Celebrating gardens, photography and a creative life
I’m turning to the world of plants to help HeyJude celebrate the colour brown.
Brown flowers are unusual, but Primula auricula breeders have had centuries to push the boundaries. (See my post from the Cheadle Auricula Show) Continue reading “Life in Colour: Brown in Plants, Plus Sourdough Crackers”
The most widely grown hardy (or heritage) mum is Chrysanthemum x rubellum ‘Clara Curtis’. It was discovered by Amos Perry in 1929 at Happy Valley Gardens in Llandudno, Wales, where my sister and I often played as children. (Not in 1929, I should add.)
Despite its roots, I see Chrysanthemum ‘Clara Curtis’ far more often in Mississippi than I do here in the UK. It’s a very distinctive variety with luminous pale pink flowers with a touch of lilac. Continue reading “Hardy Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum x rubellum)”
Herb Robert is one of many common names for a wild geranium (Geranium robertianum) widely found across Britain. It’s easy to overlook the spidery plant and its small, simple flowers. Continue reading “Herb Robert (Geranium Robertianum)”
Mike Powell (whose blog features wonderful pictures of insects) recently asked if ‘common’ is appropriate in a name. I know what he means. And even though these are our most common orchid, growing wild in deserted quarries, woodland, meadows, hedgerows and along footpaths, I caught myself hesitating before tagging them ‘wildflowers’. Continue reading “Dactylorhiza fuchsii | Common Spotted Orchid”
