Who doesn’t love peonies? Their wildly ruffled but so tender petals, the color of a baby’s cheek, that soft fragrance, and even their handsome foliage. Yum. These are in a neighbor’s garden as mine are still round buds.

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I do love daisies, especially these simple ones that grow in gravelly roadside strips. What a difficult environment for such a lovely, perfect flower. I’d grow them in my garden if they sold seeds for them, although they probably LIKE the harsh roadside environment. I tell my plants to “Bloom where you’re planted,” but sometimes they don’t listen.

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From my backyard, the other day. I already pulled up the forget-me-nots since then. They fill in so well, looking great when not much else is blooming, but then a certain point is passed, and out they go. No problem with new plants volunteering for next year, of course, perhaps even too vigorously reseeding, but when you have a big place to fill up, these do a fine job. And the dutch irises seem to be quite easy, as well, returning now for the third time and more than I planted. Gardening is so fun when it works out well.

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I love tulips! And shadows! And sunshine! Tulips are pretty much done by now, but I found this photo I took almost two weeks ago and knew I couldn’t wait til next year to share it. And I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week, too.

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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!

Red rhodedendrons are pretty hard to photograph. The sunshine seems to really help me, even though it’s against most photographic advice. I expose for/focus on the bright areas and love how the background falls into shadow. Very mysterious, no?

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ruby red photos and Today’s Flowers on Sunday. Color Carnival has bright colors, Macro Monday, more close ups, Shadow Shot Sunday, well, you figure it out. Do click on the banner above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to see the entire blog if there’s only one image below. Thanks for visiting!

There’s a garden meme called Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, and each month on the fifteenth people post what’s blooming in their garden that day. It’s quite a show. Some posts give me such spring-weather envy I cannot tell you. We are having serious warm-weather delay in Seattle, with the coldest April on record and heading that way for May, too. But occasionally there are dry spells, and if it hits 60 degrees F we are so happy!

This large Blushing Lady tulip didn’t bloom at all last year and I thought she was dead, but she sent up two (out of 6 bulbs) flowers after taking the year off and I do love this tulip. I’ve learned that you mustn’t plant things that need watering over them for the summer, because it causes the bulbs to rot. So much for that garden plan. I’ll have to find a spot that I don’t want to plant in the summer for next year, and plant new tulips there.

Behind the tulip are rust-colored wallflowers and to the left are red rhododendrons.

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This Spring is late, late, late. I checked my garden photo archives and this sweet mini-bouquet was taken last year, two weeks before this date, and we are not up to several of these flowers quite yet. I did see a few lilies of the valley out there, yes on the violets, and the forget-me-nots definitely, but not yet for the blue bachelor buttons or lavender scabiosa. I don’t know what that magenta one is; maybe a kind of geranium. Soon all will bloom. We are waiting!

Visit Watery Wednesday (the water in the vase counts, doesn’t it?) and Wordless Wednesday for more photo fun. Also check out Today’s Flowers, Macro Friday, Blue Monday, Color Carnival and Macro Monday. After browsing around here, of course. If you see only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for more, and possibly more recent photos.

One of my favorite things about belonging to a local garden club is that every 3 months they all get together and bring flowers to show (“hort” as it’s known, or horticulture). I don’t care about the ribbons they award, but this particular venue has a skylight over the display tables and the effect on a sunny day can be dazzling. I think this kind of peony is called a single form, but I am no expert. I only wish I had grown it in my own garden, but at least I can take a photo—and share it with you!

Today, I have the honor of being Guest Friend on Today’s Flowers and you might hie on over there to see some magnolia photos I took last week in my backyard. Plus many other lovely blooms from around the world, with a new thumbnail linky!

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You can’t go wrong with a huge field of tulips and a barn in the distance. Scenigasm! Just a tiny bit of sunshine peeked through the very cloudy skies to give these red tulips a little happy boost. It’s been so cold this year that I bet there are still quite a few blooming in Skagit Tulip Festival near Mt. Vernon,WA. If you’re nearby and it’s a nice day as is predicted for tomorrow, do go and see.

Visit Ruby Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Color Carnival and Today’s Flowers for a great photo browse. Before you do, maybe try a new tag or category here? To see the full blog, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner at the top.