Hello blog friends! How are you doing? I hope your week is going well. Come on into my blog space for a coffee or tea. We’ll catch up on what’s new since we last talked about May.
On Friday, Toronto Public Library announced that beginning on Monday, June 8, library users can start reserving times for curbside pick-up of holds at most branches where the service can be safely provided. I’m looking forward to scheduling time to pick up a few books. My default branch is still closed so the library has redirected my holds to another branch. I plan to bike or walk there with my backpack for my book haul.
The weather was great for the first week of June. Daily high temperatures were in the range of 23C to 30C (73F to 86F) with sun, clouds, and some rain. I’ve had several nice walks to local parks and by the lake. So grateful for the beautiful flowers, trees, birds, public art sculpture, and stunning lake views.
On one of my walks, I went on a photo hunt to find and take photos of ten different plants, ideally with flowers in different colours. I’m sharing the results of my photo hunt below. I hope the flowers brighten your day and bring you a smile like they did for me.
Allium
Anemone
Apple blossoms
Azalea
Lady’s Mantle plants
Pasque flowers
Scilla Siberica (or Siberian Squill)
Spurge Fireglow (Euphorbia griffithii)
Tulips
Wild Tulips
Here’s my photo hunt in numbers: 10 photos, 10 plants, 10 colours (purple, white, cream, pink, green, violet, blue, orange, burgundy, and yellow). Proof that plant life has been wonderful here this spring. The blooms beckon bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
I look forward to walking around, exploring what else is blooming, examining the plants from the root to the tip, and taking photos. When I see the beautiful flowers, they make me feel happy and positive. They expand my interests in garden designs and plants as well.
I’m linking up this post with Terri’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, Cee’s Flower of The Day, and other link-ups as listed here.
How did your week go? I’d love to hear your comments.
Copyright © 2024 natalietheexplorer.home.blog – All rights reserved.
Natalie the Explorer 
Hi Natalie! Oh yes, your flowers did brighten my morning. They are gorgeous! My week was good. We’ve had a lot more hummingbird activity, which always makes me happy. Have a great week ahead!
LikeLike
Hi Jill, Glad to hear you had a good week. The birds are very active here, including new little ones, so I can imagine the hummingbirds in your backyard. Have a wonderful week ahead!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Missing our library too. looking forward to the day it re-opens…..mind you I’ll have to take back the books I still haven’t read! Must get on that 🙂
LikeLike
So many good books and so little time to enjoy them all. I dropped off my last borrowed book before the shutdown so I’m starting with a fresh pile of books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You really hit the jackpot with your gorgeous shots of flowers, Natalie! Im happy to hear about your library being “open”! So glad you could share your plant life with Sunday Stills today!
LikeLike
Thank you, Terri, for the opportunity to participate in your Sunday Stills photo challenge. I lucked out with my photo hunt as it’s spring time here. I’ve been able to use the excellent digital services at the library web site. I look forward to picking up my book holds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The weather sounds wonderful! I’m so happy for you that the library is reopening. I’ve been exchanging book with one of my colleagues during this time. Our library is open, but we are directed to keep distances and use the self service as much as possible. Beautiful plants 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Maria, June usually brings good weather and the plants are thriving here. Toronto Public Library has been offering excellent digital services during the shutdown. I look forward to picking up my book holds. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLike
Oh what gorgeous photos of flowers and plants that you have on display, Thanks so much for linking up with my challenge 😀
LikeLike
Thank you, Cee, for your visit and comment. I updated my post to include link to your FOTD. Your photo challenge is fun. I hope to participate again.
LikeLike
Beautiful, Natalie!
LikeLike
Thank you, John and Susan. Hope you’re doing well in Colombia.
LikeLike
Your tulips are gorgeous! Great photos.
LikeLike
Thank you, Jacquie, for your visit and comment. I’ll hop over to your blog shortly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is so lovely to see all the blooming flowers at the moment – it lightens up my day. Hope you are able to organise picking up your books soon.
LikeLike
I’m glad you liked the flower blooms Colline. I look forward to picking up my book holds soon.
LikeLike
Hi Natalie. with your eye for visual art and that camera of yours, you are a image capturing force of nature yourself. Keep them coming.
LikeLike
Thank you, Gary, for your kind comment. I took all the pics with my phone camera and no editing. I think the flower blooms and natural light make the photos look nice 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful, Natalie! I love the apple tree… so much hope and promise in those blooms.
LikeLike
Thank you, Janis, for your comment. I stayed by that apple tree for a while and took all kinds of photos of the blooms 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have some flowering trees at my place, but more because I inherited them and they’re nothing particularly special.
I do like flowers though and bought two (inexpensive – ie. on sale cos they were getting old!) bunches on the weekend which now adorn my living space. They make me smile every time I look at them. They offer a sense of happiness or contentment.
