If the garden was happy last week, it should be ecstatic this week. It has been sunshine and showers all the way, rounded off by gusting winds. It felt like Autumn. My minimal staking of the cosmos was revealed for what is was but pinching the dahlias out after three leaves has given me sturdier plants. Here’s six from the garden this week.
One
That Autumnal feel is enhanced by the sight of ripening apples. The windfalls have been coming thick and fast and I think picking those that remain will be on the to do list in the next week. All the apples go off to be juiced and I am pleased to hear that the juicing farm is open for business as usual.
Two
I am pleased to have fruit on the lemon tree again. It was in near-death mode after the cold spell of February 2018 – the famous ‘Beast from the East’ episode. However I doubt this fruit is going to fill out and ripen before it is consigned to the unheated greenhouse for overwintering. So sad. On the upside the lemon flowers are so fragrant.
Three
I am growing the wonderful Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ in a shady border. They are glowing at the moment. Long may they last and I give them permission to spread as much as they like.
Four
This is salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ which overwintered. Unfortunately the other two didn’t make it so it is not such a full planting scheme. I did supplement this one with some plug plants of ‘Mystic Spires’ but they have not performed as well. My research tells me that ‘Indigo Spires’ can reach four to five feet while ‘Mystic Spires’ peaks at three feet. Here ‘Mystic’ has managed about eight inches. Disappointing, but it’s not in the sunniest spot. I’ll be searching out ‘Indigo Spires’ for next year.
Five
Achillea ‘Summer Wine’. Poor thing, I’ve moved it around the garden, had it a pot overwinter and eventually planted it out. It’s a bit thin on the ground this year but I’m optimistic that this will settle in this sunny corner.
Six
Lastly, a hardworking pelagonium. Overwintered in the greenhouse, and dragged out for another year of flowers. I am very fond of this one. It never fails – touch wood.
I was making the most of the odd dry hour to get a few things done. The fruited canes of the loganberries have been cut down and the new canes tied together. Such tidiness is very satisfying. The blackberries will have to be tackled soon. The last of the new potatoes were dug up, revealing just how dry the ground was. It was a wet week but this garden really needed a good soaking. To take a look at how everyone else has been managing stop by at The Propagator. I see I have an ally in feeling that Autumn is sneaking in.
n20gardener 
Windfall apples have been eaten all week here as Apple Crumble – with added blackberries! My loganberries were never so poor as this year; hardly any crop at all and very, very little growth of new canes so it is not promising for next year at all. I think it was too dry at the time they needed water. Now, the place it saturated.
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Yes, same here. Too dry when needed. The raspberries don’t look as good as last year either. But maybe they’ll pick up. Apples are coming down again today!
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‘Honorine Jobert’ is indeed very beautiful. Mine have grown so tall this year – over five foot but be careful what you wish for in the spreading department!
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Five foot is impressive. I’ve never had them that tall and my older ones (three years) just have not spread at all and I’d like them too. This second group are doing much better so you may be right – careful what I wish for.
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I remember your lemon tree when it was almost dead. I’m glad to see it in this healthy condition! Apples and pears in large quantities here too, the crumbles are waiting for me and I won’t be long to eat them!
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It’s a bad time of year for the waistline. I’m thinking of Normandy cream now!!
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Nice six. My Achillea seeing lots of butterflies visiting today. My Japanese Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ was only planted last year and taking its time settling. Got a few flowers this year but would like a lot more.
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My second group of HJs are doing so much better than the first. First group are three years old and do okay but have not spread at all. You seem to be getting so many butterflies atm. Maybe I’m not just looking hard enough. Far too windy today I think.
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I’ve not needed to look. On sunny days they have been all over. But not enough sunny days. They need decent dry periods in summer or numbers will drop.
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So many sixers showcasing their fruit and veg this week! I really envy everyone with a fruit tree. ‘Honorine Jobert’ is very beautiful, I have a white one ‘White Swan’ which has very pretty grey-blue streak on the underside. It was a young plant last year so I am very pleased to see it has survived and flowering more this. And your pretty Pelargonium has reminded me that my ivy-leaved one must have died. I never had problems with pellies, but I am here for some reason.
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Strange how easy it is to forget a plant! I was thinking about some violas the other day – I had saved them from the S&Ss, kept them in pots, replanted them, and immediately forgotten them . They have just managed to survive another S&S attack after all the rain.
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Ah, Japanese anemone is so elegant! It does not do well here, but there is one small colony of it at work that will not die. It blooms with only a few flowers annually, and always looks badly, but somehow survives. Even the flowers are not very pretty, in a rather grungy pale shade of pink. Yet, because it is a Japanese anemone, it stays. I intend to take pieces of it to see if I can find a spot where they would be happier. Also, I intend to get a white cultivar.
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I had some grungy pink ones, once upon a time. Last year I deliberately added the pink ‘September Charm’ to go with some blue salvias. They are doing okay but the white ones are the best.
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So, mine were not the only grungy sorts! (I keep thinking that I was looking at them wrong.)
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‘Honorine Jobert’ is lovely. I wish mine would spread around a bit. The apples look tasty. Nice in a cake or crumble. I feel hungry now.
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Everyone warns that it’s a spreader but it seems to be very slow at getting underway. I’ve waited three years for some to run riot and they are still being very sedate!
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Why is it that Achillea will easily hold its own amongst the coarse growth of a roadside verge but gets quickly destroyed by slugs when I plant it in the garden. I paid good money for the same variety you have last year, it had vanished in about a week, got moved, started to come up, disappeared for good.
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Yes, it’s not as sturdy as I would like, I must keep an eye on the slug damage, so far it looks untouched but the rain keeps coming
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