Dahlias are loving the long, warm summer that Seattle is enjoying so much this year.

Red-and-yellow and purple dahlias in early fall sunshine

Linking up with Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Saturday Show Off. Please visit here again soon.

This is a close up of a cotoneaster (ka-tone-ee-AST-er) shrub in our yard, beloved by birds and photographers alike. The berries are small, about the size of a pea, and they adorn the arching branches in fall and winter. I was amazed to learn its pronunciation, by the way. I was sure it would be something like cotton-Easter. But no.

Bright red cotoneaster berries add color and bird food to a backyard

Linking with Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If only one photo is visible here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above. Thanks!

California poppies (the State Flower of California) are so beautiful in their simplicity. Very pretty and dependable in the garden, but reseed almost too easily. I deadhead to keep them from taking over.

Orange California poppies in my Seattle garden

Joining up with Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here and do click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if only one photo is visible here.

Volunteer Park in Seattle has a dahlia garden, very well maintained by the local Dahlia Society. The other day the sun was shining, and I was happy to see this.

Shades of pink, orange and yellow in a dahlia blossom close up

Joining up with Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here and please come back soon.

They predicted rain, quite a bit, so I went out and cut the fully open roses. What a fine idea I had.

Garden roses in lavender and shades of pink and red, in a late summer bouquet

Linking to Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here first!

This is some kind of black-stemmed maidenhair fern, seen in the woods in the Olympic Peninsula. I haven’t seen this kind of radial pattern before.

Lacy, fringed leaflets on shiny black stems whorled in a pretty pattern

Participating in Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Wordless Wednesday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visiti and come back soon. Download free, easy tips for taking better photos of any kind in the sidebar on the right.

Combine perfect flowers, perfect weather, and a blue sky, in the late afternoon sunlight…

Lavender-pink cosmos reaches to the sunny blue sky

Participating in Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Pink Saturday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Thursday Challenge (Blue), My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visiting here and please—come back soon. If you’d like some free, easy tips for taking better photos of any kind, download at the sidebar on the right.

A recent visit to Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory had pretty blue salvia, a lovely annual, planted in the beds in front.

Purple-blue salvia spike flowers, with a touch of white

Linking to I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. While you are here, try a new tag or category at the right. Thanks for visiting here and please come back very soon.

Not everyone knows that if you don’t pick an artichoke when it’s closed up nice and tight, it will open to a beautiful bluish-purple flower.

Artichoke plant blossoms

So great to have you visit; thanks so much!

String beans are such a great garden vegetable. I love them raw and also steamed, just with maybe a little butter and lemon juice. The purple ones turn green when you steam them (!!) and taste the same, but the yellow ones (wax beans) stay yellow and taste quite similar. They all taste great to me!

Green, purple and yellow stringbeans just picked, with a stringbean plant leaf

Linking to I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Our World Tuesday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. While you are here, try a new tag or category at the right, why don’t you? Vegetables/Fruits, perhaps?