From my backyard, the other day. I already pulled up the forget-me-nots since then. They fill in so well, looking great when not much else is blooming, but then a certain point is passed, and out they go. No problem with new plants volunteering for next year, of course, perhaps even too vigorously reseeding, but when you have a big place to fill up, these do a fine job. And the dutch irises seem to be quite easy, as well, returning now for the third time and more than I planted. Gardening is so fun when it works out well.

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I hope you are not tired of water droplets on leaves. It’s a theme around here. I keep getting excited and get out there right after a rain to get a good photo of those raindrops decorating everything. I’ve gotta have something to keep me going in this weather.

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, and Wordless Wednesday if you like memes, or photos with a theme. And if you use the search in the right corner, you can find all sorts of interesting photos here. Maybe try raindrops? Do click on the banner above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to see the latest photos here. Thanks for visiting!

I love tulips! And shadows! And sunshine! Tulips are pretty much done by now, but I found this photo I took almost two weeks ago and knew I couldn’t wait til next year to share it. And I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week, too.

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There’s a garden meme called Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, and each month on the fifteenth people post what’s blooming in their garden that day. It’s quite a show. Some posts give me such spring-weather envy I cannot tell you. We are having serious warm-weather delay in Seattle, with the coldest April on record and heading that way for May, too. But occasionally there are dry spells, and if it hits 60 degrees F we are so happy!

This large Blushing Lady tulip didn’t bloom at all last year and I thought she was dead, but she sent up two (out of 6 bulbs) flowers after taking the year off and I do love this tulip. I’ve learned that you mustn’t plant things that need watering over them for the summer, because it causes the bulbs to rot. So much for that garden plan. I’ll have to find a spot that I don’t want to plant in the summer for next year, and plant new tulips there.

Behind the tulip are rust-colored wallflowers and to the left are red rhododendrons.

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One of my favorite things about belonging to a local garden club is that every 3 months they all get together and bring flowers to show (“hort” as it’s known, or horticulture). I don’t care about the ribbons they award, but this particular venue has a skylight over the display tables and the effect on a sunny day can be dazzling. I think this kind of peony is called a single form, but I am no expert. I only wish I had grown it in my own garden, but at least I can take a photo—and share it with you!

Today, I have the honor of being Guest Friend on Today’s Flowers and you might hie on over there to see some magnolia photos I took last week in my backyard. Plus many other lovely blooms from around the world, with a new thumbnail linky!

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At the Skagit Tulip Festival on my birthday earlier this week, of course I took many photos. Naturally! The light was quite overcast, which is not my favorite for photographing flowers, no matter what the experts say. They just seem so much more exuberant in the sunshine, or maybe I’m projecting. But you do get lots of detail in the color. I admit I needed to tweak this one a bit to bring up the liveliness of it. Hope you like it.

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Took this in the ever-present rain a couple of weeks ago. I like the jewel tones of the colors and think I might do something like this in my garden next year. Doesn’t the daffodil look like it’s holding its arms up?

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Finally a weekend day with sunshine! Yesterday I had such a happy half hour down there with the camera and the flowers blooming; these days it’s mostly too wet to even see them up close. Photo tip: Put your camera on its flower setting and get down there to get some background in that will be blurry. Simple but effective.

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I’m pretty pleased with this bouquet because the flowers are from my garden, and with the current wintery, so-called Spring we are having, I need all the bright and cheery I can get. Also, the rhododendrom blossoms have been forced. I learned you can do this one year when I had to cut back a big old rhodie before it bloomed, and there were all these branches lying on the ground. The flower buds were showing just a touch of color, and I thought, why not? I put them in water and was amazed to see them open fully and perfectly.

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This is from this time last year. We are so not up to fields of blooming tulips yet with this cold and wet spring. Soon there will be real spring weather but until then, let us gaze upon the glory of tulips!

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more photos with red in them. Color Carnival, Macro Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday, and Today’s Flowers are great, too. I wish there was a meme for sunshine. Someone? Don’t forget to click on Sara’s Fave Photos if there’s only one photo showing here.