Tag Archives: colours

Rainbow Flowers

Hydrangea 1

Haiku 90

Mystic hydrangea

All colours of the rainbow

Magically appear

.

Hydrangea 2

My ancient hydrangea still produces these large beautifully coloured blooms, year after year, even though half the plant seems to have died recently.

Hydrangea 3

The colours of the petals range from yellow green, through pink and lilac to blue and purple; all at the same time.

Hydrangea 5

The plant was already here when we bought the house, but the poor thing doesn’t get enough sun, so it never grew much.

I’ve seen others in the neighbourhood that grow half way up their house walls and dwarf my little plant.

Hydrangea 6

However, mine lives just outside my front door and every time I pass by I stop.

Hydrangea 7

I look at the lovely rainbow petals.

And I smile.

Hydrangea 4

 

Hybrids

Freesia 1

Haiku 79

Though a late bloomer

Colours fuse beautifully

Hybridisation

.

 

We used to have freesias of many different colours, but over the years the yellow ones have tended to dominate. I don’t know why. I also had one white freesia this year.

Sometime after all the freesias had died down, this last flower shyly peeped out.

Freesia 2

She is a creamy colour that seems to be a lovely hybrid of the yellow and white plants.

The colour makes me think of Cadbury Creme Eggs. Mmmmm

I also like the shape of the older flower drying out towards the bottom. It sort of looks like a squid!

 

Lavender Blue

Hydrangea 1

Whether you see this as pink, lilac, mauve or purple . . .

Hydrangea 2

I think it is a lovely colour!

Hydrangea 3

This ancient hydrangea was already in the garden when we moved here yonks ago.

Hydrangea 4

The plant looks dead in winter but always amazes me by producing these lovely blooms each spring.

They don’t usually last long in our harsh sun, but I enjoy them while they’re here.

 

post script: I have promised my Northern WP friends gratuitous Spring photos to sustain them as they plunge into the depths of winter! In return they will supply me with Snow Photos in due course, to sustain me during the searing temperatures (38C – 100F) of summer here in Cape Town, South Africa.

post post script: And because I love the song, here is Lavender’s Blue from the movie Cinderella.

 

I’m Blue!

Blue 1

Da Ba Dee Da Ba Die Da Ba Dee Da Ba Die

Blue is such a marvellous colour, as my plumbago auriculata so aptly demonstrates, and quite rare in the natural world.

Blue 2

Yes, this is autumn in the Western Cape. Winter is just around the corner: winter solstice 21st June. But my little plumbago could care less. He’s going to flourish regardless.

 

Original song by Eiffel 65, with lyrics, Blue (Da Ba Dee).

And, because who can ever tell what they are singing, listen to, “I’m Blue, if I was green I would die”  with funny suggested lyrics!

 

post script: I have to add a caveat here: I can’t remember if I recently read a blog post similar to this, or if I just found the amusing ‘Blue’ lyrics surfing Youtube. So, if you’re reading this and getting miffed that I filched your idea, my sincere apologies and please let me know in the comments; I will gladly add a reference to you here.

 

The Leaves That Are Green . . .

Autumn Leaves

Autumn Leaves

Turn to Brown.

Autumn Leaves 2

Autumn Leaves 2

Or gold!

Autumn Leaves 3

Autumn Leaves 3

Though temperatures are still summery here in Cape Town, there is a chill in the air once the sun goes down.

I guess it is Autumn!

Autumn Leaves 4

Autumn Leaves 4

And in case you hadn’t noticed, there is a bird perched right at the top of the tree in that last photo, basking in the dawn’s early rays.

 

post script: Because you are probably singing it in your head anyway, you can listen to the song by Simon and Garfunkel here:  Leaves That Are Green.

post post script: One again, to achieve the full effect of the colour of these Autumn leaves, tilt your screen away from you and watch them light up!