Tags
Allium sphaerocephalon, buxus sempervivums, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Cercis canadensis, Forest pansy, Hornbeam, hydrangea arborescens Annabelle, Leucanthemella, six on saturday, stipa tenuissima, topiary box, tulips
Have you noticed how brown things have turned? My six today are mainly all a bit brown.
Starting with these, the remains of Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle, my first of the six I have to share with you and our host The Propagator .
As the ball heads dry out, they become delicate to the touch with a slight rustle to their sound. Gone may be the creamy lime green of summer but beautiful nonetheless. Last year I cut and then touched some of the flower heads with gold spray to make Christmas decorations. I thought they were rather pretty.
The hedges of Hornbeam have taken on their winter form, curled brown leaves, crisp and pleated will remain throughout the winter before shedding in spring as the leaf buds begin to swell.
The daisies of Leucanthemella which I love so much have lost their fresh as a daisy look and are beginning an elegant shift into decay. The flower heads are dark brown, almost black, slightly bowed and the foliage is slowly fading from green to brown. The stems are holding up well and I shall leave them throughout winter to act as shelter for creatures and insects.
The glorious red heart shape leaves of the forest pansy have gone. Dropped and bagged up with other leaf litter. All that is left is the bare, so bare branches of the tree. That is it until spring. Underneath, a mixed bag of 30 orange and yellow tulips have been planted, along with 25 Allium Sphaerocephalon, the burgundy drumstick allium.
Not brown at all are the evergreen Box. Slowly growing and slowly beginning to take on the square form I am looking for. Topiary takes time, lots of time. Eventually these box shapes will create strong winter structure. What can I say, they’re getting there.
I am slowly working my way around the raised beds, bulb planting, weeding and mulching, topping up the bark chippings on the pathway. These grasses are energised by a breeze and arguably look interesting all year round. A lighter shade of golden brown.
These are my six for this week. I hope you have a good weekend and thanks for reading wherever you are. D.
digwithdorris.com 
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