The sun was out! Our five-graft plum tree in the back is popping into bloom! This is its second year so we might get a plum or two. I love the idea of five different plums on one dwarf tree. Jars of jam, here I come!

Young plum tree opens white blossoms in the sunshine

Participating this week in My Romantic Home, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Thursday Challenge (Spring), and Macro Monday. Thank you so much for stopping by here, and hope it’s Spring where you live. 

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.

The big NW Flower & Garden Show opens next week in the Convention Center in Seattle. My daughter Lila and I have been working furiously to get ready. Come see us in booth 2806! Here’s the facebook page. We will have many, many sparkling glass tile jewelry pretties, plus stunning photo prints (see a few posts down), and of course, lots of my “Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory” books. If you go, be sure to order tickets online before Feb. 19 for a $4 discount.

Here is a photo of classic yellow daffodils I took at last year’s show. We love the early taste of Spring that this show gives us.

Golden daffodils at the NW Flower & Garden Show in Seattle

Today I have the honor of having a few more of the photos I took at the NWF&GS on Today’s Flowers. Thank you so much, Denise. I am in very good company.

Also participating in Monday Mellow Yellows, Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Monday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, and NF Blo-Ma Tuesday. Stop by and visit for some lovely images.

This soft pink hellebore, or helleborus, flower, was in a Garden Club flower show. Aren’t they just the most romantic flowers? And blooming in early February, to boot. The ones in my garden are not this far along, but they’ll get there.

Pretty pink hellebore at a Garden Club flower show

Participating at Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Photog Friday, Catching the Light Monday, and Macro Monday. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for more photos. Thanks so much for visiting, and hope to see you again 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.

Now that it’s a go with us exhibiting at the NW Flower & Garden Show in Seattle (come see Love That Image in booth 2806!), I’m having a lot of fun browsing through my photos from the last few years. I love that show, even if the garden exhibits are extremely dark, I guess to keep the plants from wilting or something. It does make photography a challenge, since many of us prefer natural light, and I find tripods so annoying. The solution is a camera that can take photos in low light. I use the Canon Powershot S95, now kind of outdated, but it works pretty darn well for a tiny thing that fits in my front jeans pocket. Be sure and download my Seven Secrets at right for tips on better photos, all with just a regular, simple camera.

A perfect bouquet of apricot roses at the NW Flower & Garden Show

Participating in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows and a new meme, Photog Friday. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the other images here. Thanks for dropping by and have a Happy New Year!

My sweet sister-in-law in Connecticut just sent me the prettiest photo, snapped with her phone. I love it and hope that you all enjoy it, too.

Pine branches, pine cones, and a candle. Merry Christmas!

On my visit to Port Orchard, Washington last week, of course I had to look at the boats and reflections at the water there. A gull was so helpful in flying by right as I was taking a photo. Thanks, little gull!

Participating in Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Camera Critters and Weekend Reflections. To see all the latest photos, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!

Seagull and a cloudy sky in Port Orchard, WA

Today I went to meet up with a dear friend in Port Orchard, WA (Hi, Marsha!) and she drove me to this scenic pier in Manchester, the next town over. Even in the rain, or maybe especially in the rain, I liked the feeling of being able to walk off into the distance. But it was cold out there!

This week I’m participating in Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Skywatch Friday, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Weekend Reflections, and A Piece of Heaven. If there is only one photo below, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog, above. Perhaps try a search like “pier” to see some other neat watery photos. Thanks for visiting, and please come back soon.

Winter in Seattle, so far north, can be challenging when the light is so reduced. But the good part of the low-angled sun is that when it actually is sunny, the light streams in the south windows and makes marvelous shadows. This is my kitchen counter the other day. I love this image and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week. Thanks for stopping by!

Participating in SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Shadow Shot Sunday 2, My Romantic Home, Mellow Yellow Monday, Macro Monday, and Ruby Tuesday 2.