Flutterby Patch

Blue Monday - 'Blue magic'

As I'm such a fan of blue I'm participating in 'Blue Monday' this week watched over by Smiling Sally.

 

'Blue Magic' is the name of these sweetly scented grape hyacinths that are currently blooming on my window sill. I suppose I should call them by their official name which is 'muscari' but I think grape hyacinth sounds so much prettier and old fashioned and my granny always used it.

Such a delicate little flower, but just look at those sturdy stems!

Each flower head is made from dozens of tiny bells. This particular variety has frilly white edges. After years of cross breeding grape hyacinths can now be found in numerous colours and sizes. You can see a selection below (taken from an old catalogue).

 
  
   

Here in England they bloom from mid March through to mid May and are perfect for naturalising in woodland or grassy areas. Best of all I like to see them along the front edges of flower borders (just like my granny had them) or as companions for pot grown daffodils and tulips.

This autumn I should like to plant a variety of muscari bulbs around the garden and so will have a great time pouring over catalogues making my choices. Here in Britain the perfect place to discover new varieties of any plant is at one of the RHS Flower Shows held around the country. I should one day like to visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London but it is many hundreds of miles from my home in the Lake District and so I shall content myself with the excellent TV coverage of the event. Closer to home (but still a 200 mile round trip) I have the RHS Tatton Park Show in Cheshire (21st - 25th July). The thrill and excitement of seeing so many different plants, and the opportunity to buy a selection for the garden, is a very exciting prospect. There are several RHS Shows every year held in a variety of venues around the country. For more information visit the RHS website.

If presented with a huge selection of blooms I wonder if I would favour blues above all other colours? Yes I probably would!

Blue is a colour I love and if you are familiar with my blog you will know that I've been an avid collector of blue and white china for many years. It could have quickly found its way into every room but I try to limit it's spread.

This is the dining room dresser and you can see from the reflection in the mirror that blue and white has spread to the mantel. 

Viewed from another angle you can see even more blue and white on the wall.  If you are a lover of blue and white china then you must pop over to Rhondi's blog Rose Colored Glasses. Her home is overflowing with the lovely stuff and I confess I could quite happily steal it all from her! Wonder if she'd notice!

Today it seems is a blue day. This is the view from my window. The lake is reflecting the clear azure sky and even the dusting of snow we had yesterday seems to have adopted a blue hue.... Blue indoors and out...just the way I like it!

Until next time,

Eli

Autumn pinks

Gone are the vibrant shades of summer and the landscape is now all aglow with russets and golds....well almost! Outside our front door we have this glorious little rowan tree whose delicate branches are weighed down by these gorgeous berries resembling shiny pink pearls.

It has been wearing its sugary pink coat for many weeks now and from a distance you could easily believe it was covered in spring blossom. The tree is a sorbus hupehensis (isn't that an ugly name for such a pretty tree!)

Greedy birds stripped all the bright red berries from our other rowans several weeks ago but this little sweetheart doesn't attract  our feathered friends and so has been ignored. She will hang onto her fruit for several more weeks.

Pink is an unusual but welcome shade amongst so many glowing autumn tints. Will I be able to find any more pinks around the garden I wonder? Let's go for a trudge across the lawn and find out.

With its pink buds and waxy white flowers this viburnum is just coming into bloom and will fill the courtyard with its sweet perfume throughout the winter.

Not quite the last rose of summer, this little beauty has been slowed in it's growth by the shorter days and cooler nights. Its lovely pink stems are the same shade as the buds.

The little pink heart shaped leaves on the Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum) have nearly all fallen ...

... but the leaves on the red stemmed dogwood (cornus) are hanging on. Just one strong breeze however and they will be sent fluttering to the ground. Happily we'll be left with the bright red stems which always give a 'zing' to Christmas greenery arrangements.

This poor lonely soul is a pink water lily that has been left behind by its friends who bloomed many weeks ago.

Above are the leaves of the pink flowered version of Queen Anne's lace. It's a newcomer to our garden and I'm wondering if all the leaves turn this fabulous shade of pink in autumn or just one or two? Does anyone know?

Good old faithful hydrangeas, where would we be without them? I mustn't call these pink beauties the flowers because officially they are the bracts, but who cares. Their colour goes on and on for weeks and the papery flower heads (sorry bracts) can be dried for indoor displays. Real value for money!

Sadly it hasn't been a good year for roses and our heavy headed 'David Austins' always complain bitterly about the rain we get. They quickly droop and usually snap off. This lovely lady is covered in delicate dew drops and as we have no rain forecast this week I should be able to enjoy her for a while longer.

Thank you for joining me in my search for autumn pinks.

Until next time
Eli.

Golden days

Is it me, or is there a distinct hint of autumn in the air? Here in England's north country, after a fortnight of rain, we are enjoying golden days that have a balmy September-feel about them.

Perhaps it's the russet coloured blooms outside my window,

or the vibrant reds and yellows in the overgrown border.

The leaves on the acer, glowing like embers in the grate,

or the berries on the rowan trees, plump and shiny.

Perhaps it's the meadow grass, turning the colour of straw.

or the fluffy coated willow herbs

and thistledown being carried away on the breeze. 

I think it must be the rosy red apples that are plump and ready for picking.

Whatever it is, there's a definite hint of autumn in the air here at Flutterby Patch and August is barely a week old.