I have not ventured out in the garden too much lately but one day this week there was a gap in the downpours and I managed to do some work. I have a very sodden garden and I was squelching around in the borders. I managed to divide some day lillies and a knautia. I relocated some sanguisorba ‘Tanna’ that had not performed at all well and planted ten of the hundred or so bulbs that I have left to plant. The borders are slipping into winter dormancy and I thought there would not be much to show for this week’s six. But it is surprising what can be found. Here they are.
One
By today this dahlia had finally opened up. Do I have the slowest dahlias in the UK? I’m hoping the first frosts are a few weeks off. To be fair, this dahlia was dug up and replanted in a pot after a slug attack had left it in tatters so I should be proud of its resilience.
Two
The Orange Cushion dahlias that I am hoping to propagate from seed have put out a new flush of flowers and I do much prefer this size of dahlia flowers. Collecting seed has not been possible so far as the seed heads are a soggy mess. Dahlia lovers – should I be cutting the heads off and bringing them inside to dry? I have done this with my agapanthus and they did deliver some lovely black seed.
Three
These beautifully coloured mushrooms are now an annual feature of the garden. I have quite a colony of them this year. I think they come with the mulch that I buy each year and I am very happy to have them.
Four
This is my one flowering nerine for the year. It is bowdenii ‘Ostara’. I planted about ten in April 2018. I am having another go and as a result of special offer – end of season, we have so many we are giving them away – I now have 30 more. Total cost £5. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’ve some in a pot now, hoping that they will be my insurance.
Five
The fig leaves have yellowed so much more over the week. Sadly it is unlikely that the fruit that remains will ripen and I will have to pick them all off soon. On of my least favourite garden jobs.
Six
The hylotelephium spectabile that I mentioned a few weeks ago have darkened to a good deep red. I did move a few round in the front garden and have some spare plants to over-winter in pots. As the garden matures my collection of plants in pots increases. The self seeding geraniums and alchemillia mollis are growing in number but there are always gaps to be filled and they will be put to good use next year.
I take my hat off to Mr P who manages this herd of SOSers. I had a busy week last week and didn’t get to read many of my usual SOS favourites. I will do better this weekend – after I finish planting the allium and daffodil bulbs!
n20gardener 
Every day I take a look at my figs in the hope of picking some of them. Those that are a little soft and drooping are almost ripe and I put them in the kitchen 48h to complete the ripening. They are less sweet than those of summer but it’s tasty
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Mine all seem too hard, I’ll keep looking. I think the squirrels are sneaking up in the early morning.
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You are so lucky to have figs. My new fig tree had baby figs and they all dropped along with the leaves back in June. In hindsight, I don’t think they were getting enough water. It is back in full leaf now… fingers crossed.
While the Dahlias are so colourful it’s strange they are the one plant I’ve never taken to. My father used to grow them and had to lift the rhizomes? every yeare to store over winter… then there was always tears in Spring because they had rotted and he had to buy more. It’s kinda stuck with me.
Your hylotelephium look good. I have some babies. Last year they flowered, this year they never grew any bigger than four inches and certainly no promise of a flower.
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I’m giving the dahlias one more go. I think you have to find the right ones. I worked out that I don’t like the dinner plate types and prefer either single dahlias or very small ones. Lifting them in the winter is usual where the weather is cold but I leave mine in the ground and so far no losses. I definitely wouldn’t bother if I had to lift and store them. I hope it works out for your fig, they are glorious to eat.
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I pick a few heads off my dahlias and dry them indoors. They need to be starting to go brown, several weeks after the flower has finished, then I break them up and let them dry out in trays before sorting out the seed. The seed needs to be thoroughly dry before being packeted for winter. Mine never dry on the plants, too wet here for that. I had a few Ostara nerines, wonder where they went.
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That;s really helpful. I should have picked a couple yesterday when it was dry – it’s raining again now. My last go with the nerines. Liked your carrot post btw. As the garden here becomes fuller my sights are turning to the veg plot. Next year…
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I’m contemplating seed saving with my dahlias but it’s so wet not sure I can be bothered. They are quite promiscuous so no telling what I’d get.
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I hope I get orange ones! Jim Stephens said to bring them inside to dry once they start to go brown. I will give it a go. Of course yesterday it was dry and now its pouring again.
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I’ve bought a pack of the the Bishop’s Children seed again and a cactus variety so don’t know that I’ll bother. Might try a few of my favourites though the offspring may be totally different.
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Nice colour on your Hylotelephium and the last of your dahlias are very cheery!
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I am sorry I missed all these.
You know, even though dahlias grow quite naturally here, there are years in which they do not bloom well until late summer. They can bloom on time, but I still prefer to think of them as a late summer bloomer. The tree dahlias grow all summer, and only bloom about late September to about now. They might be blooming now, but I do not remember.
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