From my recent visit to the Skagit tulips. The trunks of the trees were at least 6 or 8 feet (2-3 meters) in diameter. They were OLD.

Red and pink tulips under sunshine and clouds in Mt. Vernon, WA

Connecting with Skywatch Friday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Thursday Challenge (Tranquil), Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit and try a search for tulips in the search field, why don’t you?

This is a season of floral abundance, that’s for sure. This graceful, deep-pink-and-white Japanese magnolia is blooming in my backyard today. The flowers are about as big as my hand.

Pink and white Japanese magnolia bloom in Seattle in April

Connecting to I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If only one image is visible here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog. Hurry back soon.

Yesterday I was blessed to be able to visit the Skagit Valley tulip festival. Fields of hundreds of acres bloom with color. You will see some tulip photos here in the next while, that’s for sure.

Red, pink and purple tulips bloom in Skagit County, Washington

Joining in with Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Scenic Weekends, Pink Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for visiting, and please come back soon.

This pretty late-afternoon scene of peace roses in my front yard was taken last July. Summertime and its roses is only a few short months away.

Late on a July afternoon, a Peace rose blooms in my garden

Linking to Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for visiting here!

Saw these pink African daisies, or Osteospermum, at a nursery recently. Pretty, pretty, pretty!

Pink African daisies, or Osteospermum

Linking up with I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, and Saturday Show Off. If you’d like to see more pretty pictures here, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos lettering above. Thanks for your visit!

As many of you know, I am in love with the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle, and even did a book about it not that long ago. I am so proud to say I’ve been invited to serve on its Board of Directors. The photo below was taken today in the Conservatory at the Annual Meeting of its support organization, the Friends of the Conservatory, where my new status was made official. I’m so excited! What a wonderful place, enjoyed by so many people.

Colorful spring flowers, inside and out, at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle

Joining Scenic Weekends, Pink Saturday, Skywatch Friday, Ein Stück Himmel, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, and Saturday Show Off. To see the other photos here, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos lettering above. Thanks for visiting.

This is the last gasp of my sweet Valentine’s Day tulips, perfect as they fade away.

Tulip blossom with red petals and fringed white edges, and pistil and stamens casting a tiny shadow

Linking to Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Seasonal Sundays, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Ruby Tuesday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the latest pictures here.

I just learned the name of these small, pretty flowers recently on the Floral Friday blog. I happen to be reading Sacajawea, about the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Pacific Northwest, so when I learned that these flowers were named for Meriweather Lewis I was charmed. These were at Seattle’s huge NW Flower & Garden Show last week.

Tiny lewisia flowers are good in a rock garden

Linking to Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here and please come back soon.

A great visit to the NW Flower & Garden Show yielded fabulous photos, as always. This year’s theme is “Art in Bloom.”

Hellebores, or Lenten Rose, float in a birdbath

More neat photos at Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Water World Wednesday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here and be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the my most recent fave images.

I really love how a macro gets you looking more closely at things. This is a very simple shot, taken with that little “flower” icon setting on my little pocket camera (a Canon Powershot 95S). As an aside, I took all the photos in my book with this little pocket camera. Be sure to download your free copy of Secrets to Better Flower Photos at right. You do not need a fancy camera to take excellent photos.

I find the delicacy of both the maidenhair fern fronds and the pink azalea petals to be very satisfying. Each leaflet on the fern is about 1 cm, or less than half an inch.

Maidenhair fern and double pink azalea at Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle

Joining up at Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here and be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the my latest fave images.