It’s too darn hot to garden and almost too darn hot to write. But I’m giving it a go. The apples had to be picked this week, other commitments meant this was the best time for us if not for the apples. The pips were brown and the job was done early one morning. The quote for the new paving and veg beds arrived and was a third more than I was expecting. I should not be surprised by that. It is very likely that I will have to scale down my ambitions but that will have to wait for cooler times. I managed to snap (photograph not break!) a few things in the garden as I watered the pots and threw a large courgette on the compost heap, I am sure many will recognise that summer ritual! Here’s my six for the week.
One
A boot full of apples, ready to be taken to be pressed and bottled. The three cox’s pippin trees did not perform so well this year but the other three trees will have probably made up for them. On these trees the apples were much bigger than in previous years, no doubt due to all that rain in July.
Two
A surprise aster. Could this be a come back kid or is it a new arrival? A few years back I dug out some tall thuggish asters from this spot. Those were bright pink so I guess this one has seeded itself from somewhere else. I’ll see how it goes.
Three
The grasses are beginning to flower. This is calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’. It’s lovely. So lovely that I planted another one the other side of the steps for some of that designery symmetry. Of course the second has just sulked and refused to bulk up. What can you do?
Four
The lemon tree that suffered near death last winter has put on some lush new growth after being cut back. Being a softy, I did not throw it out as I said I would but there is no greenhouse now for overwintering so if a similar fate occurs this winter it will have to go.
Five
Although the new paving is under review, the gooseberries are definitely going to be replaced by two hydrangea quercifolia ‘ Snow Queen’. There was money off being offered so I couldn’t resist. They are now inhabiting a shady corner until the gooseberries are cleared.
Six
And speaking of hydrangeas, those in the garden are turning to their autumn colours but with one or two new flowers still coming through.
I am still looking for plants to fill winter losses. Does anyone grow osmanthus delavayi? I’m thinking of this for a partial shade spot. What do you think?
If you have time, please stop by and visit our host, Jim, in his garden. He generously provides the glue that keeps us all together and has some fabulous plants too. Stay well everyone.
n20gardener 
Lovely crop of apples.
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I could just drink a pint of cool apple juice, or maybe even cider, or perhaps not, there are still things to be done today. I’m a big quercifolia fan and Snow Queen is a new one to me. Symmetry is so difficult in the garden, one of my clients desires it ……….. oh dear! Horrah for the softie gardener, the lemon is looking lush!
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That’s a lovely grass. I hope the newer one catches up to create that symmetry.
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The grass is very popular here – gives things a prairie feel, while being reasonably tidy. It grows on you – I didn’t appreciate it when I first saw it upon moving to Wisconsin, but it is a lovely grass.
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I am a fan of the Hydrangea quercifolia. I have a “Ruby Slippers” that is a beauty.
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Good to hear. My first time. I hope they can fill the space reasonably quickly.
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In Alabama, they grow quickly and the native variety may reach 8 to 10 feet in height.
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It’s good to see new shoots on your lemon tree after this winter. Don’t hesitate to cut back the stems , leaving two or three leaves onto each stem, which will allow it to divide of course. Check before cutting that there are no flowers to come.
Excellent purchase the hydrangea quercifolia “Snow Queen” and about what you are looking for, it is not a plant that I have so I can’t help you. I read that it was a plant for sun or partial shade that should be kept in a cool soil and -15°c will be the minimum : so it should be fine for you
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I’m amazed you can even grow lemons! Your lemon tree looks better than mine and we are in a warmer climate, but mine gets the dissatvantage of both heat and dry one end and cool frosts the other. 🍋
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Sounds like here with less heat! It’s a challenge.
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Several species and cultivars of Osmanthus seem to be more appealing in other climates. If they were as appealing here, they might not be so rare, and I might be more familiar with them. Osmanthus delavayi is one that I have never seen perform well, so I am not qualified to advise on its practicality. I do find some Osmanthus to be interesting though, just because I want to know what all the fuss is about.
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If I commit I’ll let you know!
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Even though the temperatures here were not had high as in the south east, it has definitely been a warm one, far too warm for removing my rotten raised beds and replacing them! But my son was here for the week to help so needs must. Sunburned face and legs and arms full of bruises – who said gardening was a healthy hobby? Still got the ground to level and repave/gravel, but today I have had a well-deserved rest. Hope your revamp is a lot less painful!
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I think it may be painful financially! I salute your efforts and can definitely relate to gardening bruises! Keep well.
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I succumbed to H. quercifolia ‘Munchkin’ this spring, they have such lovely leaves – much better than gooseberries, in my book anyway. I’ve not grown Osmanthus so can’t help, sorry.
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Yes, I like the leaves. They went in the ground this week. I will get to see the leaves change colour and will look forward to flowers next year.
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I salute you and your proactive apple picking. I know that apple picking is likewise in my near future, but I am currently choosing to avoid looking the trees in the eye. I’m glad I wasn’t imagining things about the size, though — the apples I’ve picked so far have been almost supermarket sized, and we rarely get that! Of course, there were also fewer fruit on the tree this year because of wonky pollination from the weird hot spring.
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You may have picked by now – I hope the harvest went well. We had about 50 bottles back, which even though the size of some of the apples were larger than usual is about 20 bottles down on last year. It varies every year!
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We actually ended up having a rather odd apple year! I got a decent table bowl of eating-sized apples (we got larger than usual ones this year too) from each tree, but not much more. There were quite a few damaged ones that I decided to just leave to the deer, since they seem to make a special trip by our house just to snack on them every year. I’ve still got tons preserved from last year in the root cellar, so no big loss. It’s true what they say about every third year being the most productive, it seems.
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Well done for being able to keep apples in store for so long. I’m impressed. I’m just about to pick the very last of ours this weekend.
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Oh goodness, not actual apples — perhaps five months tops for those. But preserved as canned applesauce and bottled apple juice, which I then make into apple jelly as well, we’ve still got plenty 🙂
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