Garden flowers that come back by themselves, like bulbs are perennials, make gardening so much easier. But annuals that reseed themselves are perhaps even more welcome, as they have a long flowering period and can be moved around, when they are small, for a good effect. And I love the abundance of them, having planted dozens and dozens around the garden for a very good show. For free!

Visit Pink Saturday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Macro Monday, Macro Friday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Color Carnival and Today’s Flowers. You might try a new tag or category here before you go, though. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos to get to the newest post here.

And please come to the Open House at the Conservatory Aug 4, 6-8pm, to launch my new book!

Hope you are not getting tired of all these macro photos lately. This one is a leek plant in my garden. I love the way they look in the vegetable bed, very tall and sculptural with the big ball flowers—like the rest of the onion family. For eating, though, I think it’s best to remove the flower stems early and then harvest soon. Leeks sure are good in soups and such, I found out this spring. But do let at least a couple go to seed for future harvests.

Visit Today’s Flowers, Macro Flowers Saturday, Macro Monday, Macro Friday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Wordless Wednesday and Watery Wednesday for more photos with a theme. Memes are great! Do browse around here first if you have a minute, remembering that if only one photo below, clicking on the top Sara’s Fave Photos banner brings you to the complete blog.

I love tall flowers because you don’t have to bend down to see them closely and they look good from a distance, and ones that bloom in the shade, reseed themselves, and even appeal to hummingbirds are especially wonderful. These foxgloves are taller than I am, which is not too hard, and their graceful, tall spikes are the true high point of my garden right now.

Visit Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Flowers Saturday, Macro Monday,  Macro Friday, Color Carnival, and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) to view photos from around the planet. Please do click on the banner above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to see the latest photos here. And thanks for visiting!

Oh, it was a glorious Fourth! In addition to everything else, the weather was PERFECT and warm and totally sunny. We were at a party on the shore of little Lake Burien in Washington state, near Seattle. Dusk and calm and trees and water make for a happy scenic-photo person like myself.

Like many of us, I’m a sucker for sunsets and am calling this simple photo my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Wordless Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), and Weekend Reflections. Click on the banner above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to see the latest photos here. And thanks for visiting!

This rose is called ‘Blue Girl’ and is sort of lavender but looks pinkish in this light, don’t you think? My roses are finally blooming, after such a long wait. I thought I lost several in the hard winter we had, but now it seems all but one survived, which out of 19 isn’t too bad. I added lots of compost in the fall and spring, and they LOVE it, with blooms much larger than last year.

I love the lighting on this shot and am calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Flowers Saturday, Macro Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), and Macro Friday for fascinating photography around the Internet. You might try a new tag or category here before you go, though. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos to get to the newest post here.

You can’t beat the Pacific Northwest when it comes to rhododendrons. Some tower over the landscape, some are solidly covered with blooms, some are just thrilling in their abundance. I only wish for fragrance, but I’m like that. An iffy bloom with fragrance trumps stupendous with none, or I’d like to think so. Color combos like this one, however, make me set that prejudice aside!

Visit Ruby Tuesday, Color Carnival, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), and Today’s Flowers. Remember, if there is only one photo below, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner above to see the rest of the collection.

Sunshine today, sunshine this weekend, yay and yay! Went out and snapped a million (well, a few) photos in the late afternoon light, of course my fave, considering I am not a morning person by any means. The lupines did remarkably well this winter. I think it was so cold this spring that the slugs stayed sleeping and let them get going unmolested. I planted these from seed maybe three years ago and look at them!

Visit Pink Saturday, Scenic Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Outdoor Wednesday for fabulous photo fun. Click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner to see the complete blog  here, if you have a minute.

You could probably do a book on just the pink flowers at Volunteer Park Conservatory, but I won’t go that far. The new book I’m working on at this very moment will have all colors of flowers in it, not just pink, although the idea is tempting for those of us who adore pink. And all kinds of foliage, too, of course! Until the book is ready, sometime this summer, I strongly suggest that locals and visitors to Seattle explore this magnificent hidden gem.

Pink Saturday is having a special celebration this week, their 3-year blogoversary! Lots of fabulous pinkness there, to be sure. Also check out Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Today’s Flowers and Macro Flowers Saturday. Happy long weekend to all my USA visitors. Note that there are TWO photos below today!

I just felt like revisiting and sharing this scene, from a camping trip we took last August to the Dungeness Recreation Area near Sequim (pronounced skwim) on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. This area gets much, much more sunshine than the surrounding areas including Seattle, let alone the rainforest. There is a simple trail along the bluff over the water that is astoundingly scenic. The water is Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, I believe, with Canada a short bit across the water to the right. I hope you enjoy this vista. I like it so much I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Skywatch Friday, Scenic Sunday, Pink Saturday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Wordless Wednesday for more photo fantasticness. Always find the latest posts here by clicking on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner above. Maybe try a new category like Nature first? Thanks so much for visiting.

A recent visit to Seattle’s hidden gem, Volunteer Park Conservatory (which by the way is trying to raise serious money to finish a much-needed renovation—learn more at Critical Moment on their site), in pretty afternoon light, showcasing the magnificent outdoor tulips. I love the color combo. Their gardeners are just world class.

Visit Pink Saturday, Scenic Sunday, Today’s Flowers, and Outdoor Wednesday for further photo enjoyment. Try a new tag or category here first, why don’t you? And you can always see the complete and up-to-date blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or the banner above.