For the first time in a long time I’m actually prepared! Wooo go me. Perhaps it’s because I’m so acutely aware of the date at the moment (I’ve just no idea what day it is! The Bank Holiday on Monday was quite a shock and I’m now a day off.)
Judging by photos from other people’s gardens I still have a long way to go to keep the interest going throughout the season. It’s been a strange old year, with spring starting exceptionally early – Snowdrops in Jan, crocus end of Feb and so on. That I think everything is just worn out now.
Planning for next year has begun; even though I’ve no real idea if I’ll still be living here… Almost doesn’t seem worth it, but at the same time I want to at least enjoy myself when I am here!
Most of the problems with the garden this year are my own fault, as I've had to pretty much ignore it since around April. I have done small jobs occasionally, but there's lots of rubbish left around, piles of cuttings and such which add to the over-all feeling that it's a mess. It's amazing just how much the garden needs us to regularly do things to keep it looking good; all those small jobs I must normally do really do add up.
As a result I have a massive list to do once the dissertation is handed in... First on the list is power cleaning the decking, steps and walls. Then paint doors and skirting boards inside. After that it'll be a case of moving plants and hopefully getting the many plants in pots planted.
The Buddleja border continues to be an annoyance, I just can’t ever seem to have lots of colour in it, and I think this year is especially bad. So I am gearing toward planting mainly hostas and ferns. Its problem is the Buddleja, which every year takes over and casts lots of shade, then as the blooms die I cut it back and the border is once again opened up.
This is the view from the other side of the border… such a sorry sight.
The right border from the house (never know what to call this one…)
There have been gaps in this one this year, so unfortunately it isn’t looking so great now and many of the seedling plants I put in took too long to grow thanks to the dry weather.
A plant that Cheryl gave me, it’s doing well but I’ve still no idea what it’s meant to be as it hasn’t bloomed…
The Thistle continues to grow… Looking forward to its blooms!
Next year I need to remove a lot of the Aster because it’s grown too large and the rest of the border has suffered. Compared to last year it’s been very bare.
The Monkshood on the left will be moved onto the upper tier to open up the border against the fence which I have been unable see/get to for months now. Instead, I have some nice whispy Burnet that can replace it, and plan to also plant some Dierama.
Pyracantha’s berries are near ripe now
The cherry border is looking very bare now the Foxgloves and such have finished blooming.
However, these spurge do tend to pop up, at least they’re adding a bit of green; even if I don’t like them.
I also added a few more Pulmonaria last week sometime, these will be Blue and should like quite nice contrasting with ‘sissinghurst white’.
The upper tier remains rather bare and boring, but hopefully next year it will be much better. I’ve had to pretty much ignore it for the past couple of months whilst I’ve been doing my work.
So far there are Veronicastrum, Flat-topped Aster and Black Elder. There are also some Clematis on the fence, but both are looking a little worse for wear… I’m hoping they bounce back.
The small Acer’s leaves are turning…
And ragwort is ensuring I have more blooms next year to keep the Gatekeepers happy.
And let’s finish off with this… An odd juxtaposition.
A foxglove (?!!) at the end of August, blooming and the Fuji Cherry’s leaves have already began to turn. The other (original) Fuji cherry behind it, which was almost totally destroyed by workmen remains green.
And just because we’ve had some amazing sunsets over the past few days…
2 comments:
Oh Liz, those sunsets are stunningly beautiful! Honestly, you have much more going in your garden than we do right now. If it wasn't for the few plants in bloom here, and I mean few, we'd be completely reduced to California 'golden browns' by now. I'm grateful for my one one native bloom (Epilobium), and a few friendly non-natives like Lavender and Rudbeckia, or it would be a wasteland here. I'm seriously impressed you have time to photograph your garden while working on your dissertation, although I also understand the need to stare at something else once in a while as you're working on in too ;)
Hi cv,
I guess the grass is always greener, huh? :)
I'm used to having much more still going on at this time of year... And do think most of it is due to my neglect.
Tbh I've barely been outside for the past three weeks other than to have a quick look at things and come back inside. Today however I attempted to get more photos because I've been taking it easy. All I lve had to do is check over and rearrange my disst and i'lll print it tomorrow and hand it in on Friday.
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