From pink to green...

You'll have seen the second picture in this post quite recently (if not I shared it in the second part of my 2017 in photos) but it was only this last weekend that It dawned on me that it looked quite different.  This is what it looks like now.

Scroll down and you'll see not only is it smaller, but it's now also much greener, but there are also babies. I promise you it's the same plant.  

I never realised this was a thing. But apparently it is. I know that now, thanks to reassurance from the internet. Succulents can change colour, as mine has, when there's less sunlight about, so that makes sense doesn't it?

Even though it's in our conservatory, there has definitely been less sunlight. But you know what, now I'm curious to find out if it'll change back to pink when the sun is around. Do you know?  Have you experienced this?  I'm curious. And quite impatient to find out...

The loos with the succulents

Sometimes good loos come at you thick and fast. Or they seem to for me anyway. And as you know by now a good loo deserves to be photographed. Some of these photos might be a little blurry-er than usual but when I tell you these are the loos in a City of London pub, I hope you'll forgive me.

These light fittings meant I was off to a good start. And the central island of offset sinks didn't worry me either.

And then in front of the mirrors I spotted these terrariums complete with succulents, on pebbles and moss.

Large succulents too. Larger than mine.

And if you needed an excuse to stare in the mirror, then you could also pick up some cocktail recipes here at the same time.  The Summer Nights vodka and watermelon cocktail sounded great, one to hint at with MOH I think...

And then it struck me, the whole space had the feel of Rockett St George to it - not a bad thing, but not what I expected in a City of London pub either.

And if you're wondering where these loos are, they're in the Anthologist on Gresham Street in EC2. Well worth a look - with maybe a beverage or two, or even a cocktail - if you're ever that way.

July's flowers: Fuchsias, agapanthus and succulents (yes succulents)

Remember those giant fuchsias I had a while back? Well they've grown, and flowered.  And while the flowers could be described as giant, the plants are still not quite in the giant category. They have grown tremendously since even the end of May, but I think that (assuming they survive the winter) next year they'll be brilliant.

The buds of the flowers gave a hint of the fullness of the flowers within, looking fit to burst at any moment.

And when they did, pretty ballerinas with frilly skirts were on display. I don't think there's been more than a couple of flowers on each plant at a time, but given there's so much flower that's not surprising is it?

They last pretty well too, and still have a certain elegance even as they fade.

Elsewhere in the garden the hardy fuchsia bush was up for the chop. It looks dramatic - and quite a bit was cut off - but it was the lower branches which were starting to swamp the grass. Seeing it in the trug waiting to go to the compost bin looking so pretty almost made me regret it, but then looking back at the bush that looks way better too.

July was also the month that deadheading also came into its own with gazanias, sweet peas, giant fuchsias and roses all combining to make this striking photo - helped by the pretty pink trug.

DEADHEADING!

By the conservatory our agapanthus buds were finally opening, there was a while to go before the flowers started to open but watching these is fascinating. 

And when they open, they're breathtakingly stunning.

Outside my greenhouse something quite remarkable has taken place in my succulent trug. Some of my succulents have started flowering, and they're the most delicate flowers. 

I've never seen succulents flower, especially any of my own. And if I'm honest I'm surprised they have because I do very little to help them. Most of these were pretty neglected last winter, as I forgot I'd left them in the hanging basket on the cherry tree. But I do wonder if that contributed to this year's flowers, as after all they are alpines, who knows?

There's been plenty more flowers in the garden during July but these three are my favourite plants, so it's good to see them all flowering at the same time.  What's your favourite plant?