More marvelous magenta

Given that we've fallen into a dreary spell with a heavy rain and wind earlier today, I can feel the chill hand of autumn reaching for my spirits. To counter that, I present you with some more magenta moments; all of these are currently still blooming in my yard, with the exception of one photo, which I'll explain when we get to it.
To begin with, I love the juxtaposition of the vibrant flowers of this single rugosa against the startling clarity of its hips. I'm a real softy for rugosa roses--we have a number of Hansas, Roserie de la Haie, Dart's Dash, and a few that are just not known, all in various shades of fuchsia/magenta. (I have white, yellow and even soft pink ones too, but when the magenta ones start to bloom, I bury my nose in them and make happy sounds because the sultry fragrance goes so well with that voluptuous colour.


This is a surprise, or volunteer, nicotiana, because this year I didn't plant any at all, so it obviously flowered from seed cast away last year. The only drawback is the lack of scent, a problem with most of the hybrids. Next year, I plan to have species nicotiana, both in green and white, in the garden again.

Uh oh....I'm starting that talk about 'next year's garden' already!


I bought this as a not-necessarily hardy penstemon, (and I've written earlier that I wasn't crazy about penstemons til Sour Grapes. If this overwinters and comes back, terrific. If not, that's okay--I've really enjoyed its rich colour and it's still flowering its little head off in my garden. I don't know the species or cv, just that I got it at Glad Gardens and they always have interesting plants.


Here's how to get an obedient plant that really IS obedient, and doesn't try to wander all over the garden--get the variegated form, which not only features icy-white and green foliage, but leaves that develop a tint of rich rosey magenta as the season winds down. Oh, and of course those fun little florets in our featured colour, too.


This plant is just going out of bloom now--a variegated phlox, not the white and green variety other bloggers have mentioned in the past; I'm having an absent-minded moment right now because I can't remember this plant's name. It's an odd combination, perhaps, but it works for me for just that reason.


Ah, here we have one of those photos that just doesn't do the flower's colour justice. Rose campion is the deepest, richest shade of fuchsia imaginable; and with that silvery foliage it just leaps out of any planting, but it does it with class. It selfseeds around our garden, not overwhelmingly but wherever it is, I'm glad to have it. The white and white with rosey centre forms are also lovely and welcome, but this is my favourite.


My dear friend Flora dug this clump of autumn crocus, or Colchicum, for me several years ago. These plants fascinate me, coming up with great foliage in the spring that gradually melts away--then this profusion of ghostlike flowers emerge in September. They're still hanging on out there, several weeks after first emerging, too.


Now this is a fun photo. We have something like a dozen different clematis around the place, and while most are identified, this one isn't. Notice that it has both single and double flowers happening at the same time; the first time we saw this happen, three years ago, we thought there were two separate species planted by accident. But the next spring I checked when I cut the clematis back, and nope--it's all one plant. Weird, isn't it?


Anyone have any ideas what its name is? Isn't it a dandy flower?


This is a hardworking and never-troublesome false mallow, or sidalcea; I move little clumps of it occasionally and it starts up anew, but it never tries to take over the neighbourhood. The bees just LOVE it...and I love the light behind it and how it makes the flowers look so delicate. They're winding down, but there are still some out there to nourish the late bees.


An exuberant coloured aster of medium height is the New York aster 'Jenny'. She's quite different from Alma and Thyra Viking and other pink, red or magenta types, and really attractive.


To wind up today's post celebrating magenta, I leave you with this shot of a friend's garden; part of it, that is. Earlier this summer, it was awash in perennial sweet peas and heathers in rich shades of pink, purple and you guessed it, magenta. Now, the walls bordering one side are covered in Virginia Creeper, displaying itself in a host of fuchsia related shades. Behind the walls are tall, willowy clematis, purple coneflowers, perennial cranesbills also boasting this happy colour. But the main reason I post this is because Jim is recovering from very serious surgery, and this is my get-well-quickly wish to him and his wife and family. We walked around their garden yesterday, and that was good for him, and I hope that by spring, he'll be raring to get back working in this marvelous garden. So heal quickly and well, because I have plants to give you!