Before the fires in British Columbia, Canada started making Seattle air so smoky (see post below), last week saw sunny skies in Seattle. Here is a photo of one of my favorite places in the world, Volunteer Park Conservatory, at the end of the day. The outside plantings this season are especially gorgeous, and these photos don’t do them justice. Love that purple and chartreuse! Bonus flowerbed close-up image below.

The east wing of the Conservatory, with some HUGE gunnera leaves outside.

Tones of purple and yellow-green adorn flowerbeds at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle

Connecting up with Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, and Pink Saturday. If only one photo is showing, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see a few more. Thanks for visiting!

Magnolias seem to be beautiful in all stages. This one has lost one petal.

Japanese magnolia blooming in Seattle garden in April

Joining Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Floral Bliss Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Pink Saturday. Thanks for your visit here and hope to see you again very soon.

Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory has such showy coleus plants, looking so much like flowers.

Frilly purple and chartreuse veined coleus leaves, with cineraria in the background

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These darling checkered tulips (not really, but that’s what they’re sometimes called) were enjoying a beam of sunlight at the recent NW Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, WA. #NWFGS

Fritillaria, or checkered tulip, can be seen in antique still-life paintings, and is easily grown in Pacific NW

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We’ve had a LOT of rain. Here are some lilac leaves in my front yard.

Colorful leaves dripping in the rain in the Pacific Northwest

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Just a few short weeks ago, on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

Leaves throw sharp shadows against an old tree trunk

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In Seattle, it’s remarkable how close to the calendar the turn of the season feels. This week begins Fall, and sure enough, the trees are coloring up quite nicely.

Yellow leaves decorate a puddle showing their former tree-mother, against a blue sky

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We went camping at Staircase campground in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. It was beautiful.

Logs, river stones and late summer tree reflections in the north fork of the Skokomish River

Joining up at Our World Tuesday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, Wednesday Waters, Photo Friday, Scenic Weekends, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off. If you see only one photo here, please click on the curly letters of Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for a few more. Thanks!

At a spectacular private garden in Shorewood, south of Seattle. The garden’s owner thought it needed so much work. Gardeners!

Purple sage and tall pink sedums in this brilliant flower border in late August

Joining Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Photo Friday, Floral Friday, Skywatch Friday, Today’s Flowers, Scenic Weekends, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off. If you see only one photo here, click on the curly letters of Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for a few more. Thanks!

Green, unripe grapes on the vine. These will be purple when they are ripe. Perhaps the red stems are a hint of that?

Unripe grapes in the August sunshine

Joining Our World Tuesday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Photo Friday, Floral Friday, Friday Greens, Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. If you see only one photo here, click on the curly letters of Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for a few more. Thanks!

A place like no other, in the late afternoon light yesterday.

Tall canna lilies in the floral border at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory

Linking to Our World Tuesday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Photo Friday, Floral Friday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Skywatch Friday, Today’s Flowers, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit, and please come back soon!

Lettuce doesn’t like too much hot weather, which will make it bolt (center part gets taller pretty quickly to set seed). If it bolts it becomes bitter and not very good to eat. If you harvest it as soon as you see it’s beginning to bolt, it will still be delicious. Try a leaf to see. If you have a lot of lettuce plants and want to extend your harvest time, it will last for weeks in the fridge IF you pull it out roots and all, shake and rinse off the dirt with a hose, shake off extra water, and put it in a plastic bag closed with a twist tie. You can eat fresh salads for weeks.

Different lettuces in the garden almost ready to harvest

Joining up with Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Friday Greens, Photo Friday, Pink Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. If only one photo shows on this page, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see a few more.