Hydrangea Heads And Leaves

The Hydrangea in the top corner of the garden is festooned with beautiful colourful leaves, and drying flower heads.
The flowers were a lovely shocking pink colour. As Autumn draws on the leaves have lost their green chlorophyll and now are red and orange on the edges.
The colder weather strips plants to the wooden stems and branches.
The rain has stopped for the moment, but it is still cloudy.
A collared Dove is sat on the bird feeder now pecking his way through the bird seed.
Its a lovely, lazy sunday. I picked a few weeds out of the garden and spotted the Spring bulbs pushing through the soil slowly.
With all the summer flowers finished you take any colour you can get for a photo..

Winter Watercolour

I finally got back into the garden today after working two extra night shifts.I took a few photos and replaced the bird food.
This is the Hydrangea with the Blue flowers leeching the colour out.The muted tones look like a watercolour painting.
The Spring bulbs are slowing showing themselves through the cold soil.The Lilac tree is covered in buds ready for next year..
Its getting closer to Xmas and i need to get organised for that as im working across all of it..
I heard the garden birds singing today, which reminds me..
On one of my night shifts I saw a Tawny Owl flying over the hospital buildings, making hooting noises.
It was maybe thirty feet above me with out stretched wings. Its the first time I have ever seen a wild owl hunting in the dark.

Green and light

Hydrangea in the Evening Sunlight after getting up.They are flowering in the pot that is sat near the Bedroom Windowsill.I am waiting for the colours to develop on the little green flowers.The top leaves have already turned a lighter peppermint green colour compared to the usual dark green well veined leaves.
The Oriental Stargazers have two well developed buds on one plant, and one sickly looking bud on the other plant.That second plant dropped most of its buds off for some strange reason.
I think they dont like the cold.The weather has been warm during the day, but then chilly at night.I have never grown them before so the journey from planting the bulb, to leaves growing, buds developing, and the final flowering stage is new.
I take a few photos when i get up before going to work.The plants are chilling to classic FM at night then being moved to a light room whilst i sleep.
Once im up i check their growth, soil, leaves, or flowers.They seem to be flourishing with my minimal attention.
Only two more nights after the Fifth one tonight.It always reminds me of Shakespeare Twelth Night :)

Hydrangea in a pot

The cutting that fell off Frans Hydrangea bush as we moved it from the bermuda triangle to the side border by her grass.

The cutting had some good roots and has been sat in the pot, just topped up with compost, on a saucer.It has been sat in the windowsill.

The plant has flower buds, and all the leaves are still a luscious green colour.When I move finally I will have the start of a Hydrangea bush.The quaint bush beloved by British gardeners with the flowers like footballs in shades of blue, pink, or white.
There are urban myths about how to make the soil acidic to turn the flowers blue. Alkaline soil makes them come out pink.Fran swore by using iron chippings to keep the flowers blue.
The old MAU (medical admissions unit) had enormous Hydrangea bushes by the fire exit door. Thats where I saw them, and started wanting to grow them. The hottest day of the year last year, and we took cuttings :)
Experience is a thing best learned from, they are better for taking in the spring when the plant is actively growing. Maybe four of five pairs of leaves would be best.
Fran used a glass of water to root the cutting. I used the cutting in soil with a pop bottle over the top to stop it wilting through transpiration. This one was just put into soil, kept moist, and given the best lit windowsill since it moved here into the indoor greenhouse.
I am sure master gardeners can tell me the best way to grow Hydrangea cuttings. They are beautifully foliaged, and this one has flowers developing as shown in the second photo.