I have climbed back up the slippery slope to not posting and made it to the top. I’d like to say that I have spent the last few weeks dining out, drinking in pubs and jetting off to sunnier climes, but no. The best I have done to kick start the economy is have a hair cut and make two visits to the garden centre. Compost and twine now purchased, garden blogging can re-commence. Here are six things from the garden for your delectation.
One
Growing from seed is definitely a case of winning some, losing some. Here is a slow winner. This is echinacea pallida. I sowed seeds three years ago, probably a half tray full and managed to get three to 9cms pot sized plants. They were planted out last year and this year I have the first flowers. Very dainty. I like them and would like more. It could be a slow process.
Two
Also grown from seed and happily in the garden for a few years now the ‘Black Cat’ scabious is back and looking velvety dark again. I need a few more of these too, as a few a moved to a new location resented the intrusion and are no more.
Three
Hollyhocks, from collected seed and now liberally spreading themselves around. These I have to keep an eye on as they do get everywhere.
Four
This year’s annual sowings have started to flower and first out of the blocks is cosmos ‘Dazzler’. Always reliable but I am never happy with where I have planted them out.
Five
The magenta phlox have taken up the baton for the second half of summer. I always have a sinking feeling after the peak of the garden in June but the phlox opening up signals that the next wave has arrived.
Six
More mid summer magenta from the penstemons, this is ‘Plum Jerkum’.
That’s the six. I have been busy cutting back the June extravaganza of ‘Brookside’ geraniums and the delphiniums. The g. psilostomen is trying to convince me that it has another few days of flowers to give but really it is past its best and has to be cut back too. Nice to be back with The Prop, who has some beauties in his six of the week, all very colourful. Much to be enjoyed.
I garden in London and so get a little complacent about frosts. But this week the lawn has had a light frosting and it was clearly a sign that cold weather gardening had to start. Last year’s fleece was in shredded tatters in the shed and I hate all those white flaky bits. I hot footed it to Homebase and found some delightful green bags of 35gsm fleece with very handy draw string pulls. I usually fleece up the agapanthus armed with a stapler but these jackets were easy to pull over the plants and the fetching shade of green is slightly less obvious than white. Job done.
I was certainly lulled into complacency by the balmy days I experienced in Suffolk last week but the cold evenings are changing the colours of the garden. The persimmon tree is looking beautiful even as the leaves are falling.
The previously sun scorched hydrangeas are also taking on their winter hue.
But elsewhere the summer container plants are still in good health and I will leave them out throughout the winter. In mild years I have been able to carry the geraniums over into the next summer.
The white antirrhinum sowed from seed is still in flower at this end of the garden but elsewhere I have collected seeds from another plant that has done its bit for summer.
I recently planted out some gaura and pennisetums in a west border and alongside them I put in some Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’, which still thinks there’s time to put on a display. Thank you!
I’ve planted the same group of plants either side of a small path.. The Agastache ‘Alabaster’ were in the garden already and they have now been joined by Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’, Gaura lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ and Pennisetum villosum. Fingers crossed for next summer.
On the diagonal opposite to this area is what was fondly known as ground elder corner. After three summers of digging it out I think I have the upper hand and so I am beginning to put in some permanent plants. First to go in is Trachelospermum jasminoides, a firm six on saturday favourite. I’m hoping it will very quickly cover the great expanse of unattractive brown fence.
Also adding some late colour are these Lillies. Yet more naming debates: are they now Schizostylis, or Hesperantha? I know which one I prefer. These came from the old garden and are bulking up nicely.
And since repetition is allowed and because the late colour is so fabulous, I give you again the Salvia ‘Amistad’ and the Rose, Darcy Bussell. The Salvias mooched along all summer but they have really established themselves in the last month. Darcy Bussell just keeps on putting out new buds.
n20gardener 