Rosa ‘Tranquillity’ After Dusk
“You live a normal life and it’s quite difficult to realise that this normal life is coming to an end.”
–Â Man in Ukraine, BBC interview, 24th February 2022
An Oddness of Lady Slipper Orchids
Becky is asking for odd squares throughout February and I believe that these lady slipper orchids qualify.
‘Lady slipper’ is the name familiarly used for orchids in the Cypripedioideae family. Popular plants, they appeal to gardeners and photographers because they play infinite variations on a well-known tune. Continue reading “An Oddness of Lady Slipper Orchids”
Corncockle in a Wildflower Border
I almost missed out on the week of flowers, hosted by Cathy of Words and Herbs, but am scraping in with this froth of wildflowers for day 7.  The pink, raindrop-covered flower is corncockle, which is now vanishingly rare in the wild in Britain but still appears in annual wildflower mixes. Continue reading “Corncockle in a Wildflower Border”
Hydrangea Flowers in October and November
My favourite thing about hydrangeas is the blend of colours on a single flower. So, while fresh flowers have a particular type of loveliness, in some ways hydrangeas improve when Autumn throws a restraining hand on the foliage, adding pink, purple and yellow where there was only green.
Continue reading “Hydrangea Flowers in October and November”
Liatris (Blazing Star)
Liatris is one of many showy American natives that British gardeners have taken to their hearts. Fluffy, rose-pink flowers open from button-like buds that circle a slender tower of narrow, lance-shaped leaves.
Where groups of liatris corms are planted naturalistically, the flower plumes are dramatic, reaching up and out like grounded fireworks. Continue reading “Liatris (Blazing Star)”
Orange Flowers
Susan Rushton 