The flowers for sale at Pike Place Market in Seattle, all locally grown, are the most beautiful I have ever seen, anywhere. The only problem I have is that the photos I take are so intense that I have a real problem choosing one to show. A good problem to have.

Here are some zinnias and glads (gladiolus? gladioli?) for your enjoyment.

Joining up at Ruby Tuesday 2, Flower Art Friday, Flowers on Saturday, Weekend Flowers, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Floral Friday, and Mellow Yellow Monday. If there is only one photo below, please click on the Sara’s Fave Photos Blog letters above to see the others.

There are so many kinds of sunflowers these days. I kind of like the old fashioned kind that makes seeds in the middle. This one didn’t grow too tall, but it certainly was doing its thing, seed-wise. A few days later, the birds and squirrels had poked out some of its hypnotic perfection, but so it goes.

Participating in My Romantic Home, Flower Art Friday, Flowers on Saturday, Weekend Flowers, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Macro Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, and Mellow Yellow Monday. If there is only one photo below, please click on the Sara’s Fave Photos Blog letters above. Or maybe do a search for sunflowers in the upper right?

That tea last week was really quite a photo opportunity for someone like me. Flowers, teapots, and shadows everywhere! I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week, but the one below of dusk at Bowman Bay “floats my boat” as well.

View other neat images at My Romantic Home, Flower Art Friday and Flowers on Saturday (new memes for me), Macro Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Flowers, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Floral Friday, Scenic Sunday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. If there’s only one image below, be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to see the whole blog here. Thanks!

One of the members of our local Garden Club does teas so very well. Her deck is just heaven on earth on a lovely summer day. Yesterday she put on one of her famous teas for us, and dressed the tables up so prettily with mini-bouquets in tiny teapots. I love this idea and must get some small teapots to do it, too.

More cool photos at Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Macro Monday, Scenic Sunday, Color Carnival, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, and Ruby Tuesday 2. Thanks for visiting here, and come back soon!

My friend with the pretty hostas can do flowers so well. Here’s a sunshiny shot of the flowers on her shaded deck. Yes, there were cookies and iced tea, too!

Interesting sites for you: Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Color Carnival and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera).

There were some really beautiful moments last week on the Fourth with the clear skies we had. Here’s a peek at how lovely the fireworks looked on a sky not fully dark. All around little Lake Burien (near Seattle) people lit red lights on the shore, and the one near us gave this tree an eerie light.

Visit Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Mellow Yellow Monday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday 2, and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for other interesting images. Thanks for visiting here!

Isn’t this an exquisite planting? Those new, dark petunias, some kind of yellow striped grass, a dark heuchera (pronounced HOOK-er-a) and the sedum with pink edges look so great together. It’s in front of the door at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory. Go see it.

Visit Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, and Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for more neat photos. Also, the dappled sunlight and subtle colors make me happy, so I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week.

That Trader Joe’s parking lot in Burien WA has been the scene of some good sunsets. A big open expanse looking west is sometimes very hard to find. Yay, parking lots! And yay, Trader Joe, too! I love that place.

This sky is kind of pink, kind of yellow, and just peachy to me. Hope you agree.

Check out Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday,  Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Mellow Yellow Monday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), why don’t you?

I just love that late-afternoon light. After MUCH rain and clouds, the sun peeked out the other evening and of course I was out there with my camera. These are mostly ‘Double Delight’ roses, my long-time favorite rose. Very available in nurseries, fabulous fragrance, strong grower. And this image is purely SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera).

This year I am attempting to grow roses without the usual systemic plant food laced with pesticides, hoping that this year I won’t feel the guilt of watching a robin poking for bugs in the soil and hoping the robin is OK. I am using alfalfa meal as a fertilizer this year and so far am very happy with the results.

Other interesting photo sites: Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday,  Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Mellow Yellow Monday and Macro Monday. And do browse around here first. Maybe click a category on the right like “My Garden”? Thanks for visiting!

It’s kind of peony week here. I’ve loved peonies for so many years, and this is the first year they’ve really been truly magnificent in my garden. I’ve been sprinkling dolomitic lime around them, spring and fall, for the past 2-3 years, and with our acidic soil in the Pacific Northwest that has made a huge difference, but they need a certain level of maturity to really take off. Finally! Now I want to have those dark red ones, and the dark, dark wine red ones, too. Maybe a visit to the nursery is in order. I have peony fever.

Visit Scenic Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Pink Saturday, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Color Carnival, and Mellow Yellow Monday. Glad you could visit here today.