September has closed its doors after a month of fairly warm day and some slightly chilly nights. We have a had rain, some strong breezes, some sun and more rain.
In the garden the roses are still growing and flowering. They are refusing Autumn and claiming late Summer.
Whereas the Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' has called Autumn and is down to its last leaf.
This little bowl of bedding begonias has been a delight. I know that they are now literally counting the nights until the first frost kills them, but they have flowered for weeks. I always embrace the simplicity of a small bowl of flowers. As I often refer to: it is an 'enjoy the little things' moment.
The Smell me and Dye garden has also embraced Autumn and been blown around like a blown around thing by the edge of Storm Agnes that recently passed through. The dahlia Waltzing Mathilda has been really good this year, clearly this part of the garden has good conditions for it. The cosmos has blown over and the sunflowers are doing their best to keep flowering. I am letting everything die back and I will be collecting seeds and letting many of the plants self seed where possible.
In the greenhouse the chillies are still ripening. The Christmas Cactus that got too dry has been repotted and it being watered more routinely. I think (hope) it is recovering.
I have been doing some propagation recently: this coleus and begonia have rooted well and have been potted up.
Look away from the slugs and look at the lovely white root appearing. These are some Sparmannia africana cuttings. The slugs have now been rehomed.
Mummy amaryllis has been repotted....
and her babies have been split away from her and repotted as well.
Back out into the garden, the wind has blown many plants akimbo.
I do need to prop some of them back up again, I don't want to cut them back as I like to leave as much as I can over winter for insects to hibernate in.
and it is peak aster time in the garden (huzzah!). I love lilac coloured aster that winds through the Manx Fuchsia so well. It is a jumble of happiness.
In the Courtyard Garden the Rhododendron Lutea is turning into its Autumn colour.
The baby tree ferns who over-summer in the Courtyard have had a good year. I think next Spring they will need potting on.
The small Edgeworthia 'Red Dragon' that lives in a pot in the Courtyard is budding up nicely for the Spring. This is very exciting.
The Exotic Border has had a good summer. The Tree Ferns have done well, apart from the one planted last year that is dead. The orange tithonia are still flowering well and have had a very good year.
The Prairie Borders are not in a great shape, they look ok but they have sort of decided to dance to the beat of their own drum. The large border nearest to the camera needs digging out and its drum appears to be couch grass. The furtherest one from the camera is turning itself over to echinops and perennial sunflowers. I am deciding whether to let it lead or remind it of its original purpose. Time will tell.....
In the Wild Garden the grass that had a demi-cut back in July has proved to be a better managed success. It gets too long if I have just leave it, so a demi cut taking it to be around 15cm tall seems to just hold it in check enough to let light in.
The trees in the Wild Garden are getting rather large. Most have been in the garden a good 15 years now.
But I looked at this Cercis siliquastrum, which has been leaning and leaning and leaning a little more each year and I know I need to take it out. One day it will just fall. I might cut the trunk to about a metre and see if it regrows - cannot decide on this - I will eventually; but I have to cut it back that is certain.
and the white standard wisteria is still flowering. Ok, this is one of the mauve stems that has emerged, but its still the white wisteria really.
and look, the blossom buds are forming on the Prunus Kojo no mai ready for next Spring. Another 'enjoy the little things' moment and sign that the seasons always turn one into another.
The Pond is a bit low, but not too low. It is quite weedy, but not as weedy as it sometimes gets. It will soon get full if we keep having more rain.
I wonder what October will bring for the garden? There is a lot of pruning to be done that's for certain and someone needs to get on with the weeding (she says looking in the mirror).
Take care and be kind.
