I noticed that the leaves on the fig tree have just begun to turn yellow and so I am accepting that autumn is here. I’d love to be poetic about the gently falling rain but it’s seriously disrupting my gardening. I managed to plant out the Red Electric onion sets and some Jermor shallots last weekend but I don’t think much will get done this weekend. Time to focus on the positives.
One
I’m starting with some lovely greenhouse surprises. The Six On Saturday meme has gently persuaded me to do more propagation. These are my first ever root cuttings. I dug around the sides of the anemone ‘Honorine Joubert’ and found some thicker roots. I snipped off six cuttings and planted them up in September. The first signs of life have just appeared and it is all very exciting. Of course I now have to get them through the winter. I will resort to my usual tactic of crossing fingers.
Two
As the outside garden dies back so plans take shape for next year. I sowed some ammi visnaga in September and a good number of these have germinated. This is my first successful autumn sowing of ammi. I’m already looking forward to the froth they will add to next summer’s garden.
Three
The hesperantha was struggling to open up this gloomy morning but even its closed form adds a welcome burst of colour to this corner of the garden.
Four
Some weeks ago I was tempted by some pots of salvia ‘Mystic Spires’. I was advised to treat them as annuals and I did feel it was slightly mad to be buying a plant that was only going to last a few weeks, but I did and I think it was worth it. There is a slim chance that it might overwinter and I could have a go at taking some cuttings. I’ve got nothing to lose.
Five
Forgive me if I’ve said this before but I’ve been gardening here for three and bit years now. This colony of erigeron karvinskianus started out as three small pots bought from a plant sale in the early days. They have done their thing and spread out well. They have just begun to mask the stone wall that props up this part of the garden. I even spotted a few self seeders in the cracks which is just what I wanted. For me it’s a doer, flowering all summer. I know others find it thuggish but for the moment it can run wild here.
Six
The skimmia ‘Lime Green’ that I added this summer has settled down very well and has just begun to flower again. This is in the north facing border in the space previously occupied by an ailing choysia. I have space for a few more plants here but I need something with height to cover the fence. I think one candidate is a camellia. Watch this space.
It’s time to bring the last of the tomatoes in, take the lemon tree to the greenhouse and, if it is ever dry enough, to prune the climbing rose, Mdme Alfred Carriere, on the back fence. Let’s hope there’s a small window of dryer weather soon. And if not, then there’s more time to read the links hosted by Mr P.
n20gardener 
I can’t get enough of the fleabane either, it is easy enough to pull up if it gets a little over exuberant. Well done for germinations and root cuttings, best feeling in the world. 🙂
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Seriously?! Is it the Californian sort? I like it too, but it can get weedy.
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Apparently it’s raining a lot at your place .. no time to put your nose outside (as we say here). Here, it was rather mild the all week and very beautiful today. You can see that 100-150km further south it changes everything! Good luck for the rest of your sowing
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And still more rain came last week. But this weekend is dry. I’m hoping the grass will get cut.
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I am a big fan of the fleabane too. Took me several attampts to get some established, but hoping it is here to stay now. And yes, one positive to take away from the rain is that we get time to read about other sixers’ lovely gardens! I hope your ammi grows well, such a lovely flower.
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I’m looking to pot on the ammi this weekend. More finger crossing to be done
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I would not expect fleabane to be so popular, but your are the second one to express appreciation for it. like it to, but most who grow more of it do not. It is native here.
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Anything so pretty that spreads itself and doesn’t get eaten is welcome in my garden!
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The one that is native here might actually be prettier in your climate. Because it lives in chaparral climates, it can get crispy real quick if the air gets dry. It does it expecting to get even drier, just because that is how the climate works. Many plants here do that.
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We were given a pot with Erigeron in it, along with Hesperantha. Can’t remember which was the passenger but I should look for seed on the fleabane. Tomorrow, if I remember. Mystic Spires is a good looking plant, I shall look out for that next year.
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I love it when you get a good passenger in the pot. I hate when it is oxalis!
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Can you see the seed? I never looked for it. It is a native here, and grows wild.
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I have Erigeron spreading itself around my garden, but I cut it back to the ground in winter which keeps it in check a bit. It’s certainly a great filler. I’m also a big fan of salvias which grow very easily from cuttings. I think yours will survive winter if you cut it back and cover it with mulch. Mine cope with temps as low as -7 C
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So undecided whether to leave them and mulch or to lift them. I think it is the wet weather that will do for them. Still, good to hear that -7 C is possible
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I want to try the fleabane in a few cracks on the patio steps next year once the builders have finished trampling. Lovely little space filler.
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Definitely worth a go, it’s been flowering all summer.
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Root cutting success! Well done! Those early signs are very encouraging, but dont be tempted to do anything with them, there wont be new roots yet. Just leave em be till the spring. I grew some fleabane frommseed this year, I’m hoping it will colonise the nooks and crannies.
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Having inherited a rampage of anemone Honorine Joubert that threatens to take over my house, I shudder at you propagating the beasts. One thing SoS has taught me, tho, is that what thrives in my garden often doesn’t in someone else’s & it has nothing at all to do w/gardening skill. Plants are mysteriously fickle. Anyway, the cuttings look great. Those mystic spires look great, especially next to the hydrangea’s autumn colour. Well worth getting it for the lift this time of year but also for taking cuttings. Do you think it’ll have time to make seed before first frost?
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I just wish my HJs would rampage! One man’s meat etc. I am wondering about lifting the salvias. They are still flowering away this week so it is so tempting to leave them but probale better to lift sooner rather than later. Last time I looked I didn’t see any good cutting material but I’ll check again this weekend.
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Wow, I will stop commenting on the comments about fleabane now. People really seem to like it. I would not have guessed that it should be so popular.
Anyway, I am sorry that I missed all the sixes last week. I am very behind schedule.
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