Last week at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show I was lucky enough to see and photograph the exquisite bouquets in the daylit lobby area. I think that this year they were exceptionally beautiful. When you have such a stunning subject, it’s not too hard to make a really good photo (if I do say so myself!). As I always say, it’s not the camera. For some common-sense tips on how to take better photos that are not dependant on a fancy, expensive camera or complicated settings, you are welcome to download my “7 Secrets to Better Flower Photos” on the right.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you! This floral image expresses love and perfection to me. I hope you enjoy it. And even though not many people have commented yet on it, I love this image and I am calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, Mellow Yellow Monday, Thursday Challenge (Love), Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Friday and Pink Saturday for other interesting and beautiful photos. Have fun! If you’ve arrived via a link and there is only the one bouquet photo below, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner to see the entire blog. Thanks for visiting!

All my photos lately are of ice or other winter subjects, and I’m tired of it. Let’s have some summer sun! These picotee (different color on the petal edge) gladioli, or glads for short, were in my garden early one August, just about six months away from today. That means our Australian friends are seeing these for real! Our day will come, of course. Just you wait.

Lots of fun things to see at Mellow Yellow Monday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Pink Saturday if you love photography. Isn’t the internet wonderful? If only one photo is below, do click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner on top to see the whole deal here.

I need to see some flowers blooming, so a trip to the archives from June 2007 is just the thing. Double Delight might be my favorite rose. It’s sturdy, available in nurseries everywhere, and supremely fragrant. Let us gaze on this image of summertime! It will get here, we know. And for you “down under” folks, hope you are enjoying your time in the sun.

Do check out Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Color Carnival and Pink Saturday to see excellent pictures from around the world. Try something new here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, if you have a moment.

This cheerful cactus houseplant blooming on my windowsill is very happy, and making me happy in the process. It’s called hatiora (ha-tee-OR-a) or Drunkard’s Dream because the teensy cactus stems sometimes look like bottles. The flowers are only a quarter inch or a centimeter.  I call it a matchstick plant, but that’s incorrect. I actually have several plants, for one reason or another, and this is the only one blooming, and it’s covered in blossoms. I guess in the northern Seattle lattitude, full southern exposure is the way to go.

Why don’t you check out Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for some great pictures around the world. Find lots more interesting photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

I know we’ve barely started winter, but I saw a tiny bulb shoot today! So naturally I’m dreaming of spring. Here’s a pretty pair of May tulips for you, under a neighbor’s tree just leafing out. I can dream, can’t I?

Check out Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Floral Friday, Color Carnival and Mellow Yellow Monday for lots of fascinating photos around the blogosphere. Find lots more searchable photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos here or above.

Another photo from my daughter, travelling in S.E. Asia. When my mother lived in South Florida and actually grew bananas (she “fed” the grass-clipping mulch with cut-up kitchen vegetable scraps and had the only fruiting banana plant in her neighborhood) I was amazed to learn that bananas grow pointing upwards. Somehow I had always assumed that the fingers pointed downwards.

Visit SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Color Carnival, and Mellow Yellow Monday for interesting captures on a theme (photo memes). Before you go, check out a new theme or tag here, and thanks for visiting. Remember you can always see the full blog by clicking on the banner Sara’s Fave Photos.

Peruvian lilies (alstroemeria) look so good, and I thought you might like to revisit some summer flowers from my garden. Aren’t the little red lines cool? They are very easy to grow but can take over. Right now I don’t care and just want color and sun!

Check out Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday,  and Mellow Yellow Monday for endless photo fun. Browse around here by clicking on the banner Sara’s Fave Photos to see the whole collection.

There’s a family not too far from me that really goes all out in holiday decor. The years that this address makes it into the newspaper holiday light guides the cars are double-parked outside, but this year no one called it in, so we were able to enjoy it in peace, you might say. See Santa waving? This is only a small part of the display. I love  over-the-top shows like this, don’t you?

A very merry Christmas and holiday celebrations of all kinds to you.

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Driving across the 520 bridge towards Seattle the other day, I was wowed by this sunset setting up. I so wished I could pull over and wait for the pink clouds that I knew were to follow. This slice of sunlight is pretty cool, though, even though the photo quality is low. A fitting post for the Solstice, almost here. The sun will return!

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The other night at the lighting ceremony at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory, there was magical harp music. In that mysterious and romantic environment, it only sounded more beautiful, if that is possible, than harp music usually does. Wish I had a video of it, but I’m a still camera kind of gal, at least so far.

I like the special mood of this photo and I’m calling this my Best Post of the Week.

Take a peek at Thursday Challenge (Light), Color Carnival, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Ruby Tuesday, Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, all tons of fun photoblog memes. Before you go, be sure to try a new tag or category here at Sara’s Fave Photos, just for a lark.

I don’t know much at all about orchids other than that the flowers last so long it makes their high prices almost sensible. Here’s one in a florist shop that really excites me. Green and pink is one of my fave color combos, especially in flowers. If only they had fragrance, but I guess with looks like this, who needs perfume?

Visit the NEW Shadow Shot Sunday 2 for more creative shadows from around the world. Also Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Ruby Tuesday and Floral Friday are worth a visit. Check out something new at Sara’s Fave Photos before you go, why not?

I was at the lighting ceremony at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory last night, and it was exciting to see that amazing structure outlined in lights. I had never been there at night and it was strange to see “my” beloved flowers and plants in the almost spooky shadows. Of course I had to take a photo anyway. Here’s a pretty poinsettia for you, and the lights!

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday and Macro Flowers Saturday for other neat photos around the world. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog here, and thanks for visiting!