I have been so happy with my amaryllis bulb which has now rebloomed twice! Here’s a close up of some marvelous petal detail. Can it get any redder?

Detail of backlit amaryllis petals in close up

You might visit Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Ruby Tuesday 2, My Romantic Home, and Macro Monday. So glad you could stop by. To view the other pretty photo posts here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

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 it’s a bit of late notice, but I’ve just been so busy preparing for my SLIDESHOW of pretty pictures from my book coming right up on Weds., Feb. 6, 2013 in Des Moines, WA at 10:45am. Lunch is included with admission of $9. The Chinook District of the Washington Garden Clubs is having me speak and show images from my book “Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory.” The amazing and gifted senior gardener David Helegson will also be there to say what’s going on with the drama at the Conservatory, and answer horticultural questions, too. Here’s the link to the facebook page.

And something new! Besides having the book and some of the sparkly jewelry we make from it there, we’ll also have the brand new 8×10 matted prints of some favorite images from my book! This photo does NOT do them justice.

Matted photo prints from “Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory”

The fern, I think, is my own top fave. You?

Linking up to Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, and Monday Mellow Yellows.

Here’s a little peek back into summer for you. These red glads (gladioli?) were taken in my backyard at the beginning of August. Oh, it will get here again, I am sure.

Dark red gladiolus

Participating in My Romantic Home, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Ruby Tuesday 2, Photog Friday and Macro Monday. If you’d like to see about ten more photos here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks!

I am happy that a few of my spring flower photos are on display at Today’s Flowers this weekend. I know it is rushing the season, but spring is so wonderful for those of us who just love flowers. This bouquet of pink and white tulips is a simple one, but so satisfying to me. The flowers have long faded, but the photo lives on. Not to get too spiritual about it, but maybe this is why flower photography has such a punch. It’s like cheating death, in a way. In any case, hope you enjoy the image. I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Pink and white tulip bouquet

Joining up at Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, and Macro Monday. If there’s only the one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for the rest. Thanks for visiting, and please come back soon!

Every New Year’s Eve I cut up some vegetables for our after midnight snack, along with the crabmeat and cream cheese dip, with potato chips! Hey, the veggies cancel out the yummy fats, is how I think. Hope you had a wonderful celebration, and the luckiest year to you in 2013.

The carrots and broccoli are from our backyard!

Joining up at Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Macro Monday. If there’s only the one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for the rest. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!

As this year comes to a close, this photo of two kayakers on Bowman Bay, right off of Deception Pass in western Washington State, really “floats my boat.” It symbolizes the feeling I have of moving out into life, alone but with a companion, on water which is dangerous but gives so much pleasure. The blue sky and water, the calm day, the companionable silence, and the feeling of freedom, make this a picture of my wishes for you in 2013. May you have these blessings and more.

In the ancient system of I Ching, water is the symbol in two of the eight basic parts of the hexagram. One is the symbol for Danger, and one is the symbol for Lake, or Pleasure. I love that.

Two kayaks on scenic Bowman Bay, WA

Participating this week at Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Mellow Yellow Monday. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon! If there’s only the one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for the rest of the pretty pictures. Thanks!

There’s a lady not too far from my house who really goes all out with the holidays. She does amazing things at Halloween and July Fourth, as well. But the Christmas display is my favorite. At this time of year, in this northern latitude, we love lights! Below is the view from the road in front of her house, showing the reflection on the top of my car as I steadied my camera, and below that is a closer view which includes Santa in the gazebo. There’s a huge Christmas village inside the home, but we’ll save that for another day. Merry Christmas!

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, and Weekend Reflections. If you’d like to see the latest photos, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks!

Normandy Park, WA holiday lights

Santa waving from the gazebo

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 was at the open house at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle on Friday and it was so cool. That model train they have this year is the neatest thing. I’ll do a photo of that later on, but now I just wanted to share a shot of the prettiest, glitteriest, most festive tree I’ve seen in a long time. Wish this was my tree at home!

Participating in My Romantic Home, Mellow Yellow Monday, Pink Saturday, Weekend Reflections, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, and Ruby Tuesday 2. To see all the recent images, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon!