September colour in the garden highlights

It's the middle of September already - where has this year gone?  We have been lucky so far as the weather has been kind to us at the moment and long may that continue. The plants are enjoying the weather, although they are starting to change with the season.  Above is Hydrangea 'Magical Revolution' which I am still not sure about. The petals are starting to take on a red tinge which I like, so I'll wait to see what else changes.

 Rosa Molineux is rewarding me with more beautiful flowers.

 Clematis 'Perle D'Azur' is also flowering again, in rather a tangle, it has to be said.  I am waiting for a new trellis arch for it to scramble up.

 Asters are flowering too and the novae-angliae varieties are my favourite.  I think this may be September Ruby.

 Another pretty aster.

 Good old stalwart Helianthus Lemon Queen.

 Another aster, this time it is Little Carlow.  It has been fabulous this year and is usually full of insects too.

I am definitely starting to embrace orange in the garden as well.  This is a recent purchase called Crocosmia Emily MacKenzie and it offers a vibrant antidote to all the delicate pastel shades.

After a lot of consideration, the award for star plant of the month has to go to Cosmos Sonata (these are supposed to be a dwarf variety).  I grew them from seed, popped five plants into a terracotta pot and waited.  Lots of frothy foliage, but the flowers took their time.  Now that they are here, all is forgiven!  I have grown them for the last three years and just love them.  I think they will always be a part of any garden I have.

The oddness of English seasons

I took advantage of Sunday afternoon, when it wasn't actually raining, to have a brief tidy in the garden (not that you would realise I had tidied anything!)  There was a clematis (I think it is Etoile Violette) in flower and with buds coming too.  I had cut this one back hard at the end of the summer because it had gone brown and horrible, and I was hoping it hadn't got some nasty disease.  This must have either sent it into shock, producing more growth and  flowers, or made it think it was next year and time to flower again.  Yes, it was lovely to see, but the sad thing is that it will more than likely get another shock from the frosts.

 A hardy geranium still flowering, despite the rain.

Rose Molineux also with lots of buds.  This isn't all that unusual, as roses often do flower into winter.  It is still a wonderful thing to see and lifts the spirits.

Home and Antiques Fair - what I bought

 So, here are some photos of my purchases at the Home and Antiques Fair.  First, embroidered tablecloths.  I love the idea of using something that someone spent hours creating.  These ones are made using cotton or linen and apart from the odd tea stain, are in very good condition.  I just can't resist textiles!

I bought this small coffee/chocolate cup in my favourite pattern 'Blue Italian' by Spode. It reminds me of my childhood visits to my friend Maria at her granny's house, as this was the very pattern the family used and it made a big impression on me. I could have bought lots of items as there was a stallholder who was selling part of his collection and I fell for a gorgeous big bowl in particular.  However, I managed to restrain myself because it would have been expensive and we simply do not have the room at the moment.  I contented myself with this little cup because it is small and I can use it for little flower posies.

 A close up of the beautiful floral embroidery on one of the tablecloths.

 I loved the big purple satin stitched flowers here.

 This one was the first one I bought and features delicate blue embroidery and a cut-work/pulled thread design which must have been a real labour of love.

 I have wanted a posy bowl ever since seeing one with some simple daisy-like flowers on Jane Brocket's blog (http://yarnstorm.blogs.com/) a while ago.  Since then, I found one, but was still on the lookout for a larger one.  This one is fabulous, with a lovely teal green against the grey.

 More fabric pieces - big purple check cotton and some striped and checked furnishing cotton pieces in muted greens and blues that may become cushion covers, but I haven't quite decided yet.

 Just to show you the posy bowl with a posy in it, here are some Rose 'Molineux' with Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' looking bright and cheerful. 

I think this bowl will become a mainstay of mine because much as I love flowers, I am pretty useless at arranging them.  This is perfect as it only needs the flower heads and looks pretty without me having to do a lot ( a bit like my mini milk bottle crate too).
All in all, a good day's shopping and spending, don't you think?

Raindrops on roses...and clematis and pinks and snapdragon and everything!

 Oh my goodness, this rain!  It seems to have been raining for at least a month and although everything looks lush and green, the weight of the water is starting to make the flowers look bedraggled.  Before it all turns to some revolting mush, I took some photos of some of the plants I have flowering at the moment, despite the rain.  Above is a Gladioli plant which I planted last year and promptly forgot about, only to be surprised and pleased by its appearance this year.

 Rosa Gallica Versicolor (Rosa Mundi).

 Clematis 'Perle D'Azur'.

 Snapdragon 'Black Prince'.

 Rosa 'Molineux'.

Clematis 'Ice White'.

 Rosa 'Constance Spry'.

Dianthus 'Coconut Ice' to finish with, flowering bravely in difficult conditions.
 I know we are never satisfied with our weather here in the UK, but it really seems to have gone a little crazy this summer.  At this very moment, it is sunny, with dark grey clouds in the distance and with temperatures of at least 21degrees centigrade and high humidity.  Not conducive to a good night's sleep, I think.

The last hoorah of summer

 The garden is beginning its slow and elegant descent into autumn but still has a few highlights for these last days of late summer.  Above is my latest buy - a Hibiscus 'Red Heart' - which is patiently waiting for me to decide where to plant it.

 There have been a few insect visitors recently, particularly Red Admiral butterflies, though not in any great numbers.  This one is enjoying the white Aster novae-angliae (not sure which variety).

 The ivy on the wall between us and our neighbours is literally buzzing with insect activity; wasps, hoverflies, bees and butterflies. Although ivy can be a menace, it does redeem itself by providing food for so many species.

 Two beautiful yellow roses from Rose 'Molineux' (David Austin).  A lovely buttery colour and a fragrant perfume.

 A bee happily enjoying the pollen and nectar to be found in Helianthus 'Lemon Queen', a perennial sunflower.  It is a reliable, tough plant which is always cheering.

 My huge Hydrangea Avant Garde, which is stunning and which has two more flower heads developing.  It has been a very good buy, although the coming winter will no doubt prove how hardy it is.

Hardy Geranium 'Crystal Lake' with beautiful veining on the petals.  Yet another plant waiting to find a permanent home.

And finally, a burst of lilac/pink from Brachycome which has been one of the most reliable plants in my rather disastrous hanging baskets this year, and still flowering away.

My garden has been giving me a few headaches just recently as I am fighting against a rampant fungi in the soil which is sucking out all the moisture in the raised beds and gradually turning the soil to grey, ashy stuff which no moisture can get through.  Unfortunately, it seems to go around plant roots too, which kills the plants.  When I come across it, I am digging it out and replacing it with top soil and adding water retaining granules.  I am valiantly fighting to keep my plants in good health and am contemplating sinking drainage tubes into the soil to aid moisture retention.  Despite this situation, my plants are doing their best to continue flowering just a little bit longer, for which I am really grateful.