The beautiful calla lilies are beginning to bloom. Something took a bite out of that leaf!

A perfect white calla lily

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This is what’s commonly called a Christmas cactus, but it’s really a Thanksgiving cactus, or schlumbergera truncata, not a regular cactus. This year, this one is acting more like a Valentine’s Day cactus! When growing them, treat them more like a regular houseplant and don’t let them get super dry, before you soak the soil.

Such showy, iridescent, magenta and white flowers, on this Thanksgiving cactus in bloom.

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Such a cute fish hook little cactus! Be careful, though. The white fluffy stuff is a kind of sunscreen and protects the cactus from wind and water evaporation, too.

Little pink flowers with yellow centers decorate this small fish hook cactus. Careful!

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A summer photo for you, in winter mode.

Simple June peony blossom

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A new kind of decor bulb for me, an amaryllis in a wax jacket, all ready to go. No planting, no watering, all inside the bulb! How magical is that? We chose a large bulb and were rewarded with two flower stems.

White amaryllis flowers bloom from a waxed bulb

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Tonight is the year’s longest night in the Northern Hemisphere. In Seattle, today was only eight hours long. But now the light returns! Today is Winter, but we move onwards every day towards the Equinox, and Spring.

The shortest day of the year means the darkest times are behind us.

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You can tell by the points on the leaves that it’s actually a Thanksgiving cactus, not a Christmas cactus. It actually bloomed right on time this year. Make sure you take care of them more like regular houseplants, don’t let them roast in the sun or get super dry like regular desert cacti.

Thanksgiving cactus blooms in the late fall sunlight. Magenta with white flowers are so showy.

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The early sunshine the other day was so beautiful. The peach tree leaves were still brightly colored.

Snowy morning scene in my backyard, sun peeking through the huge cedar tree

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These are some of my very favorite roses, with their sweet and spicy scent. You can see the color varies from bloom to bloom.

Brilliantly colored Double Delight roses live up to their name

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In a local Seattle park, I saw a different kind of hosta that’s only starting to bloom right now in mid-August, much later than mine at home nearby. The starry white flowers had a sweet fragrance.

White flowers and unopened buds grace this sweet smelling hosta

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Late afternoon light on the patio. Such sharp shadows!

Sweet alyssum and red geranium flowers on my patio

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The deeply colored stargazers look good this year, with the red and orange daylilies as a backdrop.

Speckled and glorious stargazer lilies bloom in my garden

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