111 :: Sunflower

Jaana: A field of sunflowers greeting the passers-by.

Kia: A humble and solitary sunflower growing in the walled garden at Blair Castle.

103 :: Thistledown

Jaana: Thistledown of the Creeping Thistle.

Kia: Thistles are still beautiful when they turn into soft feathery pillows.

99 :: August Scenery

Jaana:  August continued to treat us with sunny days and warm weather. It's been such a beautiful summer. Today the length of day is 15h 10m, sunrise at 5:43 AM, sunset at 8:53 PM.

Kia: August has been mainly cloudy, but everyone is still trying to enjoy the last few days on summer. Today the length of day is 14h 10m, sunrise at 6:14 AM, sunset at 8:24 PM.

How did August look like in your corner of the world? Do share by leaving a link to your photo!

A reminder of how our sceneries looked like in July, June, May, April, March, February and January.

98 :: Garden Flowers

Jaana: Monkshoods are currently in full bloom. So beautiful!

Kia: The Purple Coneflower seems to stay beautifully upright no matter what the wind and rain does to it.

96 :: Flower Pot

Jaana: A humble little flower pot with geraniums in Hailuoto.

Kia: A rich flower pot display decorates a cottage in the village of Luss.

93 :: Thistle

Jaana: The quite diminutive looking Creeping Thistle is one of the most common thistle species in Finland. It is largely considered a troublesome weed, esp. by farmers.

Kia: The Thistle is a humble wildflower which most people consider an annoying weed. The prickly-leaved, purple-flowered Scotch Thistle is, along with tartan, perhaps the most identifiable symbol of all things Scottish.

92 :: Heather

Jaana: Heather has been blooming lusciously this summer.

Kia: Heather growing on the sea cliffs of Isle of Skye.

Thank you for the 10.000+ pageviews! Don't forget that we'd still love to see your take on the themes, so do share the link to your photo with us when you've posted it. Thank you!

91 :: July Scenery

Jaana: July was more cloudy and cooler than June, but towards the end of the month we got to bathe in warm weather again. Today the length of day is 18h 26m, sunrise at 4:10 AM, sunset at 10:36 PM.

Kia: July has been mostly sunny and dry, a proper summer month. Today the length of day is 16h 06m, sunrise at 5:20 AM, sunset at 9:26 PM.

A reminder of how our sceneries looked like in June, May, April, March, February and January.

90 :: Field Flowers

Jaana: Yellow and pink have been the colors of July. In this case, Goldenrod and Fireweed.

Kia: The native Spotted Orchid is Scotland's most widespread wild orchid. Its pale purple spikes can be admired in July.

82 :: Cottage

Jaana: A little red cottage to rent at a camping site.

Kia: One of the picturesque cottages in the village of Luss, on the west bank of Loch Lomond.

80 :: May Scenery

Jaana: Spring took so long to arrive this year that it hardly had gotten here when summer already stepped in. Today the length of day is 20h 2m, sunrise at 3:03 AM, sunset at 11:06 PM.

Kia: The early-starting but slow-developing spring of this year has provided us with an unusual flower display for the end of May. Today the length of day is 16h 55m, sunrise at 4:47 AM, sunset at 9:42 PM.

A reminder of how our sceneries looked like in April, March, February and January.

Today marks the start of our second year with Finland vs Scotland, so happy 1st anniversary to us! As always, we'd love to see your take on the themes as well, so keep posting your links in the comments to share bits and bobs of your country with us, will you. Your suggestions for future themes are also welcome (scroll down the page for a list of labels to find out what we've already done). If there is something particular you'd like us to show you about Finland and Scotland, do let us know and we'll try to make it happen.

Thank you for stopping by! Happy June ahead, everyone!

79 :: Daffodils

Jaana: Summery weather rolled in this week causing the nature to burst into life in the blink of an eye. One of the latest bloomers are these cheery yellow daffodils.

Kia: Daffodils are the closest you can get to "sunshine on a stick"! So cheerful, especially with the gloomy wet weather we are having. Daffodils in May are a first for me. They have slowly started blooming at the end of February and are still at their best.

78 :: Nature's Rebirth

Jaana: I spotted the first sprouting plants pushing through the soil on April 21st, but it wasn't until last Sunday, which is when I saw these budding Siberian Squills, when I was convinced that nature was finally being reborn even in our little corner of the world.

Kia: The rebirth of nature started in early February this year, with crocuses and snowdrops popping out all around town and being in full bloom already on February 15th.

75 :: At The Botanical Gardens

Jaana: Argentinian Bonnet Orchid in the greenhouse of tropical and subtropical plants at the Oulu Botanical Gardens. (Love those old tags.)

Kia: Fuchsias in one of the glasshouses at Glasgow Botanic Gardens.

71 :: Signs Of Spring

Jaana: Apart from increasing amount of daylight, my wintry whereabouts have not gotten to witness many signs of spring yet. But lucky me, I managed to shoot this lonely catkin on the 16th. It's a start!

Kia: The first buds appeared on the trees very early this year, and the first crocuses and snowdrops started blooming around February the 15th. Then March turned wintery again with snow, hail and freezing wind. Hopefully spring and its blooms will be fighting their way back.

67 :: February Scenery

Jaana: The scenery still looks very wintry overhere, but now you can feel the sunshine again! Today the length of day is 9h 28m, sunrise at 7:48 AM, sunset at 5:16 PM.

Kia: We are still getting the odd flurries, but the delicate awakening of nature is already showing. Today the length of day is 10h 21m, sunrise at 7:20 AM, sunset at 5:41 PM.

A reminder of how our sceneries looked like in January.

49 :: Autumn Bloomers

Jaana: An entire field of Sunflowers got bitten by the first frost before coming to full bloom.

Kia: This variety of stonecrop is called, rather appropriately, Autumn Joy Sedum. Its flowers bloom from August into November.

37 :: Wildflowers

Jaana: Tansy is also known as "button flower" in Finland. Their flowering time lasts from July till September, which is why I always think of fall when I see the first blooms.

Kia: Wild Foxglove thrives in Scottish woodlands, moors, mountains and sea cliffs. In Scotland it's also called Fairy Fingers, Witches' Thimbles and Bloody Bells. Tradition has it that Foxglove leaves were put in new born babies' cradles to keep them from being bewitched.

35 :: Summer Bloomers

Jaana: Garden Lupines are a true sign of summer to me, and since they are almost done blooming now, it must mean that fall is on its way.

Kia: Dahlias are now bursting into bloom in gardens all over Scotland and will flourish nearly nonstop into autumn.

34 :: Now In Bloom

Jaana: Ox-eye Daisy is the provincial flower of Central Finland. Ours (Northern Ostrobothnia) would be Labrador Tea.

Kia: Colorful Painted Daisies will be in bloom all summer through autumn, till frost.