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Here we’ve gone from unusually high temperatures to autumnal chills in a very short time. I’m still wondering how the summer disappeared so quickly. (And hoping for some more gentle sunshine that we can enjoy rather than be baked by.)
Late summer flowers have become a memory too. These heleniums (aka sneezeweed) are in colours that remind me of that summer heat. They are fiery and glowing and demanded to be gazed at and photographed.
The heleniums in the top image were in a garden I visited. I wouldn’t plant this particular helenium in my own garden because I’m not keen on its combination of colours. However, the flowers made a good picture anyway, so I was pleased to be able to photograph them.
The flowers in the bottom photograph were in my own garden. (Unfortunately the plant didn’t come back this spring – but I think it would have struggled to survive this dry summer, even if it had.) The colour here is much redder than the other plant and makes me think of the hot embers of a fire. Maybe I’ll try to grow it again in the future.
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
I really like Heleniums. I know of at least two native species here: one completely yellow, and one with that dark red center and quite small ray flowers. They’re cute as can be — once again I’m struck by the hints of our natives in your garden flowers. What the plant breeders get up to can be amazing. I do like the ones from your garden best. Those at the top are a little over the top for my taste!
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So many of our garden flowers have been bred from your wildflowers – it’s fascinating to read about and see the ‘originals’, especially in their own habitat.
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I’m keen on both Ann, of course I love *all* the bright colours! 😀
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I’m glad you enjoyed them Liz! Hope you’re finding lots of exciting spring colour! 🙂
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Y’day we found a very interesting road frontage with tall pink blossom trees underplanted with bright yellow forsythia. It was obviously eye-catching and rather exuberant and fun … I didn’t dislike it!
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Gorgeous and vivid red flowers…beautiful , Ann!!
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Thank you Indira! They were certainly very vivid. 🙂
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These reds and oranges are gorgeous, Ann. I’m ready to welcome them as the colours of autumn, rather than relive the summer’s heat (though I can completely relate to seeing them as red-hot embers).
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There’s a bit of a gap between them and the true autumn colours here. (Though we don’t get much in the way of the strong autumn reds, more often its yellows.)
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Stunning photos! I have some red dahlias providing this colour in my garden at the moment.
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Red dahlias are great. I have one that a friend gave me and it’s flowering now – a welcome blaze of colour! 🙂
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Lovely sneezeweed. I photographed a yellow species a few days ago. Most of our wildflowers are passed or passing and much of the garden as well.
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Yes, most of ours have gone now too. It will be a challenge to find anything to photograph!
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Beautiful photos Ann. I love Heleniums but they don’t really like my garden, I had a deep red one once, but it didn’t survive the wet winter and another one didn’t survive the slugs this spring.
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Thank you Jude! I can’t keep heleniums going for long here either. The dry summers make them struggle and we can get a fair bit of rain some winters, so they never seem to be happy!
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Have you tried them in containers?
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Not yet – but I might give that a try. 🙂
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Heleniums are lovely. Don’t know where our summer’s gone. Was dreadfully hot, then dreadfully warm and dull and humid, now suddenly really cold. Working in a freezing house wearing coat, mittens etc is not good. I refuse to put my heating/fire on till at least October.
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I know what you mean, Jill – it’s the same here in Suffolk. I had hoped for a week or two when it would be warm, but without the baking heat we’ve had. No such luck! Brr!
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