Firework night

I love these red hot pokers - they're so sturdy and upright; none of your wimpy, floppy perennials which blow over at the first puff of wind!

This one is the old favourite which has gone under many names, but I think has now settled down as Kniphofia 'Nobilis', which is easy to remember. They're quite hardy here, but I've started planting such south African plants over a bucket of pea gravel to give some extra drainage in winter.

And finally, just to round things off, did you know that kniphofias (which my spellcheck suggests should be written 'Phoenicians'!) are named after the 18th century German botanist Johann Hieronymus Kniphof!  

Oh I forgot to say that in the background is my favourite hydrangea of the moment - 'Zorro'!