Are you feeling a little glum? Depressed at the thought of weeks and weeks of grey drizzle and overcast sky? (If you’re in the Northern hemisphere that is). Do Christmas songs on perpetual loop drive you to random acts of meanness toward strangers? Well ,what you need is a great, big slap of red. Technicolour red. Right here, right now. I’ve been trawling through my backlog of unused photos and thought, mid-December, that a splish of crimson, a splash of scarlet, a splosh of vermilion might do you the world of good. So here you are then, whether you want it or not …… RED!
Cotoneaster berries. The Priory – November 2011.
Opium poppies. The Priory – June 2011.
Malus ‘Gorgeous’ crab apple. The Old Forge – November 2011.
Just a few drops of red. Soldier beetles (Rhagonycha fulva). The Priory – July 2011.
Pyracantha berries. The Priory – September 2011.
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quiquefolia). The Old Forge – September 2011.
Ivy leaf Pelargonium. The Priory – July 2011.
Dahlia ‘Dark Spirit.’ The Priory – July 2011.
Rosa rugosa ‘Roseraie de l’hay.’ The Priory -July 2011.
A blush of red. Sedum and nigella. The Old Forge – August 2011.
Another opium poppy – with visitors. The Priory – June 2011.
Holly. The Priory – December 2011.
There you go. Did that help? Less glum – more happy? No? Oh well, suit yourself.
The Anxious Gardener 
Thanks Karen and a very Merry Christmas to you too!
Hehehe. I think I guessed that you might like red, Helen. What with the spingly, spangly hat and all. Glad you liked the photos and really? Never heard of soldier beetle? An English childhood thing, I thought – along with grazed knees, wasps buzzing around bottles of pop and flying ants! Maybe not.
Dave
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I adore red – wear it alot. Thanks for the jolly not particularly festive post jut what I needed and I have never seen or heard of solider beetles so feel more educated as well now!
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Came by to wish you a Merry Christmas, love the photos David!
Have a good one 🙂
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Ah, well Boys that would explain why I am so stupendously rich. And of course I knew red was your favourite – the AG being all seeing, all knowing.
Course, I can Jane. Same place, same time next year. Will that suit?
Dave
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Nah! Missed the RED, can you run that by me again!?
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All of the photos are stunning, the eighth one in particular!
Red, red, red, easily my favourite colour! And what would an exotic garden be without red??
Oh yes, according to feng shui having more red in the garden attracts more money to the household 😉
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Just got it. Thanks Elaine – very kind of you. Don't think I've had an award since I won the triple jump for Herts county in about 1979!
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A big dollop of red is just what is required at this time of year – red and green are definitely synonymous with winter. Did you get my message about the 'award' check your inbox.
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You're very welcome, Stacy though I find it difficult to imagine you grumpy – do you snarl? And scare small children? But then I find it hard to imagine New Mexico in the drizzle. It's desert for goodness sake, don't the powers that be realise that? Thought you'd left all that grey behind in Vermont?
Thanks Janet. Seems I've tapped a vein of grumpiness the world over. We had an hour or two of Christmas music on Sunday night thinking it might help the Christmassy feel. Did it work? Did it buffalo! (I love my trusty Nikon D60 – big time).
You are not allowed to be grumpy Mr F – it's summer where you are, surely? Did think of writing a poem but realised that was best left to those who do it well!
Hi Holley, glad you liked them. I never quite knew what to do with that shot of soldier beetles. Until now, that is.
Hey Andrea, and a cheery day to you too though frankly you're not allowed to be glum either. You and Faisal. Sorry, but absolutely not allowed! That's the prerogative of us Northerners.
Dave
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Hi Dave, was feeling a bit glum(and the sun is shinning about 25C)i think its the pre Xmas blues and i have heaps to do and here i am in blogsville. Love the photos & bit of cheer! Have a cheery day!!
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It did cheer me up! I loved all the red pics, especially the berries. But the soldier beetles were a fun surprise!
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It's done the trick, Santa Dave! Very fine photos too.
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I need cheering up Dave. I'm trying to get in the Christmas spirit but it's a bit a “bah humbug” and guess who's doing the cooking again!
Lovely photos. You must have a good camera as well as a good eye. And that's with the compliemts of the season…
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Well, that's what the doctor ordered. Great timing, Dave–it's gray and yucky and drizzly again here today. That waterfall of a dahlia especially is the perfect antidote. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You've made the world a cheerier place again. Random strangers thank you for saving them from me in a grumpy mood.
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Hehe. Dang – why didn't I think of that?
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Thought perhaps you were going to don a red suit and a white beard and show us pictures ;). In the absence of that, a lovely collection of reds nonetheless.
S
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