It feels like Autumn. The constantly falling rain and a few minutes of sunshine once a week make taking pictures unpredictable. Most of the time, we have to work when the sun shows us that it's still there. Like yesterday. Between so much work that needed to be done, there was that moment when I grabbed the camera and just enjoyed being in the garden even it was only for a few minutes, and the clouds started covering the sky again.
I had recently the pleasure to observe a leafcutter bee in the wild flower bed. They must have been waiting for the Rudbeckia because the petals of the very first blossom that opened a few days ago were cut off the next day.
I love Heleniums. This is 'Helena Red'. They look like brooches.
The red Astrantia has got a second flush.
The second flush of the wild Geraniums is not like the first one and there are other plants now more attractive for bees.
I have a white one already shown, and now the two red Alcea start flowering.
I had repositioned the red Echinacea in Autumn and it starts flowering.
The Polemonium has got a second flush. When we bought the plant in April, we were told to chop it down in June, but I left it as it was. I'm convinced that the nature of a plant is not to be forced to flower again, but it can decide what it wants.
I have lots of them.
This is a Rudbeckia 'Sahara' and one of the cutflower plants that I
bought at our farm shop, a basked full of 13 pots for £20 in May.
A few weeks ago @Janie B asked about caterpillars and Verbascum. I said, my one looks maltreated too, but it will bounce back. Can you believe that this is the same plant on the 7th of July:
And look at it today, just 1 month later. No trace of the leave parts that were left by the Mullein moths - I counted 6 at a time. It's bouncing back and starts developing its flower. This will be the stunner for insects in Autumn. That's why it's so important as a gardener to overcome the habit always to look for a perfect plant. The Mullein moths had their turn, and others will have their turn.
The Viburnum carlesii 'Aurora' is in Autumn mood already.
But the good news is that the first Gladiola shows flowers and this means that Winter will end in 7 months time.
A colleague of us, Swedish, is spending his holiday with family on one of the islands near Gothenburg and he said, he has never experienced such wet summer as this year. Where I have been living since 2007, 2012 was wetter and much colder from what I remember, but I have to admit that I have never had so little chance to dry the washing in the garden since moving to Wiltshire in 2016.
Lovely photos @Simone_in_Wiltshire, your garden is still looking really good, although I agree there's a distinct sense of autumn here too! That Helenium is a winner!
Many thanks @Plantminded. The one or other early flowering plant shows signs of “my time is over” but I have a good mix of Spring to Autumn plants, and it’s not immediately obvious. I only deadhead the phacilias, calendulas, nicotanias, and Cosmos. Everything else stays. I will test how wild geraniums react if I cut them only in December.
The garden is looking quite colourful at the moment. I'm feeling quite pleased as I've only been here 2 1/2 years and there weren't any flowers or flower beds then, just grass and some trees.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
A fight has broken out between Geranium wargrave pink, Salvia nachtvlinder and Crocosmia george davison following all the recent rain. They're all pretty thuggish so not sure who will win, but I love the way they look together.
Slowly building a wildlife garden, in a new build in East Yorkshire.
Posts
Molinia Skyracer with Astrantia, Phyllostachys and Griselinia
I had recently the pleasure to observe a leafcutter bee in the wild flower bed. They must have been waiting for the Rudbeckia because the petals of the very first blossom that opened a few days ago were cut off the next day.
I love Heleniums. This is 'Helena Red'. They look like brooches.
The red Astrantia has got a second flush.
The second flush of the wild Geraniums is not like the first one and there are other plants now more attractive for bees.
I have a white one already shown, and now the two red Alcea start flowering.
I had repositioned the red Echinacea in Autumn and it starts flowering.
The Polemonium has got a second flush. When we bought the plant in April, we were told to chop it down in June, but I left it as it was. I'm convinced that the nature of a plant is not to be forced to flower again, but it can decide what it wants.
I have lots of them.
This is a Rudbeckia 'Sahara' and one of the cutflower plants that I bought at our farm shop, a basked full of 13 pots for £20 in May.
A few weeks ago @Janie B asked about caterpillars and Verbascum. I said, my one looks maltreated too, but it will bounce back.
Can you believe that this is the same plant on the 7th of July:
And look at it today, just 1 month later. No trace of the leave parts that were left by the Mullein moths - I counted 6 at a time. It's bouncing back and starts developing its flower. This will be the stunner for insects in Autumn. That's why it's so important as a gardener to overcome the habit always to look for a perfect plant. The Mullein moths had their turn, and others will have their turn.
The Viburnum carlesii 'Aurora' is in Autumn mood already.
But the good news is that the first Gladiola shows flowers and this means that Winter will end in 7 months time.
A colleague of us, Swedish, is spending his holiday with family on one of the islands near Gothenburg and he said, he has never experienced such wet summer as this year.
Where I have been living since 2007, 2012 was wetter and much colder from what I remember, but I have to admit that I have never had so little chance to dry the washing in the garden since moving to Wiltshire in 2016.
Summer 2023
I ♥ my garden.
I ♥ my garden.
Is that Alcea Chaters Double Red - Hollyhock (Althea)?
I ♥ my garden.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border