Flowers outside...

Now the weather is cooler and we have had a bit of much needed rain, some of my normally very reliable autumn flowers are putting in an appearance and bringing me some lovely splashes of colour. Above is Japanese Anemone Bressingham Glow.  It is much shorter and much later to flower this year.  

Here is Symphyotrichum (Aster, as it will always be to me!)) novae-angliae Mrs S T Wright.  This one has seeded itself from the main plant which is further down the border.

Here is Symphyotrichum (Aster) Little Carlow.  For the last two years this plant's leaves have struggled against mildew, as it is near to a big Buddleia.  I may need to move it (again) or improve the soil.  The flowers are very pretty though.

Helianthus Lemon Queen, again, this is shorter and smaller than usual, but still has zingy yellow flowers, loved by bees.

Even the miscanthus is shorter, but still elegant, particularly when the breeze ruffles its silky flowers.

Liriope Muscari, a very undemanding plant. The stem in front is a herbaceous Clematis, New Love.

The hydrangeas are taking on their autumn colours of old velvet.

Salvias are still flowering - this one is either Raspberry Melba or Strawberry Melba!

This little clematis 'Neptune' is flowering for the second time this year which is unexpected, but very welcome.  these are the flowers at the top...

...and the bottom of the support.  I am enjoying this gentle slide into Autumn very much.

Blogger, Compost and flowers

As you may know, if you have a 'Blogger' blog, it is not updating the posts from blogs we follow,  so we are all missing each other's new posts, unless we go over to their blogs from our reading lists.  Please keep visiting and I will keep visiting too.  Hopefully this may be sorted, but it has been going on for a while, so who knows?  On the whole, I have found Blogger to be pretty good, but this is first time there seems to be a major issue which isn't being resolved. 

On to my actual post.  

I have what is affectionately called a Dalek compost bin (the alien enemies of Dr Who - see here for further details), which has worked really well and provided me with lovely compost for the last couple of years.  I thought I had cracked the composting recipe and had been busy filling the bin with green and brown waste through the year.  It got very hot here and I covered the bin with a white sheet during the summer, to try to keep the temperature down a bit so that the worms wouldn't be cooked.  

It came time to empty the bin - a tricky task, as I don't have a lot of room for such shenanigans.  Unfortunately, this year something has gone seriously awry as I had slimy, smelly half- decomposed stuff all the way through the bin.  No nice, sweet-smelling crumbly compost for me this year.  So, I refilled the bin, aerating as I went, mixing in whatever brown waste (cardboard, egg boxes, paper etc) I had to hand.  

What have I learned from this experience?  Composting is an art as well as a science. I need to ensure I have 50/50 green and brown waste when I add some to the bin.  I also need to empty and then refill the bin in Spring, to make sure it is aerated, something I neglected to do this year.  Oh well, as we gardeners are so fond of saying, there's always next year!  

In order to cheer myself up, I took some photos of flowers in the garden, Above is Rose 'Eyes for You' which has been fantastic this year.

This is Anemone Ruffled Swan, with the frilly edge to its petals. 

Rose Dannahue, which has valiantly continued to flower, despite not enjoying the heat.

Helianthus Lemon Queen, normally really tall and with slightly thuggish tendencies in the right spot (it's fine in this garden).  It struggled with the heat too, is much smaller this year and has been slightly later to flower, waiting for the much needed rain we have had.  It is such a cheerful plant and I love to see it in flower.

Finally, a bee of some kind enjoying the pollen/nectar from the Helianthus.  

More Autumn colour to enjoy

The garden is definitely changing and autumn colour is more in evidence.  I was stopped in my tracks by the fiery combinations of leaf colour from the blueberry Goldtraube and hydrangea Pinky Winky on the patio.  I had to rush in for my camera. 

Smaller things are also bringing joy with this little cyclamen. The others finished flowering a while ago, but this one is having a late flush.  I do like its crinkly-edged leaves too. 

The salvias are still flowering as well.  Above is Cerro Potosi with its bright fuchsia flowers. This one is in a pot and I really should get it planted in the border.

This is another salvia Cerro Potosi which is planted in the border and which has decided to grow up through the magnolia. 

Here it is again, with the last few cosmos and helianthus flowers.  I have been planting some bulbs and gathering leaves for leaf mould.  I expect I will be able to gather up a few more this week too.

Resilience in the garden (part one)

 It has been another hot summer (for the UK), with very little rain.  I have again been surprised by the resilience of some plants, so here's the ones that have done well, with either no or very little extra water. 

I know that cyclamen hederifolium are late summer/autumn flowering anyway, but they are very reliable plants.

The japanese anemones have done well, also late summer flowering plants.  Above from left, going clockwise are Pretty Lady Susan, Ruffled Swan, Bressingham Glow and Pretty Lady Maria.  Bressingham Glow has been flowering since July.

