Winter frosts

Having been thoroughly spoiled by having such a lovely mild Autumn, the sudden return to more season appropriate weather has caught us by surprise.  While it isn't that cold in the UK compared to other countries (such as Canada), it certainly feels cold to me.  We have had our first frosts of the winter and the cold weather looks set to continue for the next week.  Above are a salvia and a palm.

I was slow with my pot insulating this year, lulled into a false sense of security.  Last week saw some frantic activity to get the most sensitive plants protected.  Above is a rose bush.

Another rose bush, this time in the border.  The frost does make everything look that little bit more magical.

Another rose bush.

We have been having some work done on our roof and guttering - "Who told you about guttering?"(for my friend Rachael and any other Victoria Wood fans out there) and I have had to move the plants that are usually by the back door onto the patio.  They are not sheltered so much there and I am not sure some of them will come out of the temporary move unscathed. Above is Magnolia Fairy Blush, one of those plants.  I hope they will all be OK until they can be moved back...

Autumn colour - at the end of October 2022

It is Autumn proper now.  The leaves are falling and plants are changing their leaf colours.  There are still some plants in flower, such as Salvia Cerro Potosi above...

and Nachtvlinder.

Aster Little Carlow is coming to an end,

Liriope Muscari is still looking good.

Clematis Prince Charles has put out a second flush of flowers.  The drought stopped it earlier in the summer.

We have had the most beautiful blue skies.

Japanese Anemone Bressingham Glow has been flowering since the end of July but is coming to an end now.

Blueberry Goldtraube is putting on its Autumn show...

the two plants I have gave me lots of blueberries this year and are such lovely plants to have in the garden.

Hydrangea Dark Angel is also showing its autumn colours.

The low sun made some lovely shadows on the wall this afternoon.

The pyracantha has got lots of berries this year.  It has been with me for three years or so and is now starting to look good. It is against a wall in a north facing border, so is providing a lovely splash of orange.

Finally is the very exotic looking flower of Fatsia Japonica. It did this last year too - put out its flower just as the weather started to get colder. I hope it manages to last a little longer!

The seasons change part two

I forgot to welcome my new followers, so welcome to you.  I hope you will enjoy our rather meandering journey through my small part of the world.  We are continuing our tour of the plants flowering in my garden at the start of Autumn in the UK.  Above is Astrantia Burgundy Manor, flowering since May and this is the second flush of flowers. I potted it on earlier in the year and it has repaid me.

A small white macropylla hydrangea which is taking on pink tones.

Hydrangea paniculata Sundae Fraise also putting on its Autumn display.

Salvia Nachtvlinder which has flowered for months and is still going.

Helianthus Lemon Queen is a lovely back of the border plant.  I would like more of this so will see if I can divide it next Spring.

Some roses are still doing well. This is Susan Williams-Ellis.

This is one of my favourites - Kew Gardens.  The single creamy yellow/white flowers are so pretty and are formed in panicles, a bit like a hydrangea paniculata.

Rose William Shakespeare 2000, which put out this one flower just in time for the Queen's funeral.

The ever reliable Liriope muscari which I keep saying needs dividing, but I haven't actually got round to it yet.  

Finally, the lovely Miscanthus - I'm not totally sure whether it is Silberfeder or Kleine Fontane or something else.  Either way, it is lovely!

I am going to plant some narcissus and muscari as soon as I can and then in November, I will be tulip planting.  That's one of the many things I enjoy about gardening - there is always something to look forward to.

Resilience in the garden

This summer has certainly thrown some interesting weather our way, with drought conditions and extreme temperatures (for the UK) up to 40 degrees centigrade.  I have been reviewing the garden to see what has shown resilience.  Above is Clematis heracleifolia New Love which is in a south facing border and which had no extra water.  It is shaded by a jasmine and winter flowering honeysuckle and it is flowering away happily. 

This aster novae-angliae September Ruby - is also doing well, albeit flowering earlier than usual.

Rose Ferdinand Pichard is having a second flush of flowers.

Buddleia has done well, but it is a survivor.

What surprised me was the hibiscus.  Both have done very well indeed - this is the smaller triple coloured one I have. It is only young and I think has only been in the border for two years.  It has has one bottle of water stuck next to it when it got really hot. Above is the pink flower...

...and here is the white/pink.

Here is hibiscus syriacus Oiseau blue, still in flower and having had no extra water. 

The miscanthus grasses are a little shorter than usual, but have done well.

This salvia 'Nachtvlinder' has also done well and has been flowering for a couple of months now.

Finally, this fuchsia, Thamar, which is in a pot but which has been reliably perennial for quite a few years. It has had an occasional watering, but hasn't had a lot of care lavished on it; however, it has rewarded me with these pretty flowers.

So, what have I learnt?  Shrubs have managed well.  They have longer roots so that they can reach moisture further down in the soil.  Having just had to dig out a very unhappy rose which had been in the border for twenty years or so, I can attest to the power of the roots.  I would expect the grasses to manage well and Buddleia seems to be one of the toughest plants I know.  

Re-evaluating my garden will be ongoing - removing some of the plants which didn't cope well and replacing them with tougher ones. I have a feeling that other people will be doing this too.  Climate change is making its presence known and we will all have to adapt.

November - the seasons turn

The temperatures have gone down a bit this week (although surprisingly, have gone up a bit this weekend) and the autumn colours are starting to glow.  However, there are still some plants bravely hanging on. Above is the 'old velvet' colours of the hydrangea flowers.

The standard cherry Kojo-no-mai is showing fiery shades...

...as are the blueberries.

Salvia Nachtvlinder is still in bloom, with its deep purple flowers.

Rose Kew Gardens is also still putting out the odd flower.

Fuchsia Thamar is the only fuchsia I have now - the others got rust and I got rid of them.

Liriope Muscari is such a reliable plant for me.  I really need to divide the poor thing and give it a bit more space.

Hydrangeas are still flowering at the bottom end of the garden.

I like the mix of the bright white flower against the earlier flowers which have turned green

The Magnolia is now losing its leaves - and that is a proper November sky.

There are still some autumn fruiting raspberries ( I ate this one straight after taking this photo).

Lysimachia Clethroides in the front, starting to go yellow, with the cherry behind.  I need to start on the pot insulation I think.  We have had one frost so far and there will certainly be more to come.