all delighted people {raise their hands}

Yesterday I spent wondrous hours with plants, blooms and very good music playing {The Tallest Man on Earth's latest album 'There's No Leaving Now'} whilst the rain and wind howled outside. I really love a good storm, when there is almost electricity in the air {actually, there definitely was electricity in the air---> I think that's what lightning is?! Perhaps not quite}. Roses are so gorgeous at the moment and the older growth/later blooming hydrangeas are making me swoon with delight. The deep dark bluegreenplum hued ones in particular cause stirrings in my heart. I also had some tuberose pinned to my hair all day and it's heady musk driven sweetness was beyond lovely.

hydrandea, clethora and gum

When I arrived home I had a quick garden saunter and saw my skywards climbing Madame Alfred Carrier roses are blooming beautifully. Oh I adore them. So fragrant and delicate!

perfection

daliahs and a new plant!

I am a little obsessed with this fellow

I bought a new plant home it is called a New Guinea Impatiens. I'll try to take a clearer photo of it-the leaves have a beautiful rich wine underside and deep dark veins which show through on the top side. The have a nice deep green luster to them. I've never been that keen on impatiens until I saw this one. I think I'll add it to my bedroom collection which is mostly begonias and dichondra. And beans. On my windowsill.

window harvest soon

daliahs are fun to work with

bedroom begonia

                                                        Have a splendid weekend!

an afternoon off, a little plant wondering, a little rain

I had such a great day off pottering about the house, dreaming of my plant buying adventure at the markets early tomorrow morning-wondering if it's too late, or early?! to be finding begonias there, specifically Rex Cultorum-which is the plant which grew these artful beauties:

to me it really looks like the skirt of a dancer

the prettily veined underside of a begonia leaf {such colours!}

The array of colours this plant comes in just astounds me. I am very excited to read that they make good indoor plants-my room has many many {too many, perhaps} dried branched, moss laden twigs, dried flowers etc etc strung up on walls and light fittings and window sills so I'd love to add some plants. I recently collected a few silvery Dichondra plants which are growing so beautifully and I think they'd be very good companions. I was reading a book about Constance Spry-she was describing a house she visited where ivy was rambling it's way into the house through a window and was slowly sprawling from picture frame to candlestick. This is something that would make me very happy.

drying little clumps of hydrangeas to make a flower crown for a friend

Dichondra cascade

dichondra in situ. doing well

The dichondra {silver falls is the name of variety, pretty apt} is much hardier than it appears. It is very heat and drought resistant and I can't believe how quickly it grows-the tendrils which lie on the dirt form roots rapidly-I am hoping to take a few cuttings to friends. This plant also comes in a few different shades, I'd love to see them. Does anyone know much about other lovely vines/drapey growers? I'd love to expand my collection and knowledge.