365 pictures - Day 144

Our hydrangea is in full flower now and a big favourite with the insects. 

365 pictures - Day 143

The blackberries are ripening. 

365 pictures - Day 142

Hibiscus. 

365 pictures - Day 141

Echinops. They feel lovely. And the bees love them. 

365 pictures - Day 140

A green neighbourhood park in Leamington, lush and leafy. 

365 pictures - Day 139

White buddleia with browning flowers versus purple buddleia with browning flowers? The jury's still out. 

365 pictures - Day 138

A big fat bee, who got tired and sat on the lawn. We gave him some honey to replenish his energy. 

365 pictures - Day 137

White flowers are so lovely, but do they look worse or better than other colours when the flowers turn brown? On one hand, the big contrast between the white and the brown is kind of unapologetic. I like that. On the other, maybe the gone- over flowers blend in better on lilac and pink buddleias and other plants? In any case, I'm dead heading the brown flowers I can reach, in order to encourage more flowers, and deliberately Not Worrying about the ones I can't get to. 

365 pictures - Day 136

Lime trees and hot days. 

365 pictures - Day 135

This is our hypericum that we got from a sale bench. It's had its first lot of flowers and the berries are darkening. Last year, it had a second flush of flowers in early autumn, alongside its first lot of berries. Good value!

365 pictures - Day 134

Our other Japanese Anemone - with double white flowers. I always forget what colour they are until they come out. 

365 pictures - Day 133

Sweet peas. I can't remember what variety. Shame really, because I want a different variety next year. These ones don't smell. 

365 pictures - Day 132

We've had a stretch of dry days, and finally, it's pelted down with rain all day today. Our Pat Austin rose has lost a lot of petals in the downpour, and the leaves are glossy and damp. 

365 pictures - Day 131

A stray rudbeckia. These get chewed by slugs every spring until I remember they're there and put some pellets down. This year I totally forgot and planted something else on top. 

365 pictures - Day 130

Bulrushes. 

365 pictures - Day 129

An ideal day to be on the water. 

365 pictures - Day 128

These trees were put in a couple of years ago, when this bit of road was upgraded. They're lovely, really tall and graceful, with beautiful colours in the autumn. They're red oaks, with more angular leaves and a richer colour than the usual oak. They'll get really big too, if they're allowed. I'm not really sure there's the room here. 

365 pictures - Day 127

A conifer with a load of amazingly big cones. The cones are fresh and green against the blue-grey of the needles. 

365 pictures - Day 126

At this time of year, there's lots of shade in the borders. This is a favourite place to nap, surrounded by the crocosmia and verbenas. 

365 pictures - Day 125

This pink ceanothus has the pink fluffy flowers that can be seen in the background. When the flowers drop, the seeds develop into these rich red pods. 

365 pictures - Day 124

Our white buddleia is in full flower, and the bees love it. 

365 pictures - Day 123

This is the Bell Tower in Evesham. It's on the same site as two churches. While we were there, it struck two and played us two verses of Linden Lea. 

The tree next to it is a lovely big Sweet Chestnut. 

365 pictures - Day 122

Cuckoos Pint berries, known as Lords and Ladies at this stage of growth. 

365 pictures - Day 121

Trees of different colours. I love it when a very light coloured tree is planted right by a purple leaved tree. Both of these are acers. 

365 pictures - Day 120

This lovely hydrangea is called Limelight. Its flowers open up lime green, and gradually turn cream as the petals get bigger. The bush loses all the leaves over winter, and develops buds very late in the spring. Year after year, I think we've lost it, but out it comes, when it's good and ready. 

365 pictures - Day 119

Some more of the pelargoniums that I planted in the troughs have started flowering now, and they're kind of sploshy. Pretty!

365 pictures - Day 118

Outside some almshouses in Worcester - rosehips. Big fat rosehips that look nearly good enough to eat. I did restrain myself, however. 

365 pictures - Day 117

This border is just full to bursting at this time of year. These plants are really shown at their best in big, tall clumps in a massive border like this. It's at Spetchley Park near Worcester. 

365 pictures - Day 116

So many fruit trees in this area. Lots of orchards, both commercial and private.  These apples and plums are in a back garden, hanging over into a car park. 

 

365 pictures - Day 115

On a grey day, the garden tries to stay as colourful as possible. 

365 pictures - Day 114

This grows wild all along the railway. Golden Rod, or Solidago. Really good for cutting and bulking out a bunch of flowers that need a little something. It dies right back to the ground every winter, and I always forget what it is when it starts coming up again. A nice surprise every year, once I've deterred the slugs from eating it all.