Tag Archives: Gardens

nature, Photography

September 6’s Friday Fleurday

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I’ve been watching these panicle hydrangeas over the last couple of weeks as they have developed into incredibly lush and beautiful clusters of flowers.

The bush is about 2.5 metres tall (approx. 8ft) and covered in these rich pink and white panicle bundles. They are now reaching the height of their beauty.

Aren’t they lovely?

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

August 30’s Friday Fleurday

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Although we’re heading into September, there are still many, many late bloomers providing beauty, colour and scent. Here are some highlights from this week’s flower lovelies.

Panicled hydrangeas. I love the little floof that develops at the end of each cluster.
The asters are beautiful right now.
Japanese anemones are so seemingly delicate but are actually quite hardy (for this zone).
White and red pond lilies. Floating flowers – how wonderful is that?
And last but not least, the Penticton Rose Garden has been busily producing wonderful blooms since spring. Here’s a pretty pink one.

Happy long weekend.

nature, Photography

Late Summer Beauty

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We have just completed 24 hours of slow, gentle rain, truly a gift for this parched, hot area. Fear of massive fires such as we had last summer were always with us, but we’ve been getting enough rain to keep the orange monster at bay, thankfully.

There are still signs of dryness but the soil has lots of moisture now …

… and the ponds are full.

Happy Sunday.

nature, Photography

Flower Power

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Right now we have beautiful hydrangeas blooming everywhere. They are very sensitive to soil conditions which is why we can find a wide variety of stunningly attractive colours.

This blue and light yellow is caused by a higher aluminum content in the soil.
A lower aluminum content will tend to cause pink flowers.
Red hydrangeas aren’t common, but their gorgeous colour is caused by exposure to iron.
I’ve never tried this, but apparently, adding coffee grounds to the soil will cause hydrangeas to become a deeper blue as this allows the plant to better access aluminum.
The ever-lovely white hydrangea. These aren’t affected by soil pH; they maintain their creamy colour no matter the conditions.

Have a flower power day.

nature, Photography

Lavender Bees

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The lavender is glorious right now and it’s wonderful to pass by a bush and hear the gentle humming of the bees. The air around them almost seems to be vibrating!

I have lately seen lavender bushes alive with their busy business. Given that their overall numbers have been dropping, it’s absolutely marvellous to see so many of them.

Happy Thursday. 🐝