Everything is back to normal, everything is in their rightful place. The persistent rain returns, the water butts are overflowing and I am back on the early shift. Apparently we still need more rain, which is just as well as more is forecast. Faithful waterproofs prepare for the onslaught! Our leader Jim at Garden Ruminations will guide you to other SoSers and also the rules of the Six on Saturday game, should you choose to participate. You should give it a go, the more the merrier. Best get on, I’ve a busy day ahead, meeting up with a tree surgeon at Peggy’s and getting my flu jab, variety is the spice of life.
A faithful auricula is delicately flowering, but looks almost ghost-like in its pastelness. Years ago, when I returned from the big bad city to Cornwall, someone called me “pale but interesting”. I took it to mean “ill looking”.
There is fashionably late and there is embarrassingly so. The first flower on Dahlia ‘Bishop of York’ is erring towards the latter.
A warm, Off the Edge welcome to Fuchsia ‘Jasper’s Lightening’. I’m not sure it envokes stormy weather to me, but it is a very pretty flower. “Pretty” is not always my thing, but in this case it is just that.
Plectranthus argentatus did not thrive as well as you would imagine a silver leaf would have in the almost forgotten drought. It has picked up beautifully now and the fabulous flowers deserve close inspection.
I love the incurved petals of Dahlia ‘Verone’s Obsidian’. I also love the name, straight out of Game of Thrones, which I’ve never actually seen so don’t take my word for it.
Going out to meet a friend last weekend I grabbed a coat that I hadn’t worn since last year. My train was a little earlier than hers so I sat in a cafe waiting, one of those trendy places with digital order stations and the staff calls your name out when it is ready and the urge for devilment is strong. The cafe was packed and I was jammed between students on laptops and business men on iphones. My name (Tinkerbell) was called and I leapt up to get my coffee. Returning I sat on my folded coat, milliseconds later leaping up with a “arrggh”. I had sat on two pine cones that I had collected last autumn/winter and forgotten to transplant to the garden. In the meantime they had dried to a quite painful degree. I tried to explain to my puzzled neighbours, I shouldn’t have bothered, I only made it worse.
Have a good day everyone, see you next time.
I often don’t think that dahlia’s are worth the effort, and then I see pictures like that Verone’s Obsidian and I have to concede that they most definitely are.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why don’t you try some from seed, then if necessary you can treat them like annuals. They are so easy from seed, like cress!
LikeLike
I’ve never considered trying from seed. Perhaps I’ll give them a try next year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can send you some. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be great, thank you. Not sure the best way of getting my address to you?
LikeLike
I’ve emailed you 😀
LikeLike
I can easily picture the pine cone scene in the bar! 😂
Speaking of dahlias, I also grow the ‘Verone’s Obsidian’ variety; it bloomed beautifully this summer, and I manage to overwinter it in my garage for the following year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a really striking dahlia, that is why I love them so much, there is such variety. And variety is the spice of life!
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes, I do think Fuchsia ‘Jasper’s Lightening’ has a pretty flower….unusual, but pretty. Bless you for making me laugh with your cafe regale. I wouldn’t dare such devilry as using another name for I would surely forget and never get my coffee…..Tinkerbell was a great moniker.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that could be a problem ….. 😁
LikeLike
I love single dahlias and Bishop of York and Verone’s Obsidian are both gorgeous. Is VO one of the honka series? Could I beg some seeds later if you have any? It is always such fun growing them from seed as everyone is different and they are all gorgeous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is indeed a honka and I will collect some for you, I also love growing dahlia from seed, so exciting! Or is that just us?
LikeLike
I remember years ago you sent me some Dahlia coccinea seeds which were a great success in my old garden. Growing dahlias from seed is one of the great joys in life. People who don’t do it are really missing out. The trouble is I no longer have room for 70 dahlias which is what I ended up with one year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dahlias – so very tempting but I am still saying no. I have one clump that is mistreated and yet comes back every year. That will do me even though I look on with envy at Verone’s Obsidian. Lovely fuchsia too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mine just stay in the ground with a mulch and seem to get on with it. Each year I do worry that I have pushed my luck though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clever name selection. Perhaps, I will try Voldemort next time I am at Starbucks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, you must!
LikeLike
Tinkerbell! That fuchsia is very pretty indeed. Those forgotten cones certainly proved to be a “pine” in the.. err… derrière.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
You had me chuckling with the story at the end–thank you for the humor. 🙂 The Primula close-up seems artful and had me pondering. All your other examples are lovely and thought-provoking, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What species are those pinecones? They look like they could be Austrian black pine, which is rare here, but probably common there. You got some pretty ones this week, and I do not mind using the word ‘pretty’. Even the pinecones are pretty. Are dahlias late because the weather will turn too cool for them soon?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really don’t know what cones they are, I often pick them up when I see them and don’t even notice the tree, I will be more observant in future. I think the dahlias are late because of the drought, they are enjoying the rain now and will be fine until the frosts come.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I misworded that second question. It made no sense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It made sense to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m guessing lightening refers to the paleness rather than lightning. Though the words often get mixed up. Your pine cone tail [sic] was amusing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, I hadn’t thought of that. Always glad to amuse, love the pun.
LikeLike
Jasper’s Lightning is lovely. There used to be a big Fuchsia place on the Gower Peninsular that had loads of Fuchsias like that, long gone I believe so it’s good that some of these Dutch hybrids are still available.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is such a shame that we becoming so standarised these days and these small nurseries can’t survive.
LikeLike
I like the name tinkerbell. It conjures up all sorts of mischief but me thinks she got her own back when you sat on the cones LoL
The Dahlia ‘Verone’s Obsidian’. is pretty even if it was tardy with its bloom
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂 She certainly did!
LikeLike