I mentioned in the End of Month View post that I wasn’t at all keen on the row of Deschampsia at the end of the front lawn. However, I discovered a view yesterday where I thought they looked great (above). It was early morning, the dew had not burned off and the sun was shining. The view was from the end of my driveway peering over the laurel hedge a view I rarely bother to consider but one that visitors may see. This hasn’t dissuaded me from moving the grasses but I think it has confirmed my feeling that they need to be amongst other plants rather in a straight line.
It already feels as though Autumn is about to be upon us and I have noticed the nights getting distinctly cooler. This has prompted me to sort out the greenhouse: removing the cucumbers, having a good tidy up and making space for the tender succulents to take up their winter accommodation. I hadn’t realised that I had acquired so many more over the last year and this year I have tried to display them attractively in the greenhouse rather than my usual putting them in higgeldy piggedly.
On the other side of the greenhouse are the pelargoniums, generally species at the moment as I am leaving the scented leaved ones out as long as possible. There are also some seedlings of various South Hemisphere plants I have taken to over the last year.
I need to make some decisions about the greenhouse and how I am going to use in the next year or so. My interests and focus have changed somewhat since I first got it. I am more interested in growing alpines and hardy perennials from seed and these don’t need greenhouse space. However, I have a new interest in bulbs, and especially miniature ones for showing, so I am toying with the idea of a bulb frame where I can plunge the pots of bulbs in sand. I will also have space shortly in our garage now that my eldest son has moved all his woodworking equipment out. Progress has started on converting the space into a sort of potting room for me and also somewhere to overwinter dahlia tubers, other succulents and tender perennials.
Outside I was dismayed to discover all the flowers, bar one, munched off the Colchicums. I have two small clumps and this one I only acquired last year in a raffle so I have been looking forward to the flowers appearing. I think the culprit must be slugs but there was little evidence. I have put slug pellets down in the hope of protecting the remaining flower and maybe any further ones which might appear and there is now a horrid slimy trail around the plant so either they are attracted to the pellets or the flowers!
I have also done some planting this week. We have had a good rainfall which has made the ground workable and the reduction in the temperatures mean this is good planting weather. At last I can start freeing up some space on the patio. I have planted out a Clematis bonstedtii, which is a herbaceous variety, and some Delphinium requienii. I think the blue flowers on the Clematis work well with the Melianthus and also the white/blue flowers of Geranium ‘Splish Splash’ just beyond it.
Finally today I emptied out the summer hanging baskets and window box and started planting up the Autumn/Winter displays. I have added some ornamental cabbages to the Cyclamen and Violas I reviewed for Plant Me Now.
Back to work tomorrow so my gardening exploits will be curtailed to weekends and a few more evenings before the nights completely close in.
