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.

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We have a “tree” (standard) bougainvillea in a pot that we put on the sunny patio in the summer and bring inside when it gets cool. It’s very sensitive and usually loses all its leaves in protest when it is moved, in or out. This year it forgave us, as I babied it as much as possible. And lo! a flower! They are much pinker in July, but I’ll take it.

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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!

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It rebloomed! I’ve read all kinds of complicated instructions, but they sound like way too much work to me. All I did was keep it in a sunny (south) windowsill and keep watering it with the weak liquid fertilizer in the water that I always use for houseplants (so I don’t have to remember when to do it). Like all bulbs, amaryllis must have great drainage. After the leaves died back I still kept watering it when it was very dry. And lo and behold, a serious flower stalk emerged two weeks ago and now is in full bloom! The only other thing is that they must be inside a heavy pot because they are so top heavy and can easily fall over.

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Spathiphyllum is a very common houseplant and does well with a bit of neglect and in dark spaces. I’m pretty sure that the white part is a bract, or a differently colored special leaf, and the true flower is the pebbly, spiky part. It was one of the very first houseplants I ever got to bloom. This particular one is in the Volunteer Park Conservatory, which is my favorite flower haunt in Seattle.

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On that visit to Trudy’s Floral Design a couple of days ago, I spotted a perfect pink rose in a little vase. Let us all admire the perfection of a rose. Why does it continue to fascinate us so much?

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I have a hanging basket with four Rieger begonias planted in it, and each fall I take it in, it dies back, and in the spring as it starts to come up again, I repot it and put it outdoors. Very easy and successful. The four plants are similar but not the same, so it makes a great display, blooming in mostly shade the way they do. A very good plant!

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Just this afternoon I went out to the rosebed and took this lush image. They are just so lovely to me. I don’t get tired of them and I hope you don’t either.

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There was another one of those garden club district meetings on Wednesday. About 70 people got together for some info, a nice lunch, and a flower show. And I sold books, which was the first time I’ve done that. They bought quite a few, and I was so happy that they liked the book so much. By the way, that special launch pricing on my new book ends pretty soon, so if you are thinking of getting one (or two or three), now’s a good time. It’s called Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory, and perhaps you might “like” the book’s page on facebook?

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Farmers markets are supposed to be all about fresh, healthy, local produce, but I mostly go for the flowers. Buckets of fresh flowers, there for me and my admiring camera. I usually ask if I may take photos, and they almost always say yes. The berries and cherries usually get my dollars, but those flowers fill my (mental and electronic) memory card.

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After a tough winter, most of the roses have come back well. Lots of compost, regular food and water, and frequent tidying up (so I can take photos! and also helps prevent blackspot) make a very satisfying rosebed in front of the house. The neighbors walking by sometimes admire it. It’s a pretty good walking neighborhood, for which I am very grateful. This ‘Oklahoma’ rose isn’t loaded with blooms, but the ones it has are big and fat. And that’s a lavender plant I grew from seed behind it!

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I believe that the name of this rose is Simplicity, but if anyone knows for sure, I would appreciate your letting me know. I saw it in a neighbor’s yard on a walk yesterday. I love this flower, and if that’s the name, it surely is perfect for it.

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Reminder about the free Open House Aug. 4 at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory where I’ll be signing my new book! Hope you can make it.