(Photo collages created with https://www.photojoiner.com/ )

Salvias have also done well.  Three of these are in pots and the Salvia Amistad (top left) came through the winter. Hot Lips (top right) is ubiquitous, but rightly so. I bought it for the allotment, but am thinking I may keep it! The white one (bottom right) is one I bought about a month ago.  Peach Sorbet (bottom left) is planted in the border and has coped pretty well in a very dry border. 

Helianthus Lemon Queen is a reliable, tough plant but can be a bit of a thug, although it hasn't been in this garden.  It is very happy now that the big rose bush has gone and is looking good.

Finally for this post is a Hibiscus. This is planted in the sunniest (and driest) part of the garden and has been flowering for over a month now. It hasn't had any extra water. This particular plant is the triple one, bu I have only seen two different varieties this year - a pink and this white/pink one. The flowers look so delicate and exotic but it is a tough shrub.  More good value, reliable and resilient plants in my next post. 

Late summer sunshine

We have been lucky to have some late summer sunshine this last week, accompanied by some blue skies and it has been lovely.  

The perennial sunflower Helianthus Lemon Queen is certainly enjoying it...

...as are the bees.  Spot the action shot bee flying to the next flower!

There haven't been that many bees or butterflies this summer, due to the wet and cold Spring, but they were out in the sun busily gathering pollen and nectar.

I stood watching and photographing them for quite a while.  They seem to be mainly buff tailed bumble bees from what I can make out.  (Even today, on a very grey and cloudy morning, the bees are still drawn to the helianthus.)

Other flowers enjoying the weather are the Asters.  They have another name now, but will always be asters to me.  Here are September Ruby (I think) and Little Carlow.

A couple of clematis are flowering again too.  Above is Prince Charles...

...and here is Blue Angel.

Finally, in other news, I may have seen a Japanese Anemone, 'Ruffled Swan', on another blog and instantly fallen in love with it.  I have since bought one for myself and it is above.  I particularly like the pale blue/purple backs to the flowers.  The photo is an interesting one as the plant is on the little north facing patio in a big pot, and it was a sunny day when I took this photo, but as you know, my camera doesn't like low light levels, so produced this shot.  The darkness around the plant does make the flowers really sing out though!

2023 - a year in plants

I had seen a lovely idea for a review of plants during 2023 on a blog I follow (Elephant's Child - the blog owner is in Australia) and she said she would like to see my version, so here it is.

January 2023 is Winter flowering honeysuckle, (Lonicera Fragrantissima or Purpusii) which has small flowers, but on a sunny day they pack a punch of lily of the valley scent.  

February is the 'common' snowdrop - Galanthus nivalis.  One of my all time favourites.

March had to be the daffodil - Narcissus Tete a Tete.

April is Tulip Ronaldo, which for me is a reliable repeat flowerer and lasts well in the garden.

May is the Allium, which could be Purple Sensation or Globemaster.

June is all about the roses in my garden and here is Rosa Eyes for You.

July is Salvia Amistad which was a joy and delight all the summer and into Autumn and Winter.

August is Hibiscus Syriacus Oiseau Bleu, again a reliable and beautiful plant.

September is Helianthus Lemon Queen which is a perennial sunflower and can be a bit of a thug. I love the cheerful flowers.  

October is Liriope Muscari which is left to its own devices and flowers away each year.

November is Salvia Cerro Potosi which is a vibrant fuchsia colour and continued to flower through the summer and right up to December in 2023. 

December is represented by Camellia Yuletide and it did flower in December 2023.

So, there is my review.  I could have chosen many others, such as clematis, hydrangeas, astrantias, jasmine, miscanthus etc, but they all get their moment on my blog during the year anyway.  I wonder what plants will do well in the coming year?

Beeing busy in the garden

I just happened to have my camera to hand when I spotted this very busy bee on the japanese anemone Bressingham Glow.

This isn't unusual as the bees have been loving this plant.  However, I also managed to capture a bee in flight in this photo which I was very excited about - actions shots don't always work for me!

We are enjoying some late summer sun and temperatures to match this week.  I have quite enjoyed the cooler temperatures during July and August but I know that a lot of people will be pleased to see the late summer returning.  My three coloured hibiscus is flowering away although you can only see the pink and cream flowers in this photo.  You'll have to take my word for it, there were also blue/purple flowers!

Aster Mrs S T Wright.  Yes, I know that it should be Symphyotrichum novae angliae Mrs S T Wright, but that name doesn't trip off the tongue, does it?  However, the plant itself is a good reliable flowerer and has mildew resistance.  Apparently it was developed pre 1907.

Perennial sunflower - Helianthus Lemon Queen.  It can be invasive but I love it anyway.  It hasn't been to bad in my garden, probably because it doesn't actually have that much space!

Finally for now, a little delicate japanese anemone which I thought I had lost.  Anemone hupehensis Pretty Lady Maria. 

It is indeed very pretty.