Friday, August 08, 2008

Reds in my beds...

Enough of chickens and raucous cows and sheep - let's bring some colour into our lives. The day is grey and damp. In the heavy air a twist of cloud drifts slowly across Badnage Wood. Let's inject a shot of heat - some fire, some passion. Let's do RED:

Before embarking on this garden - recently made out of an old concrete yard - I'd never had much time for hot and exotic plants. No - that's not quite true. Not brave enough maybe to use a few discordant high notes amongst the restful pinks, whites and lavenders which were in my previous garden. I had yet to discover the wonderful Christopher Lloyd. There was nowhere to let rip. Here, space permitted and I have made a 'hot' border and the making of it has been tremendous fun. Reds and oranges, purples and yellows have melded into what I hope is a vibrant fiery mass.

I've a vague memory of some fashion writer's edict that it is possible to wear two, three or four different shades of red at the same time - and carry the look off successfully. I guess anybody bold enough to dress from head to toe in red is not going to be afraid of making a statement.

I digress (again). Enjoy the flowers.

10 comments:

Lindsay said...

Fab artistic photo - I shall investigate the Slide website.

Blossomcottage said...

Just beautiful thank you just right for a cloudy day.
Blossom

snailbeachshepherdess said...

Phew ..I've gone all hot just looking at this ...wonderful slide thingy.

Exmoorjane said...

I've always shied away from red but you make it look madly tempting......gorgeous slideshow.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Utterly gorgeous reds! I am converted. I have been admiring my crocosmia lucifer but he is all alone on the red front. i shall have to think again.

Pondside said...

Beautiful! When my Lillypad was a little girl, her favorite book was Red Is Best - and I'd have to agree that every garden needs some red. Unfortunately the deer seem to like anything red too!

Fennie said...

Quite wonderful! Love reds. Am wearing red even now. But as for the garden, I'm grateful to have flowers - the colour is immaterial - just so long as they grow into adulthood undevoured by slugs.

Just read your blog on the jumping cow. Weaning is hard but I hadn't come across a jumping cow before - though we all know cows normally stand on their hind legs only behind their hedges and that when humans hove in view one of them shouts, 'down!' and they all dutifully go four legged again. Of course this theory breaks down because it is almost impossible for a cow to eat while standing on its back legs. All the same I am glad your Belgian Blue (sounds like the sort of butterfly that might visit your flowers) went meekly into the triangular field and presumably stayed there.

Claire said...

Red is such a cheerful colour which is what is required for this wet and grey summer we are having. Lovely slide show the tomatoes look so luscious. Yesterday I wore a red t-shirt and complemented or clashed it with a red jacket when a shower passed over? Did I get it right I wonder or was it just a dog's dinner?

Anonymous said...

Catch up time for me!!

I'm quite nervous of cows for some reason, glad we don't have them on our farm! As for the chickens, they do look different but gorgeous all the same. I look hens/chickens whatever you wish to call them. They have a character all of their own which people really don't appreciate.

And then we eat 'em.

CJ xx

Twiglet said...

hot hot hot absolutely love it