Flowers, flowers, flowers. I can’t understand why some Seattlites say that Seattle only does Spring well, in the garden. Hogwash. There are so many lovelies blooming! Here’s a sweet begonia, about four inches across. I took the hanging basket in over the winter, and here it is again. How easy is that?

It’s a close-up, so fits the Macro Monday meme, and the splash of yellow qualifies it for Mellow Yellow Monday. Both excellent and exciting memes, filled with creativity. Visit or better yet, participate!

We are going camping for a few days so I’ll post two photos today for you.

Yesterday there was a garden tour pretty close by and the weather was superb. One lovely place had this view of Puget Sound from their backyard. For more scenic loveliness, visit Scenic Sunday.

Another garden had planted different kinds of sunflowers. They were in their element, literally! It’s a Flower for Today, and visit them for fascinating photos of flowers around the world.

See you in a few!

Did you know that the “hydra” in hydrangea means these plants love water? Up here in Seattle they can take full sun, but they must have water and plenty of it. You can also root the pruned stems very easily. When pruning in the spring, just poke the extra stems in the soft ground where they will be shaded by the mother plant, keep all moist, and you will be amazed by how easily they root. New plants!

This lovely specimen is from a friend’s garden. Happy Flowers for Today!

Everyone loves to grow tomatoes but not everyone knows how to make sure there are lots of tomatoes on the vines. With bees experiencing serious decline for unknown reasons (although I seem to see more this year than last year in my own garden), pollination can be a problem.

The solution? You! Assisted flower sex is the answer, and you get tomatoes for your trouble. Unless you are a farmer with acres of tomatoes, for a few backyard plants you can make a big difference in yield by going around your plants with a child’s little paintbrush, or even a cotton swab, and brushing each little yellow flower in turn. Do this every few days to catch as many flowers as possible, and you will be amazed at the results. And it’s fun!

Visit Think Green Thursday for more takes on the meaning of green.

I am so happy to see the sweetpeas finally taking off. I planted them from seed myself, and that always adds to the gardening enjoyment, I find. And sweetpeas love to be picked! You can only enhance and prolong the blooming period by picking them as they come into flower. Of course, I always leave a few.

For more flowers around the world, visit Today’s Flower.

It wasn’t much rain, but it was enough to glisten up this exquisite daylily I found on my walk the other day. It has a ruby throat and so can post for Ruby Tuesday, and the water droplets will have to qualify for Watery Wednesday. I apologize for all the flowers I’ve been posting lately, but they are blooming everywhere, so what can I do?

We’re planting a big rose garden out in front. What a lot of work! But it will be worth it, absolutely. This is one of the 18 roses waiting in pots, named Broadway. In a rare burst of sunshine, it created this shadow, almost like another petal form. Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more fascinating shadows.

These chive flowers are so pretty and the plants so easy to grow. I read they make a nice little hedge in front of bigger plants, but I have room only for one nice one. It’s near the kitchen door, and when I’m cooking, I just go outside and snip, snip, there you are.

I think that growing herbs and other food crops are a great way to garden, and good for the planet also. If you’d like other ideas about being green, visit Think Green Thursday.

These perky flowers were at a home I visited recently. I was so impressed with how healthy and vigorous they are. I learned from Digital Flower Pictures, (link on my blogroll to the left) that they are called Blanket Flowers. I like them!

Happy Ruby Tuesday to all. Check out more rubiness there, seen by eager eyes around the blogosphere.

And hello to the Color Carnival folks. Is this bright enough, do you think?

I don’t usually like flower photos with insects, but I’m making an exception for this bee working the red rose. But then again, the non-bee one is pretty nice, too. Which do you prefer?

For more lovely flowers around the world, visit Today’s Flowers.