Tags
Aeoniums, amelanchier, Helianthus salicifolius, Leucanthemella, Rudbeckia, six on saturday, Succulents, Verbena bonariensis

Into October and how the weather has changed. Deluge from Friday and for days to follow. Ghastly gardening conditions but thankfully mild overnight. Flowers will continue although most of us are unlikely to want to venture out to see them. My six were taken on Thursday, a dry day which already seems a distant memory.
Joining our host The Propagator

These are such good flowers, I cannot recommend them highly enough. Tall daisies, late flowering and fresh as, well, as a daisy. No staking needed. The funny thing is that they are facing towards the light and are looking away from the garden towards the fence!

This is Amelanchier turning-to Autumn colour. A good reason to find space for one, that and the early spring blossom.

These bright yellow daisy types are great for autumn interest. Vivid yellow petals but these do need staking on my rich soil. A good back of border perennial, shown here against the backdrop of the woven willow fence.

Now is a good time to put all succulents in the dry. Actually with this weather they should already be under cover, a sunny garden room, window cill or a greenhouse is ideal. They dislike our winter wet and will not survive a frost. Mine are now in the cold frame until it gets very cold when I shall bring them indoors. Mollycoddling very necessary.
I grow the willow leaf sunflower this for its bonkers foliage and height. I do not like the flowers and generally dead head them however next week, I have a National Garden Scheme, by appointment, visit. I shall allow them to beam. I’m all heart.

Verbena bonariensis. You know it. You grow it. It’s everywhere.

At this time of year it’s an invaluable blast of colour.
That’s it. Have a good weekend wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.
Second time I’ve come across Leucanthemella during this week , a truly stunning plant which I must find. Love your succulent collection. Started one myself and will use them more in pots as they don’t need much water. Horrible rain and wind here too – after months of sunshine and no rain it’s hard to get used to this 😉 Have a nice weekend!
Succulents are super addictive, be warned. Thanks Annette
I realised some of my aeoniums and others would drown, so around 10 pm, donned rainwear and moved the plants to drier places. Why hadn’t I done that earlier?
No idea! I do that sort of stupid thing all the time
The succulents that get a bit tired in the dry warmth of late summer perk up in the cooling autumn weather. They are at their best through winter. They do not mind the dry warmth, but respond to it be shedding some of their outer foliage. That is what they naturally do in deserts and chaparral climates.
How different a succulents life in your zone. Here they struggle with our winters as even behind glass they do not get enough light and emerge in the spring a shadow of their summer selves.
Every year we move a load of succulents out for the summer and when it comes to moving them back there is no space because of potting on and buying new things. Your Verbena picture reminds me I meant to nick a cutting from the plants down by Costa, much better colour than the form I have, which is rubbish.
That’s the problem isn’t it, lack of space for all the cuttings and tender plants. All a bit mad. I admit by spring I can’t wait to set the darned things out of the way especially because by then they are not looking so lovely!
Oh, you have visitors?! Is it a group or an individual or two? No refreshments, I presume? You still have lots of colour to show them but presumably would rather have some drier days to titivate the garden first
Just two. Definitely no refreshments. I nearly said no but remembered what a difficult year it has been for NGS charity. I got lots done on Thursday but haven’t been able to get out there since and now we are swilling in water and covered in leaves. Gardening, never said it was easy!
Did you intend to have other than just bigger groups? What date are they coming? Hope the weather picks up by then (today has been our wettest day this month, although the rain didn’t start until later morning, when I actually had time to get outside!). I did have a lady ring some time ago checking if we were open, and I said I wouldn’t mind her visiting as a one-off as long as she took us as we were on the day – she was going to wait till August but I didn’t hear from her. I expect our next Feb opening will be online bookings only
I had two groups booked earlier in the year that were cancelled of course. They are coming on Wednesday which at the moment looks to have a small window of dry. Hoping so. This afternoon is wet again. With any luck I’ll have a tidy up before they come but the leaves are blowing about.
Good luck for Weds, with the weather and with your visitors. I am hoping both my cancelled groups wil rebook for next year…
What a pity about the dreadful weather you are experiencing. Hopefully it will improve over the next couple of days. I was admiring the lovely display of Leucanthemella. I think I need to read up on the plant and see if it will grow here. They definitely look bright and breezy! We are expecting a wet summer, and like you I will have to move my succulents into drier locations for them to survive. I just hope I remember to do that when the time comes. I do like the sunflower too, although not heard of that particular variety before.
Thankyou and oh my goodness the rain has been dreadful and so dark. We are not on mains drains here and the ditches are overflowing in October. Not good.
I hope your climate will allow you to grow some Leucanthemella, they are charming. I am sorry to read you are expecting a wet summer , is that usual?
Our summers are usually when we receive our rainfall, but normally we do not have terribly wet summers. We are supposed to be going through the wet cycle this year. El Nita, I think it is, as opposed to El Nino, which is the dry spell. I’m hoping that our ground water supplies will be nicely replenished. That is awful for you that the drainage ditches are overflowing now. Hopefully the weather will clear up soon!
I suspect the weather is all mixed up everywhere. Hoping you get the rain and hoping we get no more
Verbena gets my douze points. It’s everywhere! Happy mollycoddling, a chara.