Timeless Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Floral Friday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2 and All Seasons Sunday1. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

Went outside the other day in a dry break and was thrilled to see these bluebell sprouts pushing up already. It’s not even technically winter yet and they speak to us of spring.

Green tips of spring flowers getting started early

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It’s gray and rainy in Seattle this week, with more darkness on the way. Let’s think about summer sunshine and tomatoes, just for a bit, shall we?

Orange sungold and red cherry tomatoes from my garden, with their little star-shaped hats I love so much

Connecting to Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, and All Seasons Sunday1. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

I know that usually these are all called Christmas cactus, but the points on the leaves mean it’s Schlumbergera truncata, or Thanksgiving cactus, and not Schlumbergera bridgesii. I am happy to report it is blooming the proper time, not that I do anything special to it. I have several different colors and they all seem to be liking the indoor weather this year.

Close up of a white Thanksgiving cactus flower with magenta edges

Bonus image!

Thanksgiving cactus with red flowers, with its planty friends

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Autumn leaves floating in a plant saucer. We leave it out as a sort of birdbath for critters. In the spring it attracted a pair of mallard ducks!

Star-shaped Japanese maple leaves float in rainwater

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My pink anthurium has been blooming in the living room for weeks. Not technically a flower, it sure looks like one. Anthuriums are also called “sweetheart flower” and “little boy flower.” Hmmmm.

Photo tip: Shiny flowers are by far the easiest to photograph!

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I adore my little carnivorous plant, a Cape sundew. It eats fruit flies and soil gnats! A few short months ago I transplanted the three little plants that were in a 2″ pot into a 4″ pot, filled with sphagnum moss. They are so happy—I need a bigger pot already! One just bloomed and now the second one is getting a flower.

Care tips: 1) Must sit in an outer pot kept filled with water about halfway up. 2) NEVER give it fertilizer. The bugs feed it. Learned this the hard way.

Tiny droplets attract fruit flies and soil gnats on the Drosera capensis, commonly known as the Cape sundew

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Like my last post, this photo was taken exactly ten years ago at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory. I hear the fragrance in the evenings was incredible.

These flowers are so elegant and graceful, but I found it surprisingly difficult to get a photo that showed it. I hope this one succeeded.

Golden yellow brugmansia or Angels Trumpet inside the Volunteer Park Conservatory in 2010

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