For a moment last weekend I thought the 31st was on Friday, and, as I was headng away for a few days, thought I’d have to take my photos on Sunday. How different they would have been! In less than a week the garden has become so much more autumnal. Not only my Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ colouring up in the centre of the photo, but the lawn almost completely obscured by fallen leaves from the over-the-road-oak.
By the Drive Bed, the Cherry’s leaves are now now nearly gone (and those of the Photinia in front were largely sacrificed for the Drive In vases)
In the Bronze Bed the Dahlia Happy Single Date is continuing to flower and the colouring sits well with the now very tawny Hordeum Jubatum. At the back, the Melianthus Major is providing a rather incongruous, fresh looking contrast.
Elsewhere the palette is rather less autumnal, with the Grass Beds still showing some colour with Cosmos, Salvia and Asters all clinging on.
In the Mid Century Bed the Salvia Dyson’s Scarlet and Rhodochiton atrosanguineus are the main survivors, with the feathery foliage of the Mimosa, Acacia baileyana pupurea in between the two.
One definite disappointment in this bed has been the Daucus carota ‘Black Knight’. Not only has this provided great umbels of white rather than the bruised purple I was expecting, but they’ve completely flopped everywhere too.
On close inspection, I have found some evidence of the colour I was expecting, but you’ll need your glasses…
Most of the roses are now finished, but the odd ones are clinging on, and here they’ve been join by the Nerine bowdenii, bulbs I thought I’d lost earlier in the month.
There are still plenty of pots everywhere, many containing tender plants. As ever I’m playing Russian Roulette with the weather as I try to eke out the last tomatoes in the greenhouse before I pull them out and fill the space with pots.
The plant on the right below is Daphne x Pink Fragrance ‘Blapink’ my first ever Daphne, which I must move closer to the front door to enjoy it at closer quarters while it’s still flowering.
The Shady Bed, which hasn’t featured for a while, is looking much the same as always. The Fatsia japonica at the back provides constant structure, and you can see the Hellebore leaves at the front providing promise of flowers in a few months’ time. There are a few ferns here and some hostas, but I would like to add more.
The recent wet weather has kept the Diving Lady’s pool topped up, but she hasn’t got much to look at except a few straggling raspberries, beans and courgettes.
I wonder if she saw who nibbled this?
With thanks as ever to Helen at the Patient Gardener for hosting our End of Month Views.