These two checkered tulips or fritillaria are ruby colored; perfect for Ruby Tuesday. They came up very well, this second year, as did the sturdy white hyacinths behind them. Oh, the garden is really beginning!

Click on blog header above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to return to full blog with latest post on top.

The bags of tulip bulbs we planted around the front roses in the fall are up, and the first one has opened! See Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday for versions of the theme.

And the delightful grape hyacinths (muscari) in the back yard are coming up so well. This is their second year and they are quite respectable looking. I love how easy they are, that they spread nicely, and that they are practically evergreen and leaf up super early. Visit Blue Monday for more blue things.

And check out Color Carnival for more brilliant colors! And I like this post so much I’ve tagged it Best Post of the Week.

Click on blog header above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to return to full blog with latest post on top.

A recent visit to the lovely Kubota Garden south of Seattle had any number of photo ops, especially as the weather was sunny that day.  Oh, Seattlites love their sunny weather, when they get it.

Don’t you love that curvy trunk on the pine tree?

Visit Pink Saturday for more interesting takes on Pinkness. Try Blooming Friday to see what’s blooming here and there. And Scenic Sunday showcases scenery of all sorts.

I finally got to see the famed Kubota Garden, south of Seattle. Luckily, it was on one of the gorgeous days we had here last week. This pink flower also grows here and there in people’s gardens, but I don’t remember its name. Anyone know it? The leaves and flower clusters can be quite large, as big as a person’s hand or larger.

See Pink Saturday for more pink visions. And Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting shadows.

On a recent visit to Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory, I was impressed at the orchids, but really fell in love with the simple begonias. This kind of thing makes me want my own greenhouse.

Visit Pink Saturday for more visions in pink.

I really like this one, so I’m tagging it Best Post of the Week. Hope you agree.

We’ve had sunny weather for a week. I planted pea seeds (and nicked and soaked the sweet pea seeds to plant tomorrow) and took the usual stroll to see what has come up. Crocus!

For more flowers in general, you’ll always enjoy Flowers For Today, and do visit Blooming Friday when you get the chance. What about more macros at Macro Monday?

New navigation: Now you can always get back to the latest entry here by clicking on the “Sara’s Fave Photos” title in the header, no matter where you’ve wandered in the blog. I invite you to click on the categories or tags on the left, or whatever strikes your fancy today. Hope you enjoy your visit.

I don’t want to overload this blog with too many photos, so here are just a couple of fave shots I took on Friday. I do love this new camera. Fun!

For more macros/close ups, please check out Macro Monday, and for more views of yellow, go to Mellow Yellow Monday. And visit Color Carnival for more brilliant color!

They do smell heavenly. But be super careful about getting the pollen on your clothes, as it can stain permanently, I’ve found out, unhappily. I grew this and it bloomed in August. They are actually pretty darn easy to grow, but do put in stakes early, because they get tall and delightfully covered with flowers and then maybe a wind comes along and pfffft, it’s a mess. All you gardeners out there, stake early and stake well! You’ll be glad you did.

Visit Macro Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Ruby Tuesday for more great photos in blogland. And for sure, Color Carnival, too.

On that walk a couple of days ago, I actually found a rhododendron that is in bloom! Wow, that’s early. I thought I’d share the pretty flowers with you for Pink Saturday.

Some of my 18 rosebushes roses have about an inch of new, red growth showing. That means it’s getting to be time to prune, soon as it’s dry out. I’ve been raising roses for a number of years, so here are some suggestions for all you people who feel intimidated by rosebushes. Feel free to let us know via comments if you know differently.

1) Wear good gloves! Leather is best, cuffs are good. Don’t wear a sweater which can catch on thorns.

2) Use nice sharp pruning shears. I like a bypass style with hooked blades to get in closely.

3) The basic desired shape of the bush should be an “open vase” which lets sun into the center.

4) Don’t prune away more than 1/3 of the rose bush. Roses store food in their canes.

5) For older roses, if you must remove a big cane, take the oldest first. The oldest ones are the grayest and roughest. Use a little hand saw if you need to. Be careful! Do not leave more than a short stub if possible. Dead wood invites insects.

6) Always start by removing dead wood and any scrawny little branches thinner than a pencil. Trim those flush to the bigger stem. Roses bloom on vigorous, new branches.

7) Remove any crossing branches, especially if touching, and any that point or cross into the center of the plant. Remember, gently upright canes slanting outwards is best.

8 ) Cut less than you think. You can always cut more later! Never remove more than 1/3 the plant. Young plants: prune very lightly until rose is well established. Cut no shorter than knee height, possibly waist height if they are taller roses. You probably want the flowers to wind up no higher than your face, and the stems have to grow a bit before they have flowers, so you do want to cut them back somewhat.

9) Make each cut just above new growth that is going to grow in the right direction, outwards. Look closely! Those leaves or red bumps are where the new cane will grow. Leave about 1/4″ of the cane remaining over the new growth joint, using a slightly slanted cut.

10) Break off any small shoots that point inwards or are growing down below a cane towards the ground. Just break it off with your fingers, so the plant doesn’t waste its energy growing a cane in a bad place. You can do this throughout the growing season.

I would wait to fertilize until the weather warms up a bit. You don’t want to encourage tender new growth if it still might freeze.

That’s it! Enjoy your beautiful new well-pruned roses, this year and every year.

Here’s a yellow rose to get you dreaming of roses come June. Visit Macro Monday for more close ups, and Mellow Yellow Monday for more golden hues.