Spring went by in a flash here. And just as summer arrived, so did the pincushions or Leucospermums. I love these beautiful flowers from the protea family for the range of cheery summer colours that they offer. In the basket this week was the first real harvest of some newly planted pincushions called Leucospermum Scarlet Ribbons. The plants are not quite 3 years old and are starting to flower really well now. It looks like summer in a basket to me!
The Scarlet Ribbons start off with a slightly pink/purple tinge due to the hairs on the sheaf that contains the "pin". As the pins emerge the overall colour impression changes. The spines are a salmon pink and the sheaths curl to reveal a scarlet interior. Then as the flower ages, it becomes more intensely red.
I love the summery colours of pincushions. There are 3 varieties in this shot of my picking trailer. Don't they remind you of gelato flavours? Raspberry, mango and tangerine!
