Author: susurrus

Please visit my blog, where I celebrate gardening, nature, photos and creativity. As you'll quickly discover, I love most flowers. I'm here to have a little fun with other bloggers, finding new insights at every step of the way. I enjoy all forms of photography, from macro to more impressionistic shots, so often visit photography blogs to see what other people are sharing. I write about my other interests too including marketing, design, travel and writing - and, rather to my surprise - about the odd issue affecting us all that I just can't resist commenting on. The website link will take you to my home page, but please click on 'Blog' to see what I'm really up to!
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English Or Spanish Bluebells

Bluebells at Sunnyhurst Wood

I’m very fond of bluebells. I’ve been teased for smiling away tears when, spotting two or three in flower in the USA, my mind turned to the hundreds of thousands I was missing back at home.

My first memory of bluebells was seeing a mass of flowers covering a hillside in Sunnyhurst Wood, in my home county, Lancashire. My Dad – the kind of person who’d bring home owl pellets to show his kids what the bird had been eating – would have known they were in flower and had taken us out exploring.  Continue reading “English Or Spanish Bluebells”

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Deckchair Danger!

Deckchair danger

I’ve long been treasuring a snap of a box of sugar with the handwritten message ‘Be careful, spills easily’ on it, which somehow piques my sense of humour, but sadly, it isn’t on this computer.

So how about this picture of an impractical deckchair? It does have several different warnings: the colour scheme for one. Then there’s the liberal application of the do-not-cross tape, the red cushion emblazoned with ‘Danger Do Not Sit’, and the graphic that seems to be  warning of a lightening bolt.

Getting your fingers trapped is the main potential issue if my experience is anything to go by, but is that mentioned? No.  Continue reading “Weekly Photo Challenge: Deckchair Danger!”

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Creative Combination Planting At Chihuly’s Garden And Glass, Seattle

Chihuly Garden And Glass In Seattle

We travelled to Seattle last May to see this unusual garden at its peak, when the perennials were in bloom. The underplanting feels as if an artist has laid out the plants by magic, with the sweep of a brush.

Combination planting

Underplanting is the idea of planting a garden in layers, with shrubs growing beneath trees, and shorter perennials and bulbs underneath them. The designer  thinks about the height and spread of each plant, their colours and textures, then combines them in the most pleasing way. I’ve seen many attempts but rarely seen the effect better realised.  Continue reading “Creative Combination Planting At Chihuly’s Garden And Glass, Seattle”