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.

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!

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?

Picked these yesterday. Yum!

Yellow cherry tomatoes and some big ones, just picked

Linking to I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Our World Tuesday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If there is only one photo here, click on the curly letters of Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see a few more. Thanks!

I love rose gardens.

August bloom in the rose garden at Point Defiance park in Tacoma, WA

Participating in Pink Saturday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting here and please come back soon.

Highline Botanical Garden at SeaTac, WA, just gets prettier.

Latticework adorns a weathered wooden arch at the Highline Garden, with view of rusted iron rose arches

Joining Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visit here and please come back soon!

There’s a lovely Japanese garden at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, WA. In the pond is a brilliantly red (miniature) pagoda.

Scenic red pagoda in the Japanese garden in Pt. Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington

Joining up with Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, Water World Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here and please come back soon!