Month: September 2012

Summer Days Drifted Away……..

Where did they go to? Now we are well into September and many of the summer blooms have faded it seems that we hardly had any summer days at all – but my photos of a blooming garden earlier this month are telling me something different……………..

Summer Patio with white geraniums, purple agapanthus (african lilly) and lemon tree planter with white million bells planted beneath

The white geraniums are still blooming well into September.  Once it gets a bit colder I will be taking them indside to a sheltered spot otherwise they will die off in a hard frost over winter

It’s September but the marigolds are still blooming like it is mid summer – they have a fantastically long blooming period, feed them and they will keep on going long after others summer blooms have faded.  Their deep orange colour looks fantastic in the late September sunhine. Once the last blooms fade I will be collecting the seed heads to plant in early spring to produce me some more summer blooms for next year.

 

The feel and colours of the garden have however distinctly changed to darker deeper colours

 

 

The deep red chrysanthemum pot produces  early autumn blooms-a-plenty. It will bloom for several weeks on end and well into the autumn, dying back in winter only to sprout forward again starting in the spring

 

 

The beautiful deep orange of the chinese lanterns has appeared following on from it’s deep green stage – this rewarding perennial brings a very seasonal touch to the garden.  They can be invasive and travel underground via rhizomes but they are easy to control by pulling up any unwanted ones.  They give a great display in the border early autumn when most of the summer bloomers have died back. Each year they die back to ground level and sprout forward the following spring.

 

 The red berries have also started to appear on the pyracantha grown from a slip taken from my mums garden. Berries are great to encourage wildlife  into the garden.  Grown against a wall in full berry bloom it is quite a spectacular sight when maturity is reached.

 

 

The yellow pom pom dahlia bobs about gently in the autumn breeze another favourite perennial that dies back each winter and re-emerges the following year to give late summer, early autumn blooms

Geranium and Bacopa hanging basket

Would you believe a display like this could keep on going from late Spring right through to late September with no signs of fading just yet – just feed and water on a regular basis – what a reward for very little effort

 

Now is also a good time to think about getting spring bulbs down be it in pots or straight into the borders especially snowdrops if you want them popping up in late winter.  Check out the category “spring blooms” on the blog under the “about” page for memories of spring sprouters and flowers you might want in your garden next spring.

 

As the summer moves off and autumn falls quicker and faster the planetary pull on the earth will be affecting us all in a physical and psychological sense.  I came across this book about mindfullness and even if you only read the excerpt  you may find it revolutionary.

http://www.beatinganger.com/docs/angermindfulextract.pdf

 

Marigolds basking in late September sunshine

 

 

And the Hits Keep on Coming

Throughout July and August the blooms came and went in the garden giving ongoing and ever changing colourful displays to feast the eye.  It truly was a treat.

Perrenial bulbs such as the lilly will give you endless pleasure year upon year and you can always add to them as the years go by. I have planted all of my favourites.  Plant bulbs out in early spring for summer blooming.  If you notice anything nibbling the leaves and flower buds it is more than likely the lily beetle, get some spray that will eradicate them otherwise the buds will never get to bloom.

Agapanthus
Summer blooming agapanthus

The african lilly (agapanthus) with it’s elegant long stalks and and large blooming heads, made up of many little flowers to give  a spherical shape,  enjoys semi shade and will bloom for six to eight weeks throughout the summer. You can buy plants with  purple flowers or with white flowers.  When the flowers die back they leave behind an interesting structural shape, giving stature and architectural form to the garden,  for you to enjoy into autumn.  Plant corms in early spring or if you have existing plants you can dig them up and separate them out after they have finished flowering to produce more plants for the following year

Tiger lillies blooming early summer

The tiger lilly usually blooms early on in June each year giving me a bright colourful display

The perfume of the oriential lilly fills the air
A smell you will want to remember and never forget

The oriential lilly blooms a little later giving a flouncy display with it’s blousey blooms and will fill the whole garden with the most amazing smelling perfume.  The usually flower to two to three weeks.  Keep them well watered if in pots.

The elegant white longiflorum lilly

Along with the longiflorum lilly which I love to grow for it’s long elegant shape and form with trumpet shaped blooms and subtle scent. Mine are really late this year but the blooms are just about to break forth – waiting patiently!

about to burst open lily blooming in late July
White Patio rose in a pot bringing blooms every summer

Roses are another great summer plant – they will die off in winter back to twiggy stalks and regenerate themselves in spring – I like to grow small patio roses in pots if you feed them they will give you a long summer blooming reward.  You can prune them back in late autumn or winter.

White Hydrenga

Hydrengas will  bloom prolifically throughout the summer and in to september adding colour and life to a shady corner.  They will die back in winter and sprout back out again the following spring.  A great low maintenance plant providing you with lots of summer blooms

Violas
Pretty Violas grown from last years seed head collected late autumn and planted early spring
Purple violas in terracotta window box planter

Violas  are similar to pansies but produce smaller (and I think cuter) flowers in abundance, plant bedding each year or grow from seed yearly to give colourful displays of pots.  They smell so sweet when the sun is shining on them and they will tolerate a semi shady area. Deadhead and feed on a regular basis for a long flowering period throughout the summer.  Seeds will form on dead flower heads that are not removed, you can collect these and grow bedding plants for the following year.

Marigolds
Sunshine in a pot!

It’s truly summer

The bright summery colour of the marigold will herald summer whatever the weather – guaranteed to cheer you up on the gloomiest of summer days.  They have a long blooming period and flower on for months on end throughout the summer and early autumn season.  Feed them and deadhead them regularly to get the most from the plants.  Plant bedding each year or collect seeds from the dead flower heads to grow plants for the following year. They love a sunny spot.

White Geranium

Geranium window planter – open up your windows and bring the summer inside!

Geraniums will bloom for months on end throughout the summer.  Feed them now and again to keep the blooms going and take them inside in winter to protect from the frosts and they will gladly bloom for you again the following summer.  They will happily bloom in a semi shady spot.

Geraniums to the front with pots of million bells to the back planted beneath the lemon tree

Million bells seen to the rear planted beneath the lemon tree produce blooms all summer long and are great all summer long bedding for pots or hanging baskets.

Buddleia in bloom brining in the butterflies

The Buddleia in bloom to the left of the picture blooming throughout late June and August attracting butterlies into the garden – they love this tree. It gets chopped right back each year and sprouts out again in early spring producing deep purple flowers.  Staring into the distance I am already thinking about next spring! Now is a good time to get spring bulbs in.

Apples a plenty

If I say there are about one thousand apples on the tree this year it is probably an accurate calculation.  Have started to harvest some and distributed amongst friends and neighbours.  They are delicious to eat really juicy and quite sharp and leave  an after sweetness lingering in your mouth. Great for cooking as well because you don’t have to add any sugar.  Loads more left to pick – mustn’t grumble apple crumble. Apples anybody?

Home grown carrots

Home grown carrots – where else in the world would you get carrots that looked or tasted like this?

A Summer to remember