From the other side of the year, a very frilly peony flower in my garden.

Pink and white peony blossom in the June garden

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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

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Before the rain there were some winds. These pretty, late-summer perennial sunflowers were loving it.

Bright yellow petals of perennial sunflowers light up the fall garden

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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.

What a backyard sky!

Swirly pink clouds lit up the sky at sunset last night

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The other evening the sky was spectacular in our Seattle backyard.

Cirrus clouds usually mean rain in a few days, but not this time

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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

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Pink ladies are a kind of amaryllis (amaryllis Belladona) hardy in my zone 8b. I recently removed a tree that was shading these pink ladies and they finally feel like blooming. They are very fragrant. Their foliage comes up in the winter and dies back, but the flower stalks emerge with no leaves in August, which is why they are sometimes called naked ladies. In parts of Northern California you can see fabulous, huge banks of them naturalized along roadsides.

Pink ladies thrive in full sun with sharp drainage, shown in front of iris foliage

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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

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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.

The ‘Julia Child’ rose bush (own root!) is the star of my rose garden. Only a few years old, she is in her second full bloom this season right now. As the petals fade to cream, sometimes edged in pink, they do fall off quite easily, but are so very beautiful that I try to leave them as long as I can so as not to make a mess below.

The butter-yellow flowers fade to cream as the blossoms open fully

Linking with 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, 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.