flowerful friday

I don't know what these purple beauties are, but to me, they are so summery. Aren't they lovely?

Happy Friday!

~photography by Inside the Pomegranate~

summertime shades of green

There's just something about the many shades of green that pop out in the summertime that I love.  From the lightest to the deepest green hues, there's a green for everyone to enjoy. Here are a few I'm partial to. 

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~photos by Inside the Pomegranate~

flowerful friday

Isn't this a lovely color combination? And the roses smell divine!

Happy Friday!

~photo by Inside the Pomegranate~

a big dose of color

It's one of those days that I feel like a big dose of color to brighten things up. Aren't these lovely?

~photo credits unknown~

a touch of red

A little red goes a long way for a bright punch of color. And a lot of red - when done right - can go even further. All of these images are so different in style and substance, but the presence of a little or a lot of red always creates a pop.

by the Japanese master,
Uemura Shoen (1875-1949)
Aren't these colors beautiful?

what's better than a field of
red poppies blooming in Tuscany?

I love this contrast

~unless noted, image credit unknown~

flowerful friday: a spring bouquet from the garden

I picked these from my garden, and I love the mix of cheerful spring colors. The fragrance is heavenly. 

Happy Friday!

pretty in pastels

Maybe it's because springtime is here, but I've been drawn to pastels lately. These softer hues fit the season of new growth and new blooms perfectly. 

a grove with springtime blooms...lovely!

I love this dress from Anthropologie -
perfectly suited for warmer days

aren't these beautiful?

cool powder blue -
reminds me of all things Jane Austen!

delicate maidenhair fern - spring green & one of my favorites

~unless noted, photo credits unknown~

classic color combination: blue & white

Blue and white are such the classic combination for all things textile, ceramic, and tile. I love this color duo, and here are a few selections I came across which I particularly enjoy.

from Elle Decor

Delft tile

Ottoman, ornate, beautiful - at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

Japanese Shibori

color therapy: yellow

Today was one of those days that the sun is nowhere to be found. With rain, fog, and grey everywhere to be seen, I thought photos of beautiful yellow hues might just add some much needed brightness to the day.

~photo credits unknown~

colors: a sunset over water

I was recently somewhere warm and by the water, and the sunsets were always beautiful - full of shifting colors. I snapped these three photos within just a few minutes of each other. In each one the colors are so different than the next. 

flowerful friday: special edition - inspirational gardens

Today's Flowerful Friday post looks at a few photos of gardens that I find amazingly gorgeous. They are so well designed, and they range from structured modern to bucolic bliss. Wouldn't it be nice to travel to these locations and wander through these spaces in real life and get lost in each garden's unique setting and beauty? For now I'll be sticking to looking at these stunning settings, dreaming, and getting little pieces of inspiration for my own little garden. By the way, you can click onto these images for a larger view. Do you have a favorite?

Happy Friday!

almost gothic like arches, but with a modern flair
filled in with regal purple and verdant green

this could be perfection

wisteria tunnel = heaven?

bucolic bliss

I can only image the fragrance of these roses!

~photo credit unknown~

colorful coleus

While lots of our summer blooms are starting to fade in color, the foliage of coleus still provides so much colorful variety. I snapped these photos while on a walk around our neighborhood. 

There's also this beauty "Coleus in a Flower Pot" by Van Gogh, which perfectly captures the color variegation of a coleus plant. 

Coleus in a Flower Pot from 1886

the colors of sunshine

A quick drawing on my iPad brings about what I think of as the colors of sunshine. I hope these bright hues bring some warmth to your Monday.

inspired

I find myself drawn towards certain colors at different times. Recently, I was really feeling all things violet, from pale lavender to deep merlot, and I can't explain why, but those were the hues I was consistently enjoying. 

My color du jour is blush. Perhaps it's the perfect color for the month of February - I think this is the month we start feeling ready for winter to thaw and spring to appear. So the color blush is inspiring me to keep in mind that spring is just around the corner!

Blush is almost a neutral - not a sugary sweet pink that is delegated to the realm of little girls, but rather it's slightly nude, with a warm touch of apricot. I think this is one of the most flattering colors on everyone - regardless of age, gender, and skin color.

the glow of a chandelier - blush hues

blush colored roses - beautiful!

rothko's "blue, green, and brown"

There's something about Mark Rothko's paintings that I am always drawn to - perhaps it's the simplicity of shape, sometimes subtle and always intriguing use of colors. Here's one of Rothko's pieces, called "Blue, Green, and Brown". To me, this painting reminds me of looking out at the horizon in the evening. What do you see when you look at this Rothko? 

I captured this photo while on the beach in Miami. The sky was dark with clouds rolling in, creating dark shades of blue in every direction. As soon as I saw the little image I captured with my iPhone, I immediately thought of Rothko's painting. 

sky & ocean

color therapy: light blue

Light blue can be both warm and cool. I think of a cloudless summer day and can imagine the heat, and I can think of a cloudless winter day and feel the cold. The latter isn't that hard to imagine, as today fits the bill.

There is something particularly calming about a nice light blue, and I think it's a color that appeals to many. Here are some photos I took of different light blues that particularly caught my attention.  

while on vacation in Turkey

right in my back yard

in Alacati, Turkey

hydrangeas from a flower shop

flowerful friday

Yesterday in Madison we got our 1st substantial snow fall of the season. Everything is gorgeously coated in a crisp white. The tall evergreen that I see outside a bedroom window looks like frosting was magically and most generously applied to it. All of this newly fallen snow makes the garden look quite beautiful once again by tying everything together with bright white. 

This blanket of snow makes me think of white flowers in the warmer months and how they, like snow, can tie everything in a garden together, making for a completely classic look.

a few of my favorites - delphinium,
single and double petaled lilacs,
and hosta flowers

"Peony after the Rain" by me

I'm pretty sure we can't go wrong with a few white
flowers to add an element of brightness
and neutrality to a garden's palette

Happy Friday!