LikeLike
Hi Deb, You made a wise purchase. Fresh flowers always make a space and the recipient feel special.
LikeLike
Thank you for bringing some spring into my Monday! The only flowers I have at present are the teeny tiny white ones on my lemon verbena, some more white ones on my chilli plant, and some gorgeous purple ones on my Holy Basil.
LikeLike
Jo, Your plants and their flowers sound lovely. I try to go see the spring flowers as quick and often as I can. Their life cycle is short. Sometimes they get damaged by wind or heavy rain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Natalie, Who would have thought we would be putting library books and curb-side pickup in the same sentence, four months ago. Life has changed.
The flowers definitely put a smile on my face. All of the photos are beautiful. I continue returning to the Snowdrop anemone clusters. Something so pure and delicate about them.
The other photo I gravitate towards is the clear rain drops on leaves.
I had a lot of small positives this week. It is always about the small things in our day. Thank you for sharing. Have a great week. xx
LikeLike
Hi Erica/ Erika, It’s great to hear you had a lot of small positives this week. Every positive counts and is way better than negatives.
The “curb-side pickup” has become one of the operational methods these days. The book pickup will be my first curb-side pickup, a new experience!
Speaking of curbside, the Snowdrop anemone clusters were planted along a curb and their white blooms were very striking, almost too bright to look. I like the clear rain drops on green leaves, too.
Thank you for dropping by. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful start to my week, Natalie. Thank you! Enjoy your week my friend. #lifethisweek
LikeLike
Thank you, Sue, for your kind comment. Hope your web site and blog changeover is going well. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLike
Hi Natalie just popping back to say thank you for linking up at #MLSTL and have a beautiful week. Blog changeover has gone well. Just a couple of changes to wording here and there and it is all done.
LikeLike
Glad to hear your blog changeover has gone well, Sue. Thanks for hosting MLSTL. Have a great week!
LikeLike
Hi, Natalie – Awesome photos! I thought that each flower shot was my favourite…until I saw the next flower pic. The Queen of the Night’ tullips were particularly stunning.
Glad you will be getting curbside library service soon. I have desperately missed our library (although Amazon was glad to fill in as my book provider)! 😀
LikeLike
Hi Donna, I think Amazon is one of the businesses that has been doing well this year. My book pick-up at the library will be my first curb-side pick up experience! The group of five Queen of the Nile tulips was the only one I saw of that variety this spring. The deep colour just stood out. Glad you liked them.
LikeLike
It’s so good to be allowed to use the library again! I’ve been putting books on reserve online while they’ve been closed – but now we’re allowed to go collect them. Strict distancing is in place, small numbers allowed in with contact details and hand santiser on the way in to help manage it.
LikeLike
Similar procedures here. The curb-side pickup at my library is by appointment only so that should control the numbers.
LikeLike
Hi Natalie – beautiful flowers and I can see that Spring is definitely setting in where you are! Libraries are opening here too and life is getting more normal again – I’m so grateful that we’ve been spared the numbers of sick and dying that other countries have suffered and that our govt is deciding to free things up a little again.
LikeLike
Hi Leanne – Things are opening up slowly here although I’d say that life is still far from the pre-pandemic ‘normal’ for me at the moment.
LikeLike
Hi Natalie – just back for MLSTL and to say that I’ve shared this on my SM (and pinned some of those lovely flowers).
LikeLike
Thank you, Leanne, for hosting MLSTL and sharing. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLike
Thanks Natalie, your flowers did indeed brighten my day! #lifethisweek
LikeLike
Hi Deb, I’m glad they did. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I liked the photo of the anemone against the rock.
LikeLike
Great choice, Frank. There were actually a large group of those snowdrop anemone clusters and their bright white colour really stood out. I didn’t include that photo as it was not a close-up to show more of the flowers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great idea! I love taking walks with a purpose. I am going to try this with my grandchildren. It will be like a fun treasure hunt!
LikeLike
Yes, they’ll be excited to find a ‘treasure’ on the list and it amplifies the fun.
LikeLike
Fab flowers, Natalie 🙂 🙂 Our library has reopened but the English language section isn’t catalogued so you struggle to reserve anything. I’m not up to reading a novel in Portuguese yet, though I suppose I should try.
LikeLike
Hi Jo, We have excellent digital library services so I’ve been able to access books, films, documentaries, etc. online during the lockdown. I look forward to reading physical books again. I hope your library catalogues the English language section soon as that would be very helpful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful burst of colors, Natalie. That tulip has a very interesting color. Fun photo challenge as well. Enjoy your new books from the library!
