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.
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