I have over a dozen rose bushes out front, and I love to look out at them, preferring to leave them where others can also enjoy them. But a big rain is predicted (2-3″ in a couple of days), and I know that it will just beat up and ruin all the opened ones, so what could I do? I had to pick them.

Fragrant roses on my kitchen counter, before a big rain

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Just a year ago, took a quick tour of the Cactus House at Volunteer Park Conservatory, in Seattle. I hope they can open again soon. We all miss it so much. Bonus image below!

Pretty little hen-and-chick succulents (not cactus!)

Bonus image:

Stunning accordian-pleated cactus (also a succulent!). When they have more water, they expand.

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Also called “naked ladies” for their habit of flowering in the summer without their leaves, which appear and disappear earlier in the year. But I think they kind of look like naked ladies anyway, don’t they? At least some pink versions.

In Northern CA where I lived for many years these amaryllis relatives thrived and multiplied on sunny banks, no rain at all in the summer, creating masses of pink bliss every August. I am thrilled that I can get these to bloom at all in Seattle.

Pink Ladies or Belladona flowers are fragrant, too!

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These cheerful yellow perennial sunflowers come back every year, spread in a reasonable manner, bloom when not that much is happening, and look good even under smoky conditions. Seattle’s air is not too good, but it’s better than other places for sure.

Yellow to the max!

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These darling little cyclamen plants bloom in late summer. I think this is Cyclamen colchicum. They like dry shade, quite useful in my Pacific Northwest garden.

Cyclamen colchicum blooming in September

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This is the third box of plums so far, from such a little tree! My neighbor refused an offer of some, saying they are the dandelions of fruit, that he grew up with a couple of trees of them, and was set for life. It made me laugh, but more for me.

Fresh plums, bounty from a tree

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Trying to get my garden well watered ahead of a big heat wave coming up. These small flowered hardy fuchsias bloom so well in the late summer garden.

Hardy fuchsias actually like quite a bit of sun, unlike the other, tender kinds

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My ‘Julia Child’ rose is still blooming its heart out.

Late afternoon sunshine, truly the golden hour for roses

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Finally we’re getting some warm, sunny weather in Seattle. The tomatoes are loving it!

Early Girl red tomatoes, Sungold orange cherry tomatoes, wax beans, a lemon cucumber,  a green tomato that got knocked off the vine, and some Blue Lake string beans, with some cosmos and a chiminea in the background

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Double Delight is one of my top fave roses. Lit from behind, glowing like the star it is.

Fragrant ‘Double Delight’ rose, backlit

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I’m a big fan of planting fruit trees. Even if you’re renting. Ever since I wound up living in one rented home with a huge yard for over ten years, and realized I could have had a whole orchard back there, I’ve planted fruit trees. They do take a long time, but time passes, right? This curl-free peach tree (‘Frost’) is about 4 or 5 years old. There are only a couple of dozen peaches, if that. But they are such heaven!

Fuzzy home-grown peaches, so perfumed!

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If you have never eaten lemon cucumbers, poor you. They are delicious! They are called that because when you let them (over)ripen, they appear the size and shape of lemons, but still taste like regular cucumbers. As a public service announcement I offer the correct stage to pick them. They should have just a tiny hint of yellow starting. Select ones in the store at this color; do not buy if dark yellow. The inner seeds are hardly developed at all. So tender, sweet and crunchy! Rub off the little prickly things and you can even eat the skin at this stage, but I do peel them. Let’s hear it for backyard gardening!

Harvest of lemon cucumbers picked at the perfect time, the first Sungold cherry tomatoes, and some Blue Lake stringbeans

Linking to Through My Lens Monday1, Macro Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, and All Seasons Sunday1. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.