The vaguely green-fingered thoughts of a rambling rose.

There's a change in the air


It is mid August, but it feels like autumn is fast approaching. There's a fresher feeling in the mornings and the nights are beginning to draw in. 

So many things need ticking off our gardening 'to do' list. Since today was dry, it was a good opportunity to get the deck spruced up. A stiff brush and a stiff breeze spurred us on.




While the Man that Can cracked on with the painting, I took the opportunity to snap some pictures to blog. 

The apples are ripening well but they don't yet seem as big as last year. 


The shadier part of the birch bed has really filled out. I'm really pleased with what is often a difficult part of a garden...


...mostly thanks to this plant suppressing the weeds. I've dug up sections of it and replanted them in other parts of the birch bed, and moved a fern that didn't like being under the birch tree. 


Tiny Japanese Anemone


I love foxgloves. Particularly white ones. The detail in each could have been hand painted. 










I've got a soft spot for fuchsias. 





This little chap has self seeded. There are a few more viola seedlings in this container. I'm sure I can put them to good use later in the autumn. 




The baskets have had it. There's no saving them sadly so they're destined for the compost heap. 


Good job then that we took a trip to the garden centre!


First job for me (he's still painting), is to pot up all 6 fuchsia cuttings that I took last month...there's 2 tiny ones in the top right pot. I have nipped off the flower buds that had formed so the plants can concentrate on building a good root system. 


Next up are the baskets. I've gone for a frilly white cyclamen surrounded by ruby coloured violas and finished off with variegated ivy. 



The theme continues in the mangers beneath the kitchen window. I did manage to save 2 pink pelargoniums. I'll lift them later and bring them in to overwinter. 


In the front garden, I've planted two pink Japanese Anemones with a heuchera in front. 


Another heuchera beneath the sambucca nigra to lift it a bit. 


And a third heuchera with another pink Japanese Anemone. 


The Man that Can joined me to put membrane down beneath the bird feeders to help stop all the weeds sprouting from the bird seed. 



The acer below is going great guns!


But the daphne is feeling very sad. I lifted it and the soil ball was practically non-existent. There's no sign of vine weevil and there are some healthy roots so I've replanted it in front of the rhododendron. I'll give it another season or two. 



There's still much to do in the front garden. The rose has been damaged by sawfly larvae (look like spotted caterpillars) so it'll need a bit of a tidy up. I've picked over it and in one sitting removed 29. I'll give it a few days and check it again. 

It's easy to forget other creatures enjoy the garden too...

Home again, home again


Jiggedy jig 

So first thing on returning home from our holiday, and all 3 of us are in the garden. I had asked for my baskets to be watered daily. As you can see, something didn't quite go according to plan and most of the plants are either dead or dying. I really hope some tlc over the next couple of days will save some of them.


Bumblebee's plot is mostly full of flowers now that are also pretty much past their best. We'll have a bit of a tidy up and see what if anything will flower again.


While  away, I worried that these fuchsia cuttings I had taken recently would loose too much water and would die. I needn't have worried, they all have roots on them!


I took some clematis cuttings whilst tidying our friends garden in the Netherlands. I hope at least one takes, it's a spectacular plant. 


A wander around the front garden checking on everything. 


This daphne below doesn't seem very happy.  It might be because since the tree outside our garden was removed, it has been less shaded than it would prefer. I think I'll move it in the autumn. 


I couldn't see it at first, but I could smell this single rose. 


All the hardy geraniums have leafed back up after their haircut last month. They'll give me another flush of flowers in a couple more weeks. 


The tree has 'flowered' again. It's most unusual, but pretty. 


The photinia has surpassed my expectations. We cut this back very hard last month to rejuvenate it, and it certainly paid off. The new foliage is wonderful!


And the holly is looking great. I shall use this in my Christmas decorations. 


The acer too has surprised me. It'll need a bit of a reshape, but it looks so pretty. 



Have I mentioned one of my favourite plants are hydrangeas? 





With the three in the front garden, we also have another two in the birch bed. The one in the bottom photo will be moved this autumn because it's not very happy in its current spot. Gardening is all about trial and error and finding what works best where. 

And so to the back garden. 

The arch is smothered in two honeysuckles and two clematis. Scent and beauty. 


The pink and white border, aka the birch bed:






Another forgotten basket. This one is in the open though so had some rain. 


Penstemon in grasses


Honeysuckle


Intertwined with clematis



Lilies


Anemone


Fuchsia. I need a support for this one to appreciate the flowers better. 


And of course the pond.