Gently Fading

Published on by Catherine

Four weeks ago, the featured image was Hydrangea ‘Pink Annabelle’. Forgive me; I’ve used Pink Annabelle again today. The colour has started to fade to a pale parchment with hints of pink, but she’s still holding onto her beauty. Unless the lovely flowerheads become lightly coated with a glittering hoarfrost, this will be her final photo call.

Yesterday I was assured that the wasps that banned me from the garden have finally gone. I’ve been able to cautiously start working outdoors again. The forecast tells me it’s going to be dry and sunny today so I’ll be able to head out to pot up some spring bulbs! Bulb planting begins – exciting!

There are also a couple more repeats on here today simply because they’re still showing their fabulousness while others are not. The recent rain has caused many of the roses to shed their petals, making them unworthy subjects for the camera! The hostas have been devoured by garden nasties (I said a few years ago that I was done with hostas for that reason, but I found I couldn’t be without them) and I’ve started lifting and binning this year’s poor and non-productive dahlias. I’m also planning to cut back a few perennials that are taking their last gasp and pull up annuals. This will give me space to plant the tulip bulbs later in the season. Winter preparations are underway before the weather gets bad.

Six On Saturday

Rose without a name. This rose is nameless. I grew it from a cutting about four or five years ago, and it has now developed into a strong, but still small, bush. I love the softness of its colour.

Rose – homegrown

Linaria ‘Canon Went’ has been flowering since June, and still has plenty of flower spikes left on it. It’s a terrific garden perennial and, as you can see, much loved by bees. This wee creature has its head stuck right into the flower, making sure it’s mopping up every little morsel.

Linaria ‘Canon Went’

Verbena ‘Santos Purple’. These plants are growing between lavender plants. The lavender stopped flowering and the verbena stepped in to add some extra purple to the border. The little flowers have reached their limit, and won’t be around much longer. Soon the decision will have to be made – to lift, pot up and store them in the cold frame over the winter months, or leave them in the ground and hope for a slightly warmer and drier winter than last year.

Lavender & Verbena ‘Santos Purple’

‘Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ Update. Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ has already faded from the border, and I think the lovely Moerheim Beauty will also be leaving soon. It’s such a vibrant-coloured flower and very elegant, a must-have plant for any garden.

Helenium ‘Moreheim Beauty’
Helenium ‘Moreheim Beauty’

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly. I confess to not knowing one butterfly from another, but Google tells me this is a small tortoiseshell, and I’m happy to go along with that unless someone tells me otherwise! So if you’re knowledgeable about butterflies, let me know if I’m wrong. There have been many of them in the garden this year, fluttering around between plants. This one conveniently shuffled around to face me and looked as if to say, ‘Can’t you see I’m eating?’ UPDATE: Pauline tells me that this little butterfly is a Red Admiral. Thanks, Pauline – happy to have its name corrected! 😊

Butterfly on Rudbeckia
“Leave me alone, I’m busy”

Hydrangea ‘Pink Annabelle’. Finally, to complete this week’s Six, we’re back to gently fading H. ‘Pink Annabelle’. I can’t say much more than I’ve already said. It looks so fragile, but I think it’s tougher than we give it credit for.

Hydrangea ‘Pink Annabelle’

Be sure to pop over to visit Jim at Garden Ruminations who is hosting this meme. There you’ll find many more people with a huge love for gardening. 😊

Have a great weekend, relax and enjoy any sunshine that might come your way!

27 thoughts on “Gently Fading”

  1. Sorry but your butterfly is a Red Admiral, we have had lots in the garden this summer, far more than usual. I think your Helenium is the star of the show, super photos of it, the colour really pops!

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  3. Beautiful photos and some inspiration for colourful plants to try out in our garden. Our hostas are full of holes but I love the contrasting foliage around our mini wildlife pond.

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    1. It’s a nice airy plant, but not too tall. And the fact that it flowers for months on end is another good reason to grow it in the garden. I’ll have to take a look at the purple variety you mentioned – actually, I think I might have seeds for those. I’ll have to check, I can’t remember what I bought!

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  5. The Red Admiral is aptly named. It pleases me that the butterflies come to enjoy my labors in the garden. If I pause, they will act as if I am one of the crowd. Then I am able to see them up close.

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    1. I guess the butterflies are perfectly happy having you around! Five of these butterflies were sitting on top of an aster this afternoon. It was a nice little scene but the camera wasn’t with me.

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  8. It’s good to hear that you can get back into your garden again and take such lovely pictures. Pink Anabelle’s faded beauty is stunning, but my favourite this week is the helenium and I think one might find its say into my garden over the coming weeks.

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    1. Thank you, Helen. I spent a lovely day in the garden yesterday, with sunshine in the morning and overcast by afternoon – but not windy or cold. I potted on strawberry plants grown from runners a few weeks ago and perennials my husband dug up and divided. They’ll be replanted in early spring.

      I hope you’ve enjoyed your weekend. 😊

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  10. You have some lovely plants Catherine, and your photos are gorgeous! I have had Moerheim Beauty on my wishlist for some time, and your pictures have motivated me to finally source and buy one! The pink Linaria is so pretty too. I get one or two pink ones come up in spring, but most of mine are now purple… contaminated seed? Or I wonder if the purple is the original form…. So glad I have found your lovely blog through Rosie’s interview!

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    1. It’s lovely to know that blog posts can spread a little garden happiness. I quite often have bought plants that other garden bloggers have featured. I hope you love your Moerheim Beauty as much as I do.
      I think the purple variety of Linaria is the original – it’s another that’s worth having in the garden. Perhaps your purple variety has self-seeded from a neighbouring place?

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  11. Your photos are sumptuous! ❤ The Lianaria Canon Went brought back memories, I had him in my garden at one stage! You can keep on putting up photos of your pretty hydrangea! I keep on putting up photos of similar plants look good in my garden. There is no rule that says we can't look at the same plant twice or thrice!

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    1. Thanks, Sarah. I suppose every bloom looks different and I enjoy looking at them as well as photographing them, so I’ll probably continue posting repeats!

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  13. Beautiful butterfly photos Catherine – they usually take off when I attempt to photograph them 😂 Do you use a camera or a phone? Another fan of linaria ‘Canon Went’ here which is always much more considerate than linaria purpurea when it comes to seeding itself about.

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