The red tips of the bushes are just beginning to peek through the soil outside, but those red tips will become flower heaven, come June. Here are some perfect pink peonies for your pleasure. Breathe deep, now!

Ruffled, soft pink, romantic peonies from my garden in June

I’m entering this link at Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Macro Monday, Scenic Weekends, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, and Pink Saturday. Thanks so much for visiting here. Be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if there’s only one photo to be seen.

At the NW Flower & Garden Show in Seattle that just ended, the theme was Hollywood, and I believe the name of this giant monolith of a display was Sunset Strip. Maybe because it is kind of the colors of the sunset? It was at least 4 or 5 feet tall. Here’s a piece of the center section.

A rainbow of flowers at the bouquet competition in the NW Flower & Garden Show

Visit Monday Mellow Yellows, Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Pink Saturday. Thanks so much for stopping by here! If only one photo is visible here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to see the rest.

I know I’m rushing the season, but coming across these pinkish lavender lilacs I just had to post them. They bloomed in April in 2010 and maybe we’ll see lilacs in April this year, too. Right now that seems impossibly far away. Breathe that scent deep, now!

Old fashioned lilacs blooming in April 2010

Linking to Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Pink Saturday, Scenic Weekends, and Outdoor Wednesday. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see other pretty photos. Thank you for visiting, come back soon!

This pretty snapdragon flower stem is from the garden in our last house. That location had one really great feature of getting late afternoon sunlight, almost from the horizon. What a flower photography bonus! If you’ve read my “7 Secrets” of better photos (free download at the right) you’ll know I’m a big fan of sideways light. Anyway, it’s reminding me to plant some snap seeds this year.

Frilly snapdragon flowers

Linking up to Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Photog Friday, Catching the Light, Scenic Weekends and Macro Monday. To view a few more photos here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks so much for visiting, and come back soon.

The NW Flower & Garden Show is coming up in a few weeks here in Seattle at the Convention Center, and my daughter Lila and I will be there at Love That Image‘s booth 2806 with the book, the jewelry, and now prints as well. So exciting! Naturally (besides madly making jewelry pretties) I am taking a look at some past favorite flower photos I have taken there. This one just thrills me. I have no idea what the textured yellow ball flowers are. Anyone?

Calla lily bouquet with mystery yellow ball flowers

Joining up this week at Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Ruby Tuesday 2, Photog Friday and Macro Monday. To see about ten more photos here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for visiting, and hope to see you again soon.

Now that it’s been arranged that we will be showing our new glass tile jewelry and Flowers books a the NW Flower & Garden Show in February, I am all excited to review some of the images I’ve taken over the past few years. You sure can see some great flowers at that show! And today, on New Year’s Day, here’s a gift bouquet for you. May your year be filled with exotic blooms and comforting old standards.

Stunning bouquet of orchids, roses, ranunculus, camelias and others at NW Flower & Garden Show

Participating in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, and Ruby Tuesday 2. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the rest of the images here. Thanks for visiting and Happy New Year to you and those you love.

Here’s a view at Seattle’s Woodland Park Rose Garden, from a June solstice a few years ago. It’s been raining here, or completely overcast, since the second week in October and I, for one, want to look at sunshine and flowers. Hope you do, too.

Joining up this week in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, and Ruby Tuesday 2. To see all the latest images, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you again soon!

I don’t know why I haven’t posted much about it, but I’ve been a busy bee with my new business, Love That Image glass tile jewelry. It’s made from the actual pages of my book, Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory. How it came about is that last year when I was at a craft fair with my daughter Lila, selling the Flowers book as a holiday gift, she saw all the crowds at neighboring booths selling jewelry and said, “Mom, why don’t we make jewelry from your book? I saw on Pinterest how to do that.” I was amazed at the whole idea and had no clue what she might be talking about.

Next thing I knew, we were in the jewelry business. Pinterest changed my life!

It’s a year later and we’ve learned a lot, experimented, and come up with so many pretty designs that the only problem is choosing. For now, we are selling to stores and in craft fairs only. We just had a spectacular success at the Kent WA Holiday Craft Market and we certainly will do that again next year. Check out the new Jewelry page on the navigation bar above to see other locations where the jewelry is available. Do let us know if there’s a store near you that you think would be a good fit to carry them.

The next time you can see all the pieces in person will be at the Normandy Park, WA Cove Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 1. If you are in the area, we hope you will drop by and say hi. Of course I’ll be signing books there, too!

I’m linking up at My Romantic Home, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Macro Monday, Weekend Flowers, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Thursday Challenge (Orange), Wordless Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, and Mellow Yellow Monday. I really like this photo, set up by Lila, and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week. Thanks for stopping by!

It’s too wet right now to go outside and find something blooming that looks nice enough to show you here. Only my fave photos get posted! Thought you’d like to see these pretty blue/purple flowers, a very sturdy grower and great cut flower. This perennial bachelor buttons or Centaurea montana (also called Mountain Bluet) was growing in my garden in May. I think they might be in the thistle family, and related to artichoke plants.

Participating in: My Romantic Home, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Macro Monday, Weekend Flowers, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. If you only see one photo below, you might click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above or a tag at right to see many other pretty flowers. Thanks for stopping by!

Flowers and a bit of rain are a great photo combo. Don’t get your camera wet, but do get out there if there’s a break in the wet. Isn’t this a pretty one? Love those late season dahlias.

This week I’m joining up at My Romantic Home, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Macro Monday, Weekend Flowers, Pink Saturday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Wordless Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, Outdoor Wednesday, Water World Wednesday and Nature’s Footsteps Waters. If you see only one photo below, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see all the recent posts. Thank you so much for visiting!