I love the Victorian Garden in the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens with the sunny, happy flowers such as the zinnias. This Shangri-La of a garden doesn’t know that the rest of us have experienced killing frost in our beds.

I can never resist setting up my paints near the salvia and zinnias during Paint the Town in August. At first glance, zinnias look so uncomplicated, but the photos I took yesterday show a tiny garden of lily-looking florets sprouting out of the middle of the flower.

Each bloom is a universe of colour.

I was travelling light yesterday and brought just a sketchbook and a fat marker. I had no chair or support for my sketchbook and stood while drawing. It was a bit awkward, but gave me a good vantage point for eye-level flowers.

Later, at home, I added watercolour to my drawings.

When I paint or draw a flower, the process helps me to get to know its uniqueness. I learn more about the shape, the veins in the leaves, the petal details, the way the flower leans.

I enjoy trying to capture the movement and the joy of these outrageously colourful and happy flowers. I painted these Zinnias a month ago during Paint the Town. Imagine, they are still blooming!

Tomorrow  I’ll show you what I found in the perennial bed.