I picked these roses, hydrangeas and cosmos in my garden in late September. Oh, what a couple of months does! I think people love flowers so much because they are so fleeting, but their brief perfection seems to reach our emotions like little else.

Visit Today’s Flowers, Color Carnival and Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting photos. This one is straight out of the camera, too.

If there is only the bouquet photo showing, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog.

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.

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.

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.

Here’s a shot from the archives of pretty pink azaleas, taken at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in January (!) Thought you’d like a cheerful flower photo on this gray day here in Seattle.

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 followers know about new posts as they arise from my magic computer.

Visit Macro Monday for more neat close ups, if you have a chance. And if there’s only this one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the whole blog enchilada.

The weather is gray and rainy, no surprise for Seattle, so here’s some sunflowers taken last month at the Pike Place Market to cheer us up.

Today’s Flowers has more pretty flowers all around the world, Mellow Yellow Monday has more photos with a splash of yellow, and Color Carnival has more bright colors for you. Visit and enjoy!

As usual, if you see only one photo on this page, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of ’em!

Had a half hour to kill so I went to a local nursery, just to browse around. Time well spent, believe me. I’ll show the amazing pumpkins and gourds they displayed in another post. Here are just some perfect pink pansies in the afternoon light.

Visit Pink Saturday for more pretty pinkness, and Macro Flowers Saturday, too. Some shadows qualify it for Shadow Shot Sunday, and it’s also SOOC or straight out of the camera.

If you only see the one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for access to the whole shebang.

I’m going to be away for a few days, so look for some new stuff when I get back on Wednesday. Ta-ta!