A bit of blue ... a few shining lights ... & a lot of buzz!

I love blue and also Ceanothus, as did my father. I bought a dwarf Ceanothus to remind me of him (as if I needed reminding). It hasn't flowered yet. Maybe I'll have to wait till next year.
It was lovely to see the bee on yours :o)

Thanks Hywel ... I really want the darker blue one too but that was the new one I lost to the winter we just had. Wish I'd taken more care of it but I thought it was sheltered enough. They're not as tough as they look!:o(

I thought I'd lost my dwarf one but it's coming back slowly. I hope you can gat another dark one.. I once had a pink one but it's very tender and I lost it, but it was really beautiful.

Oooh pink? That would be nice but sounds a bit precious for my garden!

It would be worth a try :o)

The bees certainly love the Ceanthus and so do I, tried to save 4 from the old slope to put on my higher terraces and 1 at least flowered. 2 look partly good-hope by trimming them a bit, they'll be o.k.next year. 1 looks totally dead but it's still alive, so hopefully even that one will flower next year. I am amazed really because I was told by the landscapers that none would take, wrong season they had to take them out of the ground, too waterlogged when they put them back in and yet in my case the are going to make it. Fingers crossed. Oh by the way, I did hear the bees conversation - well I imagined it and understood every word

What a lot of solar lights, they look very pretty.

Fluff I`m singing the blues now, very nice tho.......

Titchy ... were they saying what a good restaurant this was? I hope so! They're in decline aren't they? I don't remember there being bees on this one last year so maybe it means there are more about.

Thank you Silverbelle ... I love solar lights ... keep buying more! You don't have to have the expensive ones for a good show & I make sure they're in the pots so they don't have to be moved every time the lawn gets mown! (Accompanied by much gnashing of the teeth by the resident groundsman!).

Thanks Linclass ... John Lee Hooker would be impressed eh?!!

I got two of these yesterday (Blue Mound variety) and was told they were quite fragile so looked them up online and most sites have said they were hardy, your's look beautiful....what areas/sites do you recommend planting them up in then Fluff and can you recommend a suitable planting partner?

They are hardy in mild winters but I would protect them anyway as you never know what happens in the middle of the night!
Last winter the temps dropped so much & the cold wind & sharp frosts caught them by surprise. The two I lost were in pots & one was on the decking so not sheltered enough. This one is right by the house against a panel fence & still got badly 'burnt' by the frost so I was thrilled when it flowered so well.
I think they aren't as hard as they make out!

You should have tried videoing the bee on these flowers.....a B-rate Blue movie!!! lmao!!

Very nice and always nice to see the bumbling bees about!

Thanks Dan! Blue movie ... very good ... keep on taking the tablets! Lol!

I never stopped.......anyway, medication is good for you......YUM YUM!!

God, I need help. Apparently, my sister reckons they have brilliant solar lights in those pound shops that have sprouted up on the old Woolworths sites around the country! Worth a look if you want some that work....lol!

A lot of mine are £2 from Focus ... they are small & thin & so don't look to incogus ... incongrus ... incognous ... out of place ...during the daytime! ;o))

lmao!!

We have one of those pondshops on our highstreet, and I went in yesterday and it's well worth a look. They have solar rocklights there, only small, but they looked lovely and I was tempted. No, I didn't buy any, but I will next payday.

lovely blue, my neighbour has that to, garden looks lovely lit up at night ;o))

Good idea silverbelle ... if you bring them in over winter & turn them off they are as reliable as the more expensive ones.

Thanks Sandra ... it's hard to get the right time to take a pic of the lights ... they always look good as I'm taking it but not so good on the laptop!

Oh Fluff, I do enjoy your blogs, and this is another great one! That is a gorgeous Ceanothus that you have there, I love this shade of blue, and obviously so do your bees! Because of the really cold Winter we had, a lot of usually tough Ceanothus really suffered~and I know of quite a few people who had lost theirs this year. Usually they sail through our Winters without a problem, but now as we never know what we are getting from one day to the next, it might be worth being a little more protective of them, as it is truly heartbreaking to lose a healthy plant :~((
Love your garden lights too!!

Aw thank you Flori ... good to hear from you. i think I will really protect my ceanothus this next winter as it has given me so much pleasure this summer.

know what you mean about lights, i cant get a true pic of mine either fluff ;o(

My neighbours think I'm potty ... I hang out of the spare room window when I go to bed & they are already in bed ... taking pics & the flash goes off ... & it still doesn't look right!

lol fluff ;o))