The weather this month hasn’t been the usual weather for September here. Usually, as soon as the children all go back to school after the summer break, the weather improves and September is usually a beautiful month. This time however, it has been rain, rain and more rain, with a tiny bit of sunshine in between. This has made the grass grow, the weeds grow, and battered the plants and flowers. In spite of this, when I went into the garden to take some photos, I managed to find quite a few flowers.
Miscanthus sinensis Malepartus has the most wonderful purple flowerheads when they first come out, they later turn to beige, but I really love them when they are this colour.
Stipa gigantea has been flowering for a long time now, a lot of the stems have been battered with all the wind and rain that we have been having, but a few stems are still managing to look good.
September is the month for grasses and thank goodness my Pampas has managed to survive being overgrown by a Spirea bush. Last year it didn’t flower at all, but having dug the spirea out and hopefully got all the suckers out that were coming through the pampas, it is now a lot happier.
A lot of the clematis have finished flowering, but Clematis durandii is still going strong, such a lovely deep rich blue. This is an herbacious clematis, it doesn’t cling, it has to be put where it can grow through something else.
Hydrangeas have loved all the rain, they have been wonderful this year. This one is growing under the pergola and is now a huge bush.
Fuchsias have also done well and grown to huge proportions. There is a plus side to all our rain!
The roses have struggled this month, they haven’t liked the weather at all.
Lysimachia ephemerum is spreading a bit further than I would like, some will have to be moved to the opposite border.
Rudbeckier Goldsturn isn’t as good as last year, I think a move is necessary for this plant too, it makes such a lovely splash of yellow, