Yum!

This variety of heuchera (coral bells) is stunning!  I love all the different shades and hues on the same plant.  If I can figure out how to keep the deer from eating these, and the elk from pulling them out of the ground (and then spitting the plant out because it doesn't taste good) I am going to get some for my garden.  Color all year!!

Pretty in Pink

It's rhodie season!  I love the way the Pacific Northwest bursts into bloom when the rhodies open up.  They come in all shades--reds, purples, lavenders, but I love the pinks.  I know--can't stand pink anywhere else but in the garden there is something magical about it.

 

To me, rhodies are the Southern Belles of the garden, in their layered ruffled flounced fancy dresses, each one trying to outdo the other in a tasteful, lady-like way.

 Love this variety...the buds open dark pink, and then fade to lighter pink to white as the flower ages.  A full rhodie in bloom in gorgeous, with several different shades of pink all at one.

Can't Help Myself

It's been rainy, but it stopped for a bit the other day, with a sun break (!).  Here I am, getting in my car at the grocery store, and I made the mistake of looking down.  How can I resist?  The angle of the light really emphasized the 3-D aspect of the oil drops.  The person waiting to pull into the parking spot did not look as thrilled as I was.

Blue on Blue

The Color Challenge this month at 2Peas is Blue.  How much bluer can you get than delphiniums and hydrangeas?  Hydrangea blue is one of my favorite shades.

 Look at the texture in these petals.  Love love.

Centered

This is why I have a camera in my purse---for little beauties like these!

The Benefits of Rain

It's rained almost all week.  Except for 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there, it's been wet, damp, drizzly, misty, and everything in between.  BUT!  Rain means raindrops, and when it stops, I scurry outside to see what I can find.

Spring at Temple Square

I was so glad to see that there were still plenty of planting full of tulips and spring blooms.  It was a gloriously warm spring day, with sunshine and a breeze that kicked up just enough to keep you comfortable.  I only had my little purse-size P&S, but sure glad that I did!

 I love pink flowers.  It's funny, because in any other form I can't stand pink, but in the garden--I love it!  These tulips with just a soft hint of salmon on the inside of the petals were stunning.

 Loved the way this variety opened out, with the outer petals almost becoming horizontal.  Plus, the subtle variegation is lovely!

 I have never seen this variety of tulip before and I LUST after it!  The soft shade, the shape of the petals, the (in some cases) dual color scheme...I want this one!  Too bad the planting beds weren't labeled.

I Love to See the Temple...

 Being in a skirt and heels made it a little tricky to get down and get the angle I needed.  I was a hazard to all the people walking by...but I was glad to get the temple with the tulips in the foreground.

 The best-laid plans...  I knew the shot I wanted exactly, and I was so happy that it wasn't windy, because that meant the reflecting pool would be calm and still.  It was.  What I hadn't planned on was the construction area directly in front of the pool where I wanted to stand for my shot.  Had to make do.  I would've loved to have been back further and gotten more of the temple in the photo, and reflection, but the construction equipment and backhoes just didn't give me the feel I was after.

The View Below

Flew to Utah the week before last to visit friends; I LOVE flying past Mt. Rainier and having chosen the correct side of the plane.  Thank goodness it was a sunny day!  I can't believe people climb this!

At the Pool

Waiting at swim lessons for the grands....the reflections on the surface of the pool caught my "abstract eye".  Almost as good as being at a marina!

Colorful

Love this display of peony-flowered tulips.  All those layers of petals are so decadently lovely, and the red and yellow blooms in there are the spice to the sauce.

Saw this beauty at my local Ace Hardware.  May have to go back and get the pot and have this blooming all summer long.  I LOVE the dual color scheme of this calla.

The Colors of Spring

Unfurling

Ahhh...I love this time of year when the ferns are unfurling!  There are several different varieties in the woods around my house, and I love seeing the intricacies of the new growth.

 

 

Drip Drop

The clarity of the image in the drop really depends on the shape of the drop....

 

just right...

too elongated...(but fun nevertheless)

Yes, it's raining again...

Mixed seasons

I was at our little local nursery a couple of days ago, and love the mixed message of this photo.  A little left-over snow from the surprise earlier this week--the top of the mountain is high enough that it is still cooler up there.

Shy Beauty

Droplets

Something good has come from the rain!