Well it’s all gone to hell in a hand basket – end of month view four days late – hopeless. And the photos, taken last weekend when I’d nearly run out of light, are hopeless too! Ah well, as mentioned before, I find these monthly views handy for me, so think I’ll still take you for a spin.
The Mid Century bed above is looking appropriately ‘bruised’ and the ‘gladdies’ continue to make their presence felt whether I like it or not – and I still can’t make up my mind!
The troughs have been a bit of a disaster this year – the Cosmos Antiquity never really got going, so I’ve allowed the enormous self seeded shoo fly plant (Nicandra physaloides) free rein as there’s not much else going on. The trailing sweet peas ‘Pink Cupid’ really didn’t like the heat of the metal trough – I suppose not surprisingly – and pretty much all curled up and died. I’d like to try them somewhere else next year, but worry that with any pot I’ve have a similar problem, and yet if not in a pot how do they trail?
The Veg patch is showing off some rather more successful sweet peas than the ‘Pink Cupids’ but these too have suffered from lack of water. I’ve definitely had far more blooms from the greenhouse ones this year.
As well as the blooms I’ve had the usual broad beans, runner beans and courgettes but had a terrible time germinating french beans and sugar snaps this year and so haven’t had any.
I am growing Sarah Raven’s flower sprouts or ‘Kalettes’ for the first time this year which are a cross between Brussels sprouts and kale and have ‘baby’ kale in the place where you’d expect the Brussels to be. I haven’t harvested any yet and at the moment the plants don’t even seem to be showing much sign the kalettes will appear. I have just checked the SR website and it suggests I should be harvesting from September to November, so hopefully there’s still time…
The Swing Beds still have a reasonable amount of interest with the Verbena, Penstemons, Salvia and Asters as well as the incredibly long flowering Diascia personata.
I shared the view over the Grass Bed as last week’s Wordless Wednesday. It really was a glorious day and the Cosmos ‘Psyche White’ have been great this year.
The Perlagonium ‘Surcouf’ continues to smother both pots, and increasingly the trellis behind, to the extent where I wonder whether at some state I’ll move the Clematis out altogether and concentrate on just getting the Pelagonium to climb.
Poor (Clematis) Princess Di (as it is she) seems to be as unhappy in my pots as she was in later life, but that’s a whole other subject…..
Another couple of really successful pots have been the pair by the greenhouse doors. These were another Sarah Raven suggestion and have been truly spectacular this year – Thunbergia ‘African Sunset’ with Arctotis ‘Flame’. I’m hoping I’ll be able to overwinter the Arctotis and even make some more by taking cuttings, but I’ll have to start again with the Thunbergia as it is annual.
In the Greenhouse Beds I’ve had a clear out of the Nasturtiums as I’m hoping to expose some soil so the Poppies will seed. I’ve also planted out some Aster Frikartii ‘Monch’ (some of which were grown as cuttings, and some bought months ago). The idea was to increase the number in the Swing Beds, but they’re currently so rammed with plants I was worried the Asters wouldn’t get established, so thought they’d be better where I can keep an eye on them. Even if I decide to move them later, I’m sure they’ll be happier having finally got their ‘feet’ in the soil.
At the other side of the garden, the Dahlias and Roses are still pumping out blooms in the Bronze Bed. 
By the long table there have been a couple of late Wisteria blooms – but these aren’t them. These are Dolichos Lablab ‘Ruby Moon’ which I had growing in the pots by the front door which have self seeded in a pot I’m growing a Clematis in. The Clematis is taking its time to get going so these have been a lovely surprise. Goodness knows how they got here!
Into the greenhouse and I’m delighted the Plumbago has bounced back from near drought induced death to be spectacularly floriferous again.
And to finish, Aubergine ‘Slim Jim’. He’s a good looking lad, but I haven’t tasted him yet!
Duver Diary 