Loving all the gorgeous plants here! I also vote for begonias. I grew a few at the end of Spring/early Summer then found myself with more to grow in mid Summer. Not all are in flower but every single one has grown fast and really big - their leaves are so luscious. I've managed to have a few big pots with different varieties together. They're still going ... Sorry for the sideways upload!
For me it's Verbena bonariensis and Nicotine sylvestris. They weren't affected by the weather, actually they look better than they normally do. Much of the rest of the garden looked very sad through the summer, even my bulletproof Persicaria amplexicaulis looks like its been zapped with a flamethrower, all scorched leaves, but with masses of flowers held high. As for the Buddleia Flower Power bushes, well!!! They look very sad. Here's to next year!
Oh, and my gorgeous salvia greggii, a dark pink one 😘
Begonias after a long cold wait! And strangely enough some red poppies with a cream middle,I think they mustve been in a cottage garden mix for scattering,but they have bloomed all summer among other duller more expensive plants.
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
This year, my biggest surprising star has been annual tall fleabane - Erigeron annus. It's been flowering from May to now without a pause and shows no sign of slowing down yet. I have been religiously deadheading and it responds very well. It looks much like an aster but without the bullying tendancies and is perhaps more delicate, with small leaves. Good as a cut flowers. Good for insects. I'm very much hoping it will self seed about.
It looks lovely twining through a wildy mass of gaura, white phlox, white autumn clematis and white roses, white roses, which is how I have it at the moment.
Robinia Twisty Baby is my current star. It had a huge chop-back last September ... and I was a bit concerned that the stress of that after the very hot summer might have been too much for it. But it has come back beautifully, a mass of lovely new growth dripping with its little curly leaves. Am quite astonished!
I saw quite a lot of E. annuus at Gravetye Manor, much of which was apparently self-seeded. It was lovely.
Edited to add - found a couple of photos.
E. karvinskianus and E. annuus
This was a fantastic planting combination which I have failed entirely to capture in the photo so you'll have to take my word for it! Two types of Salvia, E. annuus, Diascia and Dahlias.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
A double yellow osteospermum I picked up at the garden centre as a little plant and put in a big pot. Its gone bonkers. I will be taking cuttings. It also appears not to be ravaged by the slimers.
Sanguisorba "Raspberry Coulis" - I think this was my plant star last year as well. It has been in flower since late June. I think it's stopped producing new flowers by now but the old ones still look attractive. Two of the plants have needed a little support at the base.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
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Oh, and my gorgeous salvia greggii, a dark pink one 😘
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Edited to add - found a couple of photos.
E. karvinskianus and E. annuus
This was a fantastic planting combination which I have failed entirely to capture in the photo so you'll have to take my word for it! Two types of Salvia, E. annuus, Diascia and Dahlias.