Newsletter -August News2019
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Plant of the Month

  Sunflowers

one of my favourite flowers, I am growing an assortment of these to paint in watercolour and possibly oils. These are the usual bright, clear yellow but I have some "art shades" too
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This one is a fabulous muted purple  and soft gold and there are more to flower yet. I intend to paint some of them individually and some in groups and have already made some sketches and colour notes in preparation.

​I am aware I will probably have to use my photographs too as the first ones to flower lost their petals quite quickly. For that reason I have already made sketches of the plant structure, especially the buds, and will continue as they age and decline. I've made colour notes too as each one is unique. They are making a lovely splash of colour in the vegetable garden. Sadly the runner and French beans are poor this year, the result of extreme hot and cold weather and the drought so the sunflowers have compensated. The apple crop is good though!
Penarth Open Gardens​
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This popular annual event takes place  at the end of July and I have been taking part for almost all the twenty-three years it has been running.
This year we had perfect weather and lots of lovely, enthusiastic visitors on both days. Stars of the my garden were the purple Dieramas (Angels' Fishing Rods), always impressive and full of flowers this year.  

​I was joined this year by my daughter Amanda, Silk_Moon_Creative, and we  put on a joint exhibition of our artwork. 
 A big "thank you" to everyone who supported the Penarth Open Gardens Trail, Amanda and I feel privileged to be part of it. Thankyou  too to my daughter Joanna for her help and for taking  the lovely exhibition photographs.