Six on Saturday: 7/11/20

Tags

Aster, aster lateriflorus Lady in Black, Autumn, Cercis canadensis, David Austin Roses, Forest pansy, frost, penstemon garnet, rose Brother Cadfael, six on saturday, tree work

Here we are, blogging from the confines of the second Lockdown, sharing our six from our gardens with you and our host The Propagator

We have had a couple of proper frosts this week and the garden has dropped leaves, the dahlias have blackened. Last week I shared Harlow Carr with you, this week I am back in my own garden, observing the last gasps of Autumn.

Penstemon Garnet

Penstemon are borderline hardy in my heavy clay soil. These are growing in a raised bed to aid drainage and here they thrive. The richness of the jewel like colour is a tonic on grey days of Autumn. I do not dead head these, or tidy them up for winter. I leave all the top growth, no matter how unsightly they become, only cutting back once new growth is emerging and the frost risk has passed. As extra security I take a few cuttings which usually strike very easily.

Aster lateriflorus Lady in Black

I planted a row of these asters to form an informal edge to the path. By midsummer the foliage is dark, almost black and looks strikingly handsome, repeating the darker foliage of Cercis canadensis and Sambucus Black Lace nearby. By Late Autumn they open zillions of tiny daisy like asters , creating a haze of flowers. A real sight when everything else is bowing out.

Aster lateriflorus Lady in Black

I mention the Forest Pansy so often I realise and that is because it gives such beauty. Here it is again.

Forest Pansy detail

Forest Pansy Cercis canadensis

Gardens are beginning to take on their winter scene and it is a good time to asses the parts you might want to change.

Garden scene

There are leaves to clear, roses to prune to protect against wind rock which is a big concern on my exposed garden. There are still roses but now the frost has touched them I shall prune them hard.

Rose Brother Cadfael earlier this week

Lastly I will share some Autumn images taken at the garden where I work. Tree work has begun and on milder days mulching is order of the day.

Tree work can begin.

I hope you can have a great weekend in your garden wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

In a vase on Monday: 12 October 2020

Tags

aster lateriflorus Lady in Black, Calamagrostis brachytricha, Dahlia Bishop of Auckland, dahlia Downham Royal, in a vase on Monday, penstemon garnet

Hello Cathy and good morning reader. It is a while since I got myself organised enough to put a vase together for this delightful Monday meme and here it is.

In a vase on Monday

There are dahlias and grasses and the prettiest Aster.

Prettiest aster

This is Aster lateriflorus Lady in Black. Plum coloured aster type foliage on to which, in the middle of October, burst thousands of tiny daisies. A great display very late in the garden year.

Rich dahlias and penstemon

These dahlias, Downham Royal, Bishop of Auckland, and penstemon Garnet are flowering happily and will continue to do so until the first frost arrives. I hope that frosty days will not be here for a while yet but who knows, the weather this year has been extremely different.

Grasses are glorious this time of year and this is a favourite of mine.

In a vase on Monday

This is Calamagrostis brachytricha and it looks splendid at this time of the year. The seed heads are a pink tone which catches and holds any moisture, dew or rain, making a delightful sight.

Calamagrostis brachytricha

What else can I tell you? It is definitely Autumn out there and the nights are drawing in rapidly. The virus might be driving us all to distraction but a really good distraction is outside and in our gardens. Let’s celebrate our gardens and rather than lamenting summers passing we should try to enjoy the changing seasons, picking flowers, fruits, vegetables and foliage while we can. Taking part in this Monday vase meme is a good way to do this. Join in, make a link back to our host Cathy and share your vase with bloggers around the globe.

Have a great week wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

In a vase on Monday:

Tags

Calendula Indian Prince, Dahlia Arabian Night, dahlia Downham Royal, Echinacea purpurea, Echinops bannaticus, in a vase on Monday, penstemon garnet, Pheasant's tail grass, Stipa arundica

Echinops bannaticus

Echinops bannaticus are magnets for bees and they are a pleasing companion for grasses in a border. They grow to about 1.2m tall and do not need staking. All good characteristics however they are taking over the border and are pushing out other plants. They will need to be dug up and thinned out this autumn. Unchecked they will also self seed so I have begun to cut them before they get chance to set seed. These are them in a large jug. The jug was a gift from my parents who found it at Snape Maltings in Suffolk. The jug is a perfect scale and colour for these prickly, woody stems.

In a vase on Monday

Penstemon and Echinacea have started opening out, bringing with them some rich colour and texture into the borders. A complete contrast to the Echinops these flowers are full of jewel like colours.

In the jam jar type vase are Marigolds,Penstemon, Echinacea and the wispy diaphanous stems of Pheasants tail grass.

Ladybird hitching a ride

These are calendula Indian Prince which are my favourite of all the varieties I have tried.

Dahlias are also pulling away now and showing their rich colour and textures.

Flowers from Liz

My friend and her husband came to visit and Liz gave me this striking dahlia and chrysanthemum mix. The dahlias are the same as mine because she gave me some of the same corms for my birthday. The calendula she grew and the chrysanthemums she bought from her flower shop. Interestingly it’s the green chrysanthemums that are dropping! Grown not flown is certainly best.

Please pick some flowers from your garden and join Cathy the host of this meme.

I hope you have a good week wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

Friday favourites: July

Tags

Aeonium Cyclops, Aeonium velour, Crocosmia Lucifer, penstemon garnet, summer rain

The garden here is really beginning to mature and fill in, now that it is some five years old.  Walking round this morning, after so much rain last night, these were my favourite sights.

The Aeoniums were looking fabulous with raindrops this morning.  This is Aeonium velour.  I have to overwinter them in the house and by the time it is safe, frost free from about mid-May the Aeoniums tend to look rather puny and pale.  They like the heat but in particular they need good sunlight.  That is perhaps why they do so well in coastal locations.  By July they are really looking as they should, sumptuous, richly coloured and succulent.  I really love them.

This near black Aeonium is Aeonium cyclops so named I guess because its central ‘eye’ keeps green.  This is one of my favourites as I appreciate the contrast in colour and think it is even more interesting than the black Aeonium zwartkop.

Strong colour in the garden is growing on me and this combination is not for everyone perhaps but I really like it.

These are the unopened petals of Crocosmia Lucifer dripping in rainwater against a pink backdrop of Penstemon Garnet.

Right it is time for a glass of something delicious. Cheers. D.

In a vase on Monday: on a Tuesday

Tags

Alchemilla mollis, Ammi majus, Digitalis purpurea, in a vase on Monday, Nepeta, penstemon garnet, poppy seed heads, rose a shropshire lad, Verbena bonariensis

The day got away from me yesterday and I did not get chance to prepare a vase until last thing. Here it is:

Outside on the table in the summerhouse is my vase full of Alchemilla, Ammi, Nepeta, Digitalis, Penstemon, Rose a Shropshire Lad, a spike of Verbena bonariensis and a couple of poppy seed heads for good measure.

‘Summer house’ sounds a bit la-di-dah. Apologies. It is summer but it’s not a house as it has no windows or doors but it is a shelter and with this weather we are out there all the time.

Cathy is our host for this lovely meme. Take a look at her blog to see some other pretty vases full of flowers. Such a nice thing to look at.

Have a good week wherever you are and thanks for reading. D.

Wordless Wednesday: a pop of Penstemon

Tags

penstemon garnet, stipa tenuissima, wordless wednesday

Morning light on the Penstemon