I believe I’ve mentioned before that we have a beautiful hydrangea with a silly name at the corner of our front porch: Pinky Winky.
It’s in bloom now: an extended process that starts with conical buds, metamorphoses into white blossoms, and gradually shades into deep pink blooms. The fragrance is sweet but not overpowering. I know that because I’ve been keeping it company on the front porch, watching the bumblebees come and go, go and come.
It’s a busy life, being a bee: They hardly alight and they never stop. It makes them difficult photographic subjects. By the time I track where one is, it’s not. But if I hang around long enough, and try often enough, eventually I get one or two shots.
First, while they’re sort of standing sort of still.
Then some fuzzy ones when they’re flying.
And finally, one precious sharp shot of a bee preparing to land.
Nice catches Isabel
Thanks, Jim.
Ah! Wow! You made it from Bronze to Silver to Gold and in one sitting, so to speak. Also, the Winks before the Pinks are just as gorgeous.
Laurna – 🙂 Yes, the flowers deserve an elegant name, IMO. They are both lovely and long-lasting.
Apart from the names of some hydrangeas reminding me of the Teletubbies, the naming of horses and show dogs also seems to be a somewhat incomprehensible exercise to anyone but the namer. A recent example that caught my attention is that of new silver medalist Jessica Springsteen’s (daughter of, yes, that Springsteen!) horse, Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve, but mind you, he is a beauty. It rolls off the tongue, which, maybe, is how the Pinky-Winky got its name. The Missouri Botanical Gardens describe this plant as “Hydrangea paniculata ‘Dvppinky’ PINKY-WINKY”, and states that “The genus name Hydrangea comes from hydor meaning “water” and aggeion meaning “vessel”, in reference to the cup-like capsular fruit. The specific epithet paniculata refers to the arrangement of the flowers in panicles.” It can grow up to 15 feet tall and 6 feet wide, maybe more. A beautiful addition to the neighbourhood, Isabel! And gorgeous pictures!
Marilyn – Yes, I think you have to be in the game to get the names, whichever game that is. I find that I have to cut back my dvppinky quite seriously every fall – just short of ruthlessly – or it takes over the whole entrance to the front porch.