After the first flush of bloom in a rose garden, it’s kind of spotty. Some bushes are totally done, or at least resting, and some, like this magnificent Camelot rosebush, are just exploding with blooms. My rose bed gets some late afternoon light, and have you noticed it’s my favorite?

Peachy pink blossoms adorn a Camelot rose bush in late afternoon light

Linking to Pink Saturday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Garden Tuesday, My Romantic Home, and Fishtail Cottage Thursday. Check out a new tag or category here in the sidebar to the right. Rose, perhaps? Come visit again soon.

Our friends with the gorgeous deck (see post just below) got married on Sunday, and I got to make some bouquets for their backyard ceremony. They have lovely flowers there but it would have been a shame to pick them, and I have so many. Our friends are also neighbors so they strolled over and chose what they wanted, brought the “vases,” and I had fun creating six matching bouquets in a rainbow of bright colors.

Garden flowers getting ready for wedding centerpieces using blue mason jars

See Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Thursday Challenge (Abundance), Water World Wednesday, and Garden Tuesday. Thanks for your visit here!

This photo of my friends’ deck has so much more than geraniums. I want this deck at my home.

White wicker chair invites on a deck with geraniums, fuchsia and hydrangea

Linking to Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Thursday Challenge (Abundance), and Garden Tuesday. Hope you come back soon for more pretty pictures.

The Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle was in fine form last evening. Shall we take a stroll to the water?

Gravel path to the waterfront in the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle

Joining up at Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, and Scenic Weekends. Please do browse around here before you go, and start by clicking on the Sara’s Fave Photos curly letters on top if there is only this one photo appearing. Thanks!

At friends’ garden for their wedding today, a glorious experience. Here are some purple/lavender clematis flowers (about the size of my hand), climbing up a wall.

Purple clematis blooming in a Seattle garden in July

Joining up at Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, and Garden Tuesday. Thank you for visiting here, and please come back soon.

I was late planting the seeds, it’s true, but I hope that the nice warm weather coming up will make these brand new string bean seedlings do their wonderful thing. They were my mom’s favorite vegetable and I think they are right up there with my own top faves. Easy to grow (but need a little heat and sun) and so delicious to eat, just raw from the garden. Hope, hope!

First true leaves of a baby string bean seedling, in the sunshine

Joining Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Hope in Every Season Wednesday (homemaking) and Garden Tuesday. Thanks for your visit here.

These darling sweetpeas are on my patio table. Take a nice, deep breath, now!

Sweetpea bouquet graces an outdoor table

This week I’m linking into Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Macro Monday, Hope in Every Season Wednesday (homemaking) and Garden Tuesday. Thanks for your visit here, and come back soon.

At my friend’s house on the east side of Lake Union, the fireworks on the Fourth were grand (see a few posts down) and to the left of that view from the balcony, we could see all the boats lined up and ready for the fireworks show. See Seattle’s iconic Space Needle in the background.

Boats gather to watch Fourth of July fireworks on Lake Union, Seattle, with the Space Needle all lit up.

Linking to Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, Weekend Reflections and Scenic Weekends. You might possibly click on a new tag or category here before you leave? Thanks so much for visiting and have a great day.

Here’s the rose garden out front. That late afternoon light is so beautiful, and I don’t mind a little lens flare, do you?

Rose garden with curly willow and dark red smoke tree in the background

Participating in Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Scenic Weekends, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, My Romantic Home, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday and Garden Tuesday. Click around here to see what you can find that’s fun. How about the tag My Garden?

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.