LikeLike
Thank you, Liesbet. I couldn’t resist taking photos of the deep burgundy tulips. I’m waiting for my appointment to pick up my book holds. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A wonderful set of photos, beautiful flowers. I have a few of those ‘black’ tulips in my garden, I bought the bulbs when we visited Amsterdam. Thanks for your visit and your comment, much appreciated. Have a good week Diane
LikeLike
Thank you, Diane, for your visit and kind comment. I greatly appreciate it. How nice that you got those tulips from Amsterdam for your garden. May is the best time to see the tulips where I live. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLike
The colour of the Tulips is divine!! Lovely shots! #MLSTL
LikeLike
Thanks, Lydia, for your kind comment. Those tulips are beautiful.
LikeLike
I love flowers, Natalie. They always cheer me. Thanks for sharing these. #MLSTL
LikeLike
You’re welcome, Christie. Fresh flowers make our world beautiful.
LikeLike
Oh Natalie these flowers certainly brightened up my stressful morning. So calming so thank you xx #MLSTL
LikeLike
You’re welcome, Bree. Hope your day gets better. Take care.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It has already thanks to your post xx
LikeLike
Very beautiful plants. Lovely. Thanks for sharing them. #MLSTL
LikeLike
Thank you, Patrick, for your comment. I greatly appreciate it. Glad you liked the plants.
LikeLike
I am so happy for you that the library is reopening. Love your gorgeous photos.
Happy Wednesday, Natalie!
LikeLike
Thank you, Veronica, for your kind comment. I’m glad you liked my photos. I look forward to picking up my book holds soon. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLike
Your bright flowers are a sight to see on my wintry day! I believe your unknown flower is a euphorbia.
I am excited to see your corner at ‘My Corner of the World’ this week! Thanks for linking up.
LikeLike
Thank you, Betty, for hosting MCoW and your kind comment. You’re right that the unknown orange flower is Euphorbia griffithii or Spurge Fireglow. I’ll update my post shortly with the name. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLike
Colour in nature…and shapes and textures! What a beautiful collection. So good to see what nature does best…whilst so much of the world is hurting.
This was a much needed stop off to view beauty. Thank you.
Thank you for linking up this week. I have changed my blog’s home page; right hand-side, to note the regular bloggers and blog names who link up for Life This Week. I am very grateful that you are one of those. See you next week when the optional prompt is Kindness. Take care, Denyse.
LikeLike
Thank you, Denyse, for hosting LTW and building a blogging community where I can join and share our weekly ‘news’. I’m glad you liked my flower photos. They help me feel positive and grounded while the world seems to have one upheaval after another. Have a wonderful week! See you on the blog soon.
LikeLike
Absolutely gorgeous! TFS! Visiting from MSTL.
LikeLike
Thank you, Amy. I’m glad you liked my flower collection. Have a great week!
LikeLike
Interesting to see flowers blooming at different times — our tulips are long gone. The weather in Ireland has been really nice, mostly, but this week is a bit dull, and I think it has affected my mood, anyway! Your pics are lovely. #MLSTL
LikeLike
Hi Enda, The tulips here are gone now. We usually have nice weather in June. Already had a couple of hot and humid days but otherwise pleasant with lots of sunshine. I hope the sunny days will return soon to lift your mood. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love your rainbow of flowers.
LikeLike
Thank you, Anne, for stopping by. I’m glad you liked my rainbow of flowers.
LikeLike
Oh I love the results of your photo hunt Natalie! Gorgeous shots! Fantastic too that you’ll be able to collect library books again. The ride there and back will be a lovely outing! xo
LikeLike
Thank you, Min, for your kind comment. I’m glad you liked my photos. I look forward to picking up my book holds. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLike
That’s great about libraries reopening for pick-ups. Lovely pictures and I’m wishing the weather here was like yours!
LikeLike
Yes, I look forward to picking up my book holds. On Wednesday afternoon this week, it felt like 32C here but went back to more normal temperatures the next day. Thank you, Sanch, for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLike
Hi Natalie, thank you for sharing the beautiful flowers. It brightened my morning 🙂 Spring came late here in Massachusetts but it’s here now. I noticed all sorts of flowers yesterday. I might post some on Facebook tomorrow. Such a lovely idea for a post.
LikeLike
Thank you, Debra, for your visit and comment. I’m glad my flower photos brightened your morning. I hope you take photos of the flowers you see in MA. Have a wonderful day!
LikeLike
Hi Natalie, I love the idea of 10 photos, 10 plants, 10 colours! I often take photos of flowers when we’re out walking and I’ve never known what to do with them – I’ve got hundreds! I’m going to take a look at them now and enjoy them again! 🙂 #MLSTL
LikeLike
Thank you, Cheryl, for your visit and comment. I hope you post some of your flower photos as the flora are different in various parts of the world. I often give my walks a theme to make it more fun 🙂 Have a good weekend!
LikeLike
If it helps I think the un-named green plants may be Ladies Mantle, Alchemilla mollis – my mum has some growing in her garden 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, Ruth, for your visit and comment. You’re right that the un-named green plants are Lady’s Mantle plants. I learned something new. I’ll update my post with the plant name.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike