Not everyone knows that if you don’t pick an artichoke when it’s closed up nice and tight, it will open to a beautiful bluish-purple flower.

Artichoke plant blossoms

So great to have you visit; thanks so much!

At a neighborhood event in the park, looked up and saw a boy having fun climbing a tree.

Summer joy is great weather and a tree to climb

Linking to Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. I so appreciate your visiting here first.

The scenic clouds-and-water post below got me thinking about black and white images. Here’s a version of the cosmos flower post below that, in black and white. What do you think? Color, or black and white, for most attractive impact? Which would look best on the wall?

Cosmos flower in the garden, in black and white

Participating in: NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, The Weekend in Black and White, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon.

Everyone loves sunflowers. These big yellow beauties in my garden turn their faces to the sun so nicely.

Rear view of a yellow sunflower against a blue sky

Linking to Skywatch Friday, Scenic Weekends, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Our World Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Thursday Challenge (Yellow),  My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting here and please come back very soon.

In a friend and neighbor’s garden, a late orange daylily, all lit up by the summer sunshine.

Single-petaled, graceful orange daylily showing the shadow of its stamens in the sunlight

Joining up with I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday,  Our World Tuesday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting here and please come back soon.

In a West Seattle friend’s backyard, macro of a flower of a lavatera shrub. What showy, crinkled, ruffled flowers, each one as big as a small apple, and so joyful!

Pink lavatera with red spots in the center.

Linking up to Skywatch Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. If there is only one photo here, please click on the curly letters of Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for more. Thanks so much and see you again soon!

Coneflower, or echinacea, is a beautiful garden perennial and I wish I had some in my garden. This was taken at a local garden tour.

Orange coneflower or echinacea blooms in the July sunshine

Linking up to I Heart Macro Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Macro Monday, Garden Party Thursday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, NF Catching the Light Monday,  Our World Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here and please come back very soon.

Visited my favorite Seattle haunt, the Volunteer Park Conservatory last week. You can see that restoration work is progressing on the Seasonal House on the right. Full project is due to be done in December. Aren’t the outdoor plantings lovely?

Restoration of the Volunteer Park Conservatory is progressing nicely

Joining Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Garden Party Thursday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here first.

Last year at this time my lilies were in full bloom.

Magenta, ruby and pink lilies on my patio against a blue sky

Posting to NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Garden Party Thursday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, Skywatch Friday, Thursday Challenge (Flowers), My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here.

This row of orange-red metal chairs was casting shadows at the Sculpture Park in Seattle. A fine temporary sculpture right here!

Tomato red metal chairs casting shadows at the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle

Posting to NF Catching the Light Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday,  NF Abstract Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. How about a search here (upper right)? Abstract, perhaps?