A trip down memory lane, to the other side of the year, the other side of the country…these huge flower balls are marvels of fantasy as well as engineering and horticulture.

Magical flower balls at Longwood Gardens, outside Philadelphia PA

Connecting with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Garden Affair Saturday, Pink Saturday and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

NOTE: Just updated this post, the tag had said it was tillandsia paleacea but an expert said no, it’s a caerulea. I checked on google images and they are correct! I’ve had this air plant for several years on this north window sill in Seattle. Sometimes some other tillandsia plant stems just seem to appear in the bowl, but I never see them attached. I basically ignore it, soak when I can remember. Over two months ago (!!) a long flower stem emerged. This week a tiny, delicate flower finally showed, and it’s very fragrant! Wow and wow.

Fragrant purple flower about half an inch wide of tillandsia paleacea, with one or two more blooms to come

Bowl of tillandsias, one tall spike finally flowering

Pretty gray-green color of tillandsia air plants

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

The dark weather in Seattle does kind of get to me at this time of year. But we must keep smiling!

Collection of smiley-themed items at the Puyallup Fair in Washington, several years ago

Connecting with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, and Pink Saturday. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

An exciting thing happened. Someone sent me a gift of 11 air plants! I’ve kept some air plants alive for a few years so I’m pretty sure I know what to do with them, but I’m hoping these don’t need unusual care. What I know to do is soak them for half an hour once a week (upside down so their little butts are in the air), shake off excess water, and keep on a bright windowsill with lots of air circulation. Makes sense, right? Anyone out there know what kinds these are? I’ve included a picture with numbers to help you tell me what’s what if you know. Thanks in advance!

All probably some kind of tillandsias???

Know any names? Please post in comments. Thanks!

Also on Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

Not this year’s roses, but picked exactly at this time of year. Every year I reward myself with an autumn bouquet.

Mixed roses in a glass vase, an October symphony

Connecting with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Garden Affair Saturday, and Pink Saturday. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

I thought our grapevine was Interlaken but the tag is gone. The internet seems to think Interlaken grapes are golden, not red. Well, I don’t know. Our vine struggled for years, very low production, but early this spring we finally cut down a couple of very nearby apple trees that were not producing what we liked and were shading the vine. What a difference! This year for the first time we have some grapes to eat. Yummy!

Red table grapes ripening in early October in Seattle zone 8b

Connecting with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Garden Affair Saturday, and Pink Saturday. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

Yesterday I picked all the open roses ahead of the big rain expected tonight. When I cut roses I always bring a clean bucket with a couple of inches of water into the rosebed. As soon as I cut a stem I put it in the water so it doesn’t dry and seal up. Then right before arranging I cut the stems again while each stem is in a bowl of water in the sink, at a deep slant. It really helps them last longer in the bouquet. I love my roses.

Full blown garden roses, ready for a bouquet

Connecting with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

We got maybe a tenth of an inch of rain, more than the entire summer here in Seattle! But a big rain is coming in a couple of days, thank goodness, maybe two inches over a few days. The garden is so thirsty. If you grow roses, pick them and enjoy a bouquet if a big rain is coming. No sense in letting them get ruined and go to waste.

Water droplets on the petals of a half-open Peace rose in my garden

Connecting with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Garden Affair Saturday, and Pink Saturday. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

I did a good job planting my Early Girls (and Sungolds) and they were watered well. So sweet!

Red, ripe, shiny tomatoes and stringbeans harvest

Also at Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

I have a south window and this time of year in Seattle I start to get direct sun. Two small baby cactus plants went and had babies of their own!

Tiny baby sprouts of cactus around mama cactuses. Their little spines!

Also on Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

The days are getting shorter. A view of my backyard in the late afternoon light. Love those leek flower balls!

The golden hour, with leek flowers

Linking to Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Skywatch Friday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.

I never tire of close ups of beautiful flowers and hope you enjoy them as well.

Lavender Japanese anemone flowers in my garden

Appearing as well on Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Tuesday Treasures, Wordless Wednesday, My Corner of the World Wednesday 1, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, Garden Affair Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Thanks so much for visiting here and hope to see you again soon. Please sign up at upper right for notifications of new posts.