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...