Autumn Colour

I have been enjoying the autumn colour in the garden. It has been rather dull and dry weather recently, but there is always something to lift the spirits.  Above is a hydrangea, with its gracefully ageing flowers, which remind me of old velvet.

This is Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky' with the flowers starting to turn.

The blueberry leaves are doing their fiery thing...

and I am enjoying these while I can - they will soon fall.

Salvia Cero Potosi has been flowering all summer and it still going.  The colour really is that vibrant - almost neon.

Then there is the elegance of the cyclamen hederifolium with the shades of green and silver on the leaves.

The 'cyclamen corner' on the patio is a very restful area.

There is always something to look forward to in the garden and here you can see the developing flowers of Hellebore Ericsmithii 'Winter Sunshine'.  

Finally, you may remember that I bought a large japanese anemone 'Ruffled Swan', which I had completely fallen in love with on someone else's blog.  I also bought two little plants online, just in case I couldn't find one locally, so now I have three.  One of the little ones has rewarded me with the prettiest flower now and this brings me joy every time I see it.  You can see the pale lilac/blue on the back of the petals.  Isn't it a beauty?

Hydrangeas

The hydrangeas are looking good again and beginning to turn their autumnal shades.  Above is a dwarf macrophylla white which had these beautiful bright white flowers earlier in the summer. They are now turning more green.

Here is Bobo, another small plant but a paniculata variety. I find these easier when it comes to pruning.

Sundae Fraise starting to turn pink around the edges.

Pinky Winky turning pink.  This has the biggest flowers of the lot.

Macrophylla magical Revolution Pink, with shades of green on the flowers.

Magical Revolution Blue which hasn't done so well this year as it was too shaded out, I think. I have moved it in the hope that it will do better next year.  It is going more purple/lilac now and will probably change to pink another year.

Macrophylla Dark Angel looking pretty good.

Only two flowers from Sanguine Merville, (probably down to my not that brilliant pruning!) but they are rather lovely.

Finally another Magical Revolution Pink at the front door and looking probably the best of them all!

Making my own paper

I recently treated myself to a paper making kit (from Stamps Away/CleverCut here in the UK here.)  I used scraps of copy paper from various printing projects and cut them down to make very small squares.  I added warm water to the scraps and mixed them up to create a pulp. The kit has a hand-held paddle to which you attach a piece of netting with clips. You then pour the watery paper pulp over it (making sure it is over a bowl or the sink) and then flip it onto some woollen material and remove the clips. You press the water out using a sponge, then carefully remove the paper from the netting and let it dry.  It is certainly easier than having a netting in a frame which you dip into a vat of paper pulp.  The paper has come out quite thick in places, but I like the rustic effect!  Above was one of my first attempts.   

I have tried again, incorporating dried hydrangea flowers and gilding flakes.  I was pleased with this one.

Then I added gilding flakes and words which I had cut out of a book page.  This one is my favourite so far.  

I have used some of the paper which I inked up and added some gilding polish to make an anniversary card for my sister and brother-in-law.  The texture comes through beautifully.  I am looking forward to more experiments using junk envelopes etc.  Watch this space... 

Heavenly Hydrangeas

I am a person who (whisper) didn't used to like hydrangeas that much.  Luckily, that has changed and I can now appreciate their many qualities. They provide months of interest as the flowers fade and at flowering time, they bridge the gap between the end of the summer flowers such as the first flush of roses and the start of the late summer perennials.  I had a  wander around the garden, just to see which ones I had and was quite surprised as I didn't think I had acquired so many!  I took my camera along, so wondered if you would like to join me? Above is a newish one bought earlier this year - Hydrangea macrophylla Little White.  I have just discovered macrophylla means 'big leaf' - that make sense!

Here is my newest purchase, Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky'.  The name makes me smile!

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Fireworks'.

Going down the path, we have Hydrangea macrophylla 'Merveille Sanguine'.

Going past Hydrangea paniculata 'Sundae Fraise', not showing her lovely pink tones quite yet.

On to the patio, there is Hydrangea macrophlla 'Dark angel'.  I particularly like the small purple flowers inside the showy red bracts.

Probably my favourite, who has appeared on here many times, (and the only one planted in a border) Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'.

Also on the patio is Hydrangea paniculata 'Little Spooky' with lime green flowers which should turn creamy.

Down towards the bottom of the garden is Hydrangea macrophylla Magical Revolution 'Blue', which is gradually turning purply pink, although I don't mind.  I decided I wasn't going to add colorant to keep it blue.

Next to the blue one is this one, Hydrangea macrophylla Magical Revolution 'Pink'.

At the bottom of the garden is Hydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer 'The Bride'.  I particularly like white hydrangeas in the garden as the colour shows up at dusk.  They are also a bit more amenable as they will stay white in non-ericaceous soil or compost.

Out at the front, brightening up the front door, I have hydrangea macrophylla Magical Revolution 'Pink'  - this plant is a great doer - it doesn't need that much looking after and seems to bloom for a long time.

Finally, (well done if you've stayed to the end!) is Hydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer 'Pink'.  This started to flower back in May and has been a lovely splash of colour in a rather drab-looking street.  So there we are - more hydrangeas than I thought (thirteen!) and all in pots and tubs except for Annabelle.  I have just potted on five of them as they were trying to grow out of the bottom of their pots, but they had been in them for quite some time.  It was a bit of a struggle, but I got there in the end!

Plant portraits

The hydrangeas are looking lovely, so I thought I would meander round the garden and take a few photos. Above is Coco.

Here is Sundae Fraise (I think) which is just starting to turn pink on the very edges of the petals. 

Merveille Sanguine, which I pruned wrongly in Spring, so only have a couple of flowers - lesson learnt!

Gorgeous Arborescens Annabelle - stunning flowers!

Other plants catching my attention include Agapanthus Silver Baby which is looking so delicate and pretty.

A new plant this year - Lysimachia Clethroides - which is flowering.

The flowers hang down and open from the base.

They are small individually, but make a statement together.

Agapanthus Navy Blue, adding that cool blue/purple to the garden...

...echoed with Hibiscus Oiseau Bleu (I hacked this back last autumn and was worried I had killed it, but it came through the winter and is flowering away now, just not with quite so much abandon, or trying to take over the whole border!

Hydrangeas again - some from the Magical Revolution series.  

The one above was a beautiful blue when it arrived, but has more of a pink colour now, even though it was planted in ericaceous compost.  I did give it some hydrangea colorant, but then found that blue hydrangeas need to have the colorant every year after their first, so I am not sure I want to go down that route.  The pearly pinks and purples are pretty. so perhaps I should be happy with them.

White hydrangeas stay white no matter what soil they are in, and this one is right at the end of the garden, in front of the black fence (which needs repainting...).  This one is Endless Summer White, again pruned wrongly, so only two flowers this year.  Note to self: write down the correct pruning for the macrophylla varieties to remember what to do.

A nice bit of the border with roses, geranium, agapanthus and phlox.

This is a lovely white rose called Winchester Cathedral, with one pink rose on it - not sure how that has happened.  I have removed the pink rose, but took this photo prior to doing that.

The crocosmia will be in flower shortly so will inject some orange into all the pastels.  More plants have been purchased in the last couple of weeks so no doubt they will be featuring.