What a grey day! I should have taken my photos yesterday when everything looked a lot more cheerful. This looks like an end of October view.
As you can see, a lot of colour has already gone from the garden. Whilst the Verbena bonariensis and Erysimum Bowles Mauve are doing their best in the Lavender bed in the foreground, in the main Swing Beds, you have to get closer to see much in the way of flowers.
There are Cosmos Double Click Cranberries (the same as in the Cutting Garden) together with Aster Frikartii Monch, Geraniums and Phlox. I particularly like the Aster and have recently taken cuttings in a bid to fill out the bed with more next year.
In the same bed, but looking the other way, you can see a few roses are blooming, but this year the sweet peas on the netting at the back have been a complete disaster. I planted less densely than in the past thinking that giving them more space might back them flower better, but I think they struggled with lack of water early on, and just never got going.
After two disappointing years I think I might just plant some taller plants at the back of these beds rather than keep trying with the sweet peas, which only really worked well the once.
In the Grass Bed I pulled out the majority of the Verbascums as I really didn’t like their dead flower heads and instead planted some left over Zinnia Raspberry Cordial. These are only just getting going, and not sure their habit matches at all well with the soft grasses, but I’m trying not to worry about that, instead I’m just thinking of yet more peachy flower arrangements!
In the Mid Century Bed, the Malope in particular has got a little chaotic, but there is still quite a lot of colour.
Here the Rosa Munstead Wood with Salvia and Centaurea
In the other new bed, things are looking a bit of a mess because of the grasses. Whilst I love the Hordeum jubatum, it has been rather flattened in the rain and is giving the bed a very unkempt look. Lucky the dahlias (D. Happy Single Date) are shining out from the chaos.
Near to this bed are a couple of arrangements of succulents, which keep looking good whatever the weather.
The veg patch has also suffered this year. Whilst the courgettes and runner beans are still going strong, the french beans have given up the ghost and the sweet peas, which did well in this bed last year have been almost as poor as the ones in the Swing Beds.
At least all the recent rain has kept the Diving Lady’s pool topped up.
Thinking ahead, I’ve recently been busy taking cuttings and here are a few, hopefully busy rooting as I type. Oh how I love to propagate!
And to finish, the THIRD agapanthus flower grown from seed. Did I say how I love to propagate?
With thanks to Helen at the Patient Gardener who hosts everyone’s EOMVs.