I have realised that I missed out the End of Month View for July, but the garden was looking particularly dry and probably not very photogenic which is perhaps why it didn’t get published.
In contrast to what has been a really good summer, August saw an autumnal dip in temperatures and a lot of rain. I went into hospital on the 13 August for a further operation and was unable to mow the lawn before I went in because of the rain. Since then I have not been able to give the garden the much needed attention it now requires and it is looking neglected. The grass is far too long, ankle deep in some places, and due to stomach surgery I can’t, as yet, use the mower so it will continue to grow until next weekend when a friend has kindly offered to mow the lawn for me.
Some of the taller plants, such as the cosmos badly need staking as they have flopped over the smaller plants. I am really pleased with this particular variety of Cosmos, called Sea Shells, which I grew from seed. Some were pink, but the white ones seems to have taken over.
I have been very selective with my photos this month to give the impression that the garden is still full of flowers, which strictly speaking is not really the case. There is an abundance of greenery and a few patches of color. The Echinacea and Rudbekia have been devoured by the slugs and snails and are, sadly, no longer to be seen, so no wonderful late summer orange shades.
Tucked away just behind the Cosmos I found a very pretty white Scabious which I grew from seed last year and survived the winter.
Another is a Verbena which, although it has struggled, has added some bright color on the border edge. Unlike its relative Bonariensis this variety only grows to about 8″ and comes in a number of colours ranging from deep purple through to pink.
I was given a Gaura last year which I thought I had lost but I found it growing quite happily in the south facing border. It must have flowered well in the last month and not being in the garden I missed it, There are only a few flowers left on it but I was pleased to see it. I am inclined to dig it up before it gets cold, and nurture it in the greenhouse over the winter to give it the chance to establish in size before putting it out in the garden next year.
The roses are in their second flush and looking good with the white Japanese Anemones behind them.
It has been a fabulous year for raspberries, and I am not sure if it is just the good weather or if it was partially down to the good helping of fish blood and bone that I gave them in the spring. They have fruited since July, and are the size of strawberries and incredibly sweet. I have given them away to neighbours, have bags of them in the freezer and my grandchildren helped themselves to large portions last weekend. Still they continue to produce fruit.
The ‘Moneymaker’ tomatoes are very slow to ripen. I have had a good number of them, along with the slugs, but there is a branch with tomatoes the size of small apples that seem loathe to turn red. I have removed most of the leaves now with the hope that they will concentrate on what they are supposed to do.
The one plant I love to see turn pink at this time of the year is the Sedum. Slowly their flower heads are changing to a rose color and will, eventually, become turn to a lovely dark burgundy shade during the winter.
Finally, the side patio. Here it has become a bit of a jungle and everything is very overgrown. With the promise of good weather this coming week I will have to take the secateurs to several of the plants, including the passion flower and the Clematis “Jouiniana Praecox,” which is looking good but taken over most of the patio wall between me and my neighbor.
As always a big thank you to Helen from The Patient Gardener for hosting this monthly meme. Visit her blog to see what is happening in her lovely and interesting garden as well as then hopping across to other gardens who have contributed to this month’s End of Month View.
