"Not Fade Away"

Is it reverting to the wild form do you think?
I gave you a like for the other lovely flowers :0)

Thanks - yes, they must be, but WHY?

It seems to be just the pink tones,doesn't it? I would have dug the grey ones up too..love your Rolling Stones reference..I wonder if there's one called Brown Sugar ? lol..

Poor spritz - the grey flowers signal "It's All Over Now." You may be "Shattered" and "Can't Always Get What You Want," in fact you "Can't Get No Satisfaction." But if you don't like a grey flower, it's not all "Doom and Gloom," as you could "Paint It Black." Then you could still be "Blinded by Rainbows." I hope the new one performs as you want, until then you will be "Waiting on a Friend."

Oh Andrew ?

in my painting class pink is one of the 'fugitive' colours, it means that although they look fine when you first paint with them the colour doesn't last but fades away
how this is relevent to fading achillea I have no idea.
I googled it and pinks fading does feature but I got the impression this meant the age of the flower not the plant but I wasn't clear on that

Does look as though tis reverted doesn't it? Still if gives you another excuse to go shopping...

Lol Andrew!

does that mean the '19th nervous breakdown ' is avoided.

love all the 'rolling stones' links.

They do look they have reverted to the wild type though.

I know, and Andrew knows his 'Stones', but WHY do they do this? It's infuriating. Definitely close to my '19th Nervous Breakdown'! I don't really fancy 'Painting it Black' - it wouldn't go with my colour scheme. 'Ruby Tuesday' might be more appropriate. ;-)

Wouldn't have anything to do with the soil would it.....like hydrangeas?

I was always more a Cliff girl
so" Move it ?"

Just look on it as "A Lighter Shade Of Pale"?

I can't - it's gone. "Where have all the flowers gone?"

In the compost bin, that's where!

Pam, I don't think so, but thanks for the suggestion. x

Not just pinks, my lovely Salmon Beauty went the same dirty way after a few years, it's all over now, must be genetic. I'll give terracotta a try. I do have a new one which is supposed not to fade, from Crocus I think, but it appears to be more red than purpley red which is what I wanted:-(

Do you know its name, Ba? I might take a look-see.

strange. Any chance that they're getting cross-pollinated from wild plants nearby? - depends how "nearby" the pollinators travel!

I don't think so Fran, the original plant would still remain as they're hardy, though sometimes short lived...it's a mystery:-)

Barbara, it was 'Pomegranate' (Tutti Frutti Series), they claim "Unlike many of the others, it holds its flower colour well", which I take to mean it doesn't fade? It's also fairly compact. Another good one seems to be Walther Funcke, terra cotta colour. I may give it a try:-)

I know Walther, and he's the wrong colour for that bed, but a good one. I wonder if I have 'Pomegranate'? It rings a bell...I'll check my plant list.

No - it was 'Pink Grapefruit'. That faded...:-((

Ha ha, nearly, pomegranates much better for you:-)

Not all reversion is bad. After about six (?) years my Iris japonica is reverting and the new fans are no longer variegated! Happy days here!

As long as the flowers don't go grey, Meanie!!!

Thankfully the flowers on the true species are identical Spritz.

Good - faded grey irises might look a bit strange!

I guess for anyone who is colour blind, grey achilleas are the norm.

That's a sad thought, Andrew - a colourless world. :-(

Maybe colourless, but you would be more aware of textures and leaf shapes. Colour can distract the eye from these subtleties.

What a profound thought! :-)

Does marketing help or hinder the choices we make? A. mill. 'Lilac Beauty' had these descriptions by what most of us would consider reliable suppliers -

1.This lilac-mauve achillea matures to a dignified silver-rinse grey - making the perfect foil for vibrant penstemons, bright hardy salvias and rich-purple.

2. This beautiful Achillea produces a profusion of rosy lilac flowers, which fade slightly with age to a lavender pink.

Neither mentioned growing conditions and both described the plant as reliable??????

Perhaps GOY-ers should produce an alternative catalogue, with REAL descriptions of plants and their vices.

That is a good idea!

How interesting, have only got a couple, a pretty pink and the Terracotta which decided not to flower at all this year, will certainly not be buying any more if this is how they are going to turn out.....thanks for the info.

I don't call dirty grey a "dignified silver-rinse grey", Scotsgran! Talk about dressing up a very real problem! Grrr...

My new one is fading, but it's still quite pretty and not grey, thank goodness. I'll post a photo of it today.

do you plant the "fading ones" in the same place? I mean, could it be something in the soil, or something lacking in the soil?

Not my words Spritz, I am quoting from a current website from a well known and often recommended, by Goy members, company. I would be telling the retailer about the problems you have experienced.
The other quote came from an umbrella organisation which most of us would accept give out info we can trust. I think you might be a member so you could contact them for advice. At one time we could buy most HP plants at reasonable prices and would only push the boat out for something very special. In my experience supermarket and garden centre prices have rocketed in the past two years.

No, Fran, they're not all in the same area of the garden. My new one has indeed faded, but not to grey - yet!

Yes, Scotsgran, prices have indeed risen - I don't really know why.

I might ask the RHS and see what they say about Achilleas...good idea.

If you have a look at their plant trials for Achillea they did test a lot for the AGM awards. The results make interesting reading. As these are such a pretty colour when showing the chosen shade could you not just dead head as soon as they start to turn silvery (HUH!). You should then get new blooms of your chosen colour.

I might try that, thanks for the thought. :-)

I don't mind them fading after colourful flowering, the different colours can be attractive on a plant. It's that after a couple of years or so, those like the lovely Salmon Beauty don't even start out as the lovely salmon, but a rather dirty colour as soon as they bloom so have to go:-(

I bought two more at the Taunton Show yesterday - 'Rougham Salmon' which are actually peachy-pink. I'll keep you posted as to how they do.

Have just read your thugs blog, I would add Achillia to it, I have managed to get mine out in time.

Really? That's interesting!

By the way, 'Rougham Salmon' is doing well, and hasn't gone grey - yet!

That's Achillia Gold plate or Coronation Gold that gave me the invasion problem, I think. It was an old yellow anyway.

'Gold Plate' seems to stay put in my garden - and it stays bright yellow, too! Definitely a non-fader. :-)) I'm not familiar with 'Coronation Gold', I'm afraid.

Coronation Gold a really old variety, mentioned in a book I have printed in 1971.

I wonder if it's still available? The plant, I mean, lol!

According to Plant Finder, there are 23 stockists.
Bob Brown at Cotswold Garden Flowers gives it a rating of 7 out of 10

What ever it was I wouldn't have it again, and it's put me off all Achillia.

Oh dear - I can understand it, though.