Jerusalem sage or phlomis is a newer plant in my garden. I love the space-age double flowers stacked vertically. Those are blue-purple campanulas in the background.

Yellow Jerusalem sage or phlomis blooms in late spring, with campanulas

Linking to NF Catching the Light Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Scenic Weekends, Garden Party Thursday, Monday Mellow Yellows, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for browsing around here first!

My pink peonies have begun.

Frilly pink peony petals in close up, in the garden

Linking to Pink Saturday, Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, NF Abstract Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Garden Party Thursday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visit here so very much, and please come back soon!

The pond at Seattle’s Arboretum, at the end of May. As far as I am concerned, you can’t get much more scenic than this.

Tall yellow flowers at the edge of a reflecting pond in Seattle’s Arboretum

Joining up to Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Weekend Reflections, Water World Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, and Saturday Show Off. Enjoy your weekend and please come back soon.

I went in a friend’s backyard recently and what did I see? What a thrill to see a fig tree, covered in a LOT of figs. Yippee! I might get a fresh fig or two this year.

Unripe green figs in mid-May in Seattle

Joining NF Catching the Light Monday, Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday,  Straight out of the Camera Sunday,  I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday,  Garden Party Thursday, and Saturday Show Off. Be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above if you see only one photo above. Thank you for visiting!

My dear friend just got a new place on Camano Island, WA and it has a water view, with the Cascade Mountains and their icecaps in pink splendor.

Sunset view from Camano Island, WA

Linking up with Pink Saturday, Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Skywatch Friday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Weekend Reflections, Water World Wednesday, Blue Monday, and Saturday Show Off. Have a wonderful, scenic weekend!

This sky is from exactly one year ago. I really love this image and I am calling it my weekly Top Shot.

Clouds at sunset, with trees in silhouette

Joining Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Skywatch Friday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting and hope you have a great day.

Sorry for all the flower macros, but so much is blooming now! Here’s a flower I don’t recognize. It was 2 or so inches wide (4-7 cm.) blooming on a large hedge near Alki beach (near Seattle) in May, so it’s not Japanese anemone. Perhaps some kind of hibiscus? I love the delicacy of the folds in the petals. Update: It is a Rockrose (Cistus hybridus).

White single flower with orange and yellow center has creased petals

Joining to Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Garden Party Thursday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here first!

This pretty Oregon iris (iris tenax) was growing in front of a little museum near Alki beach, near Seattle. The flowers are about ankle height and the blooms are 3 or 4 inches across (10 cm. or so). It’s a new one to me.

Purple and white Oregon iris

Participating in a new photo meme, Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, plus Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Garden Party Thursday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting here and be sure to click around and find something new.

This red rose bud (probably ‘Don Juan”) is my first rose of the season. This particular rosebush is grown from a cutting I took at our last house five years ago, and THAT rosebush was from a cutting that a friend rooted for me when I still lived in California. It’s intensely fragrant. Happy rose season to all my friends in the Northern Hemisphere!

Red ‘Don Juan’ rose on own roots blooms in Seattle in May

Joining up at  I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Blue Monday, Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday,Garden Party Thursday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visit here, and come back soon!

These hydrangea leaves make such beautiful patterns in the sunlight.

Hydrangea leaves with saw toothed edges and strong vein patterns in the sunshine

Linking to NF Abstract Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Garden Party Thursday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If only one photo is visible, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog to see the rest, or at least a few of the most recent ones. Thanks!

Here’s another shot of my nextdoor neighbor’s playhouse, with the rhododendrons in bloom. The little girl who lives there is almost two, and is soon to have a baby brother. What a storybook come to life!

Backyard playhouse complete with kid-sized Adirondack chair and rhodies blooming

Joining Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Garden Party Thursday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting and have a great day.

The sunshine got here. The patio plants are so happy. Those purple puffs in back are chive flowers.

Spring sunshine on some potted plants on the patio

Linking up to Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Garden Party Thursday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting and have a great day.