New paintings and regular art updates.
While I was singing yesterday I spotted a stall selling plants. I got this poppy plant from them. When I got home it was tipping it down with rain so I left it in the bag in the living room. When I got up this morning one of the flowers had opened up in this beautiful red colour. I think the warmth has bought it out. I will put it out on the wall outside.
Our old peonies didn’t flower this spring but a new peony has come into bloom and its a pale creamy pin. Is a bright spot in a very overgrown jungle! Hubby asked if it was a poppy and I thought it would be until he showed it to me. I don’t even remember planting it.
Gardening takes hard work and effort. I wish I had the energy to do more of it. The garden needs a serious hacking back. Bringing light back in and reducing shade… Its actually quite frightening.
Today’s #bandofsketchers prompt was California. I decided to draw bright orange Californian poppies, Escholtsia? Not sure of the spelling. I’ve tried to grow them a few times but not been very successful. I think they need more sunlight than we have. Anyway this image was off an old seed packet. X
The Magnolias are getting to the end of their flowering periods. The petals are starting to go brown in patches. I have a white Magnolia Stellata, this is a deep pink one we saw on a walk, I’d like to get one of these in our garden. I think they originate in China? They are such majestic flowers.
Soon to be over. That must of blue flowers will be gone. I’ve suddenly fallen in love with the romance of flowers! I don’t think I noticed them much last year and now it’s a revelation to see them in bloom. We have some bluebells but they are pink and white too. I think ours are the Spanish variety with blue Bell flowers all around the stem which is more upright and the leaves are wider and strappier. They are worth commenting on because of their gorgeous colour.
Alliums, ornamental flower heads from the onion family. Globes that resemble fireworks peppered the borders at the Dorothy Clive Garden this weekend.
Chelsea Flower show is now on and no doubt these will be on display there too. The Northern Hemisphere is suddenly blooming. The joys of Summer will soon be with us.
Alliums come in different colours from white through pale purple to deep purple, I’m not sure what other colours are available. For a larger plant with bigger flowers I’d suggest Agapanthus.
The Dorothy Clive Garden is at Willowbridge in Staffordshire on the border with Shropshire and Cheshire. It costs £10 for adults to visit.
At this time of year the garden is coming into bloom. It is planted on a sloping site and the main garden is full of blues, whites and purples at the moment. White and purple Alliums, Aqueigia, Irises, and other plants made a lovely display from the pond at the bottom up to the tearooms at the top. Then into the quarry garden. This is full of rhododendron and azalea flowers, the mature trees are in leaf and the waterfall drops from the rim of the quarry into its base.
We also walked along the Laburnum arch which is in full flower and is under planted with purple Alliums. Then there are ferns and lots of other interesting plants. We’ll worth a visit for the day.
Nine years since I painted this poppy with a white centre. I think that makes it look fresh and cool. Poppies have paper thin, crinkled petals. They look so delicate. I have lots of yellow, Welsh poppies in the garden, but not as many red ones that seem to need more sunlight. This was an acrylic on canvas and I think it sold quite quickly? But after almost a decade I still love it.
I need to start gardening again. I haven’t emptied out the old pots and put in new compost yet. It’s May and I’ve hardly been round the garden. We are trying to save money and so we have delayed making a start. But the perennials in the main garden are growing. The Russian vine is growing like mad after the rain. We have lots of lesser celandine and bluebells coming up, plus wild garlic. Geraniums are getting big enough to flower and the bushes keep growing. Oh so much to do and not enough energy or strength!
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This little purple flower with a white centre with five spiralling petals is called a Vinca. It has glossy dark green leaves and sprawls across the ground under dappled shady patches. We used to have some in our garden but I think the shade got too deep and other plants grew over it. We will have to try again. It cheers me to see this purple among the muted colours of helibores and fading tulips. Soon the summer will arrive and the flowers will change again.
Mallaband-Brown