Views of Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula. . .and beyond
One of spring’s most welcome sights are the flowering trees around town. They explode with dramatic color along roads and in yards. Maybe I’m expecting too much but they move from blossom to leaf entirely too quickly.
The color in the flowering cherries is so welcome after a drab winter. But any sort of flowering plant is cause for celebration.
Balboa Park in San Diego, Ca is a fabulous place to wander and take in a 100+ year-old vision of the world. As the site of the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition it’s filled with architectural beauty at every turn and a great place to walk.
The Botanical Building was built in 1915 and is one of the world’s largest wood lath structures. I wasn’t sure what to expect inside.
Immediately inside the doors we were greeted with a display of orchids that made my heart go pitter-pat.
We were in for a treat. Inside the building was a big, lush display of cymbidium orchids and we couldn’t have timed our visit better. They were at their vibrant peak.
Two big groupings massed dozens of plants.
The building contains more than 2,000 permanent tropical plants but, for me, this visit was all about orchids and they were a knockout.
I took this shot recently while we were away. I’ll tell you more about our travels starting tomorrow.
If you’ve been out and about lately it’s hard to miss: Valentine’s Day. Safeway was all decked out and ready to go yesterday. Kristi, the floral manager, has outdone herself. She’s got your sweetie covered if you’re looking for a little something.
If flowers don’t do it, there are balloons and more balloons. And candy. And even little stuffed animals.
And if romance is not in the picture, head over to the produce department. Buy yourself an apple and congratulate yourself that you’re not overdoing it on chocolate.
There I was thinking the rose I found last month was the last of them. I found this one the other day. Need I mention we’ve had snow and countless nights of frost? I’m reevaluating my opinion of the frailty of roses.
This shot at Butchart Gardens took on an almost painterly mood. There are no editing effects here.
Fuschias are one of the magical flowers I remember from my childhood. They grow beautifully in California but are less abundant because of our colder winters in Washington state. They are massed in profusion at Butchart Gardens but this dainty pair caught my eye.