#eurybia

Six On Saturday: Drying out

/ n20gardener / 26 Comments

It is lovely to have a period of sunny settled weather but of course gardeners are muttering about the lack of rain. I’m hoping that the sun will ripen the outdoor tomatoes, they are only just beginning to turn. I’ve used up all the water from the butts and have had the hose out a couple of times now. The garden is a little scrappy due to my meaness with the watering but that’s the way it is. All the potatoes on the veg plot have now been dug up. I grew ‘Charlotte’ and very lovely they are too. The green beans continue producing and are the best variety I have grown – Franchi ‘La Victoire’, I will definitely sow these again. Cucumbers and courgettes are steadily producing. I just need those tomatoes to catch up and all will be well. Here’s six from the garden this week.

One

The apples are beginning to fall and I will have soon have to set aside time to pick them all ready for taking them to the juicing joint. It’s hard work but one of the highlights of the year.

Two

This is a relatively new rose to the garden and is, therefore, treated to some watering. It’s ‘Lady of Shalott’. A really beautiful colour.

Three

Down in a shadier corner the eurybia divaricata has begun to flower. It’s a low growing sprawler and spills its way around the hellebores and astrantia.

Four

When I first arrived in this garden eight years ago I spent a great deal of time digging out ground elder and also this goldenrod – it wasn’t on my favourites list. The goldenrod has made a come back, snuggling up to the miscanthus. They work together really well and my mind has been changed.

Five

The japanese anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ always gets a mention at this time of year. I really like it, but I have struggled to get more of them established. Even these ones that are very settled have not spread out much beyond their original space. Too well behaved!

Six

I was hankering after some white hesperis to add in between the oak leaf hydrangeas but was completely distracted by finding the more common purple hesperis at a local garden centre. I’ve added to into this patch of magenta phlox with the hope that they will self seed. The white version is still on the wish list.

More from the SOS crowd can be found on Jim’s Garden Ruminations, drop by any time and take a look. There’s yet more weed pulling to do and those courgettes need to be watched very carefully. Happy gardening.

Six On Saturday: Farewell November, farewell Autumn

/ n20gardener / 5 Comments

Finally, the hose pipe ban has been lifted! I can’t think that I will be rushing out to water the garden any time soon, it has been drenched every other day throughout November. I have only just begun to plant a few tulips and a little tidying in the border has commenced. The regular downpours have served to show how infirm the potting shed greenhouse is. This one has a wooden frame and the apex has separated allowing rain to seep in. Sogginess abounds. Out in the garden things are pretty soggy too. Here’s six things I noticed this week.

One

I have just managed to complete a task that was long hanging over me. The scented leaf pelargoniums have been cut back, removed from their summer pots and moved to the potting shed greenhouse for the winter. I have overwintered these pellies for several years now and, dare I say it, I am just at the point where if they didn’t make it I wouldn’t be too sad. On the upside the potting shed and compost smell delightful at the moment.

Two

There are just one or two splashes of colour in the garden at the moment, this little ray of coreopsis continues to send out new blooms.

Three

The continual rain has more or less done for the roses. As each new flower arrives it is deluged by the next downpour. Here is ‘Gerturde Jekyll’ valiantly having a go.

Four

Strangely the seed heads of eurybia are holding up. They caught my eye during a spell of border tidying and were spared the chop.

Five

I may have mentioned that I’m just dipping my toe into growing grasses and this miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ has done well in its first year. Slightly fuzzy flower heads as they are so difficult to capture. I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

Six

Lastly arum italicum subsp. italicum ‘Marmoratum’. I’m guessing the ‘Marmoratum’ bit. I inherited this one. There were warnings that it was a thug and would spread uncontrollably. It must be in a very inhospitable spot because it has yet to move one inch. I like it, it even looks good after rainfall .

I’ve just received notice that I have one more green bin collection for the year. That gave me a wake up call. The gardening season is coming to a close. The last of blackberries need to be cut back and added to the green bin. That’s my next task and then there are more leaves to gather. No frost yet, but overnight temperatures have been as low as 2 degrees. December approaches.

Don’t forget to visit Garden Ruminations for all the links to other SOS posts.

Six On Saturday: There’s a hole in my water butt, dear Liza

/ n20gardener / 16 Comments

Oh yes. There was rain and the water butts were full but the next day number one water butt was half empty. That’s about 75 litres of lost water. I was not a happy bunny. The remaining water was pumped down to the bottom of garden storage tank and a repair was made. Here’s hoping a bit of glue and some gorilla tape will seal the crack. It might be some time before I find out if it has worked. In the meantime, the garden has perked up a little. Here’s this week’s six.

One

The courgettes were absolutely loving the downpour and responded immediately with a bright sunny flower. I’ve been picking very regularly and so far have avoided the giant marrow stage.

Two

I had left the onions to dry off in the ground as it was so hot. Once the rain looked certain I harvested them and moved to the potting shed to finish drying. This great picture was taken by daughter on her phone. How did she do that? As usual some onions have barely doubled in size but on the whole I’m happy with this year’s haul.

Three

My old established hydrangeas have had a tough time of it and look very bedraggled. But a new purchase (Limelight) put in to replace the old box shrub was watered regularly and although it’s still a small plant it has put out some impressive flowers. I think this one will fill the space very well.

Four

This eurybia is at the shady end of the border and has survived this summer’s conditions well. Mr P, our host, will surely recognise a familiar likeness to those he has in his garden.

Five

The first of the Japanese anemones have opened up. This one is in the shady north facing border, the same corner where there is some mysterious source of underground water and so this too has also come through the summer unscathed. Further up this border the anemone leaves are crispy brown and in need of tidying up.

Six

The old greenhouse is officially on borrowed time. The decision to purchase a new one has been made. Gulp. Dismantling the greenhouse, removing old crumbling base, laying new base and then installing the new greenhouse are all tasks beyond my skill set. But I’m pulling together the threads of the project and hope to be on the way once the tomatoes have finished. In the meantime the French marigolds, planted to dissuade the white fly from taking up residence, are flowering their socks off.

The temperatures are back to normal, there’s still some rainfall to be made up but I am persuaded that it is worth tidying up the garden. There’s alchemilla mollis to cut back and those crispy leaves to remove. The plums are almost ripe and small though they are I think it won’t be long before the apples are picked. It’s time to return to the garden and prepare for the next season. Happy gardening to you all.