This little hen-and-chicks sedum on my patio is only maybe 1.5″ or 4 cm. across, but it has an amazing flower (see 2nd photo below). I like these succulents because the circular leaf pattern looks like a flower, and then it HAS flowers. The individual pink flower is half an inch or so across.

Today’s Flowers is showing a couple of my photos this weekend. Be sure to visit as many of the participants as you can, and leave a comment so they will know you visited.

Little green and purple hen-and-chicks sedum rosette

Small pink sedum flowers with yellow centers

Joining the fun at Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, and Garden Tuesday. Please browse around here and come back soon!

Last night we were lucky enough to be at a friend’s place with a spectacular view of Lake Union in Seattle, and the fireworks were as good as we hoped. And loud! Hope you you had a great Fourth, too. I love this image and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Fireworks explode over Lake Union in Seattle, Washington

Joining in at Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday and Scenic Weekends. Don’t forget that if you arrive here and see only one photo above, if you click on the Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above you will see more pretties.

The day lilies are blooming.

Macro of peach day lily blooming in my garden

Joining in at Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Thank you so much for visiting, and hope you have a happy Fourth of July, the happy celebration of Independence here in the U.S.A.

Just went out to the garden and saw that the hydrangeas are beginning to show color. Such flower excitement! This one was a gift from friends who needed the space for something else. This year it has recovered from the move and is blooming beautifully for us in a shady spot.

Glowing Embers hydrangea begins to show color in late afternoon light

You might visit Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. And for some easy tips on how to take better flower photos without any fancy equipment, see my free “7 Secrets” download at the right. Thanks!

The big rains we had recently had an upside besides the garden and lawn’s deep soaking. Roses do not like to be rained on, but if you get out there during a break, you might find some beauty.

Snowfire rose with raindrops in the garden

Linking in to Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Water World Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Thank you for visiting here.

Flowers that return each year, or politely reseed or spread, are big faves of mine. Old fashioned sweet williams have the added bonus of brilliant colors and longish stems so they can go in bouquets. These are on my patio right now. The peach flowers behind them are nasturtiums with variegated leaves, a new plant for me.

Magenta and white sweet williams in front of peach nasturtiums on my patio

Participating in Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Thursday Challenge (Flowers), Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Let’s try Orange You Glad It’s Friday, too. If there’s only this one photo here, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos on top to see the rest of ’em.

It poured really hard. I thought we were in Bali or someplace. As the warm air cleared, I looked to the east and there was a sunset rainbow, complete with a reflection I later saw in the puddle.

Double rainbow at sunset is reflected in a puddle

Participating at Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Water World Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Weekend Reflections and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Don’t forget that if you arrive here and see only one photo above, do click on the Sara’s Fave Photos Blog curly letters at the top to see everything else.

It’s raining hard right now (the garden is grateful) but this afternoon before it began I got some photos of the flowers on my patio. I have never had such a display. Finally, luck, a little experience, and decent weather have come together in a symphony of color. Wish you could come over and enjoy this with me.

Colorful flowers bloom in pots and around a Seattle patio in late June

Linking up at Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Garden Tuesday, Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home and Today’s Flowers. Have a great day and come back soon, hear?

In Seattle the other day, I saw these raised planters in front of a big building downtown. They are TALL. No problem with people picking the flowers on these babies.

Raised metal planters adorn a commercial building in Seattle, Washington

You might visit Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, and Today’s Flowers. Thank you so much for visiting here and please come back soon.

Flowers are so lovely, but so ephemeral, their fleeting beauty one of the reasons we respond so emotionally to them. These peonies, roses and snapdragons from my garden are on their way out, but still so worthy of contemplation.

Bouquet with peonies, roses and snapdragons begins to fade

Linking up at Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Garden Tuesday and Creative Weekends Friday at the Pink Home. Do browse around here. “Bouquet” is a fine choice for the search bar at the upper right for some very fine images, if I do say so myself.