Monday, August 11, 2008

Fuchsia

September 1993: a holiday with a companion in Co. Kerry. A peaceful, serene hiatus, amidst mountains and green fields, in a life that was at that point careering out of control with the speed of a express train. We walked lanes and paths bordered with mile upon mile of fuchsia hedges.

Previously I'd thought of the fuchsia as a well-behaved, cultivated suburban species. Rather boring in fact. I'd never seen anything like this riotous, unlimited abundance of colour and I marvelled.


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It wasn't in the garden last year and I didn't plant it. Probably a passing bird.

For a start I wouldn't have placed it where it is growing now, right in the middle of a flourishing clump of other assorted blooms. But I can't deny that it lifts the heart to see it. The red and purple flowers glow and quiver like so many miniature, coloured lanterns. In the grey August dampness, uninvited, they shine.






8 comments:

herhimnbryn said...

Such style.

Sky said...

yessssss, just lovely, and we love ours! in fact we have a hanging basket filled with these beauties and another garden pot stuffed full! some are hardy and others are not.

MB said...

What a thought — that these could grow as volunteers! Not here, that's certain.

Anonymous said...

beautiful fuschias, I adore them and their bright colour. The always remind me of chinese pagodas!

Anonymous said...

We had beautiful riotous fuschia bushes in our garden in Ireland. Mum loved them and planted them in hanging baskets every year when she and Dad moved over here to the States. Now I feel a bit bad, because every year since she died I've planted fuschias in hanging baskets for him, but this year I didn't. I intended to, but I couldn't find any when I was doing his planters, and I never ended up picking them up later, even though I meant to. Darn.

Anonymous said...

We had beautiful riotous fuschia bushes in our garden in Ireland. Mum loved them and planted them in hanging baskets every year when she and Dad moved over here to the States. Now I feel a bit bad, because every year since she died I've planted fuschias in hanging baskets for him, but this year I didn't. I intended to, but I couldn't find any when I was doing his planters, and I never ended up picking them up later, even though I meant to. Darn.

mm said...

Thanks everyone. Not the best photos, these but I couldn't resist posting them, the fuchsias are so gorgeous ....

Barbara said...

Beautiful flowers brought to you by a bird - wonderful.