Some friends have a truly spectacular backyard. Their flowers are extraordinary, and that’s just the one border. But even at that special place, several smoky days ago, the hazy air was an unwelcome visitor.

Haze from wildfires in the Pacific Northwest

Connecting to Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Skywatch Friday, Friday Just Be, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a fine day and see you soon.

Here’s a tropical plant you don’t see that much, courtesy the fabulous collection at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle, WA.

Red pigtail anthuriums. So curly!

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A friend gave me a magnificent bouquet of Peruvian lilies, or alstroemeria. Each flower was at least 2″ or even 3″ wide (5-8 cm). I’ve never seen such an array of rainbow colors in this flower. See a close up in this post below.

Almost perfect cut flower (sadly no fragrance), Peruvian lilies make such a fine bouquet

Also linking to Through My Lens Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a wonderful day!

Someone gave me a truly marvelous bouquet of alstroemeria, or Peruvian lily. I have no idea where she got such magnificent ones. This image is a real fave of mine, straight out of the camera…See above for a photo of the whole bouquet.

Translucent petals and a rainbow of colors in this alstroemeria bouquet

Also linking to Through My Lens Monday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a wonderful day and hope to see you here again soon.

My friend Cindy is quite a gardener. Here is her front entryway.

Hanging baskets and pots of flowers adorn the front of this Bonney Lake, WA home.

Also linking up at Through My Lens Monday, Blue Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Floral Bliss Wednesday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Sunday Snap. Have a wonderful day and come back soon.

Here’s what my back flowerbed looked like, a couple of weeks ago before this super hot weather we’re having in Seattle this year.

Dark red  and burgundy day lilies, orange and yellow alstroemeria (Peruvian lily) bloom in my July garden

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From my garden, before the heatwave.

Magenta sweetpeas, a couple of weeks ago, before all this hot weather in Seattle

Connecting with Through My Lens Monday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a wonderful day and please come back soon.

This darling hydrangea was growing in shade near Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory, perhaps being readied for display.

White hydrangea with pink outer petals

Linking with Through My Lens Monday, Macro Monday, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a wonderful day and come back soon.

Such a lovely wedding bouquet, just created by florist Alonzo at Our Secret Garden in West Seattle. See post below for matching wrist corsage.

Wedding bouquet with lavender roses, dusty miller leaves and pink calla lilies

Also linking up at Through My Lens Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a wonderful day and come back soon.

Alonzo, owner of Our Secret Garden florist in West Seattle, modeled a wrist corsage he had just finished for a wedding that evening. We had adjacent booths at the West Seattle Street Fest this weekend.

Pretty wrist corsage for a lucky mother of the bride.

Linking this post with Through My Lens Monday, Macro Monday, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a wonderful day and come back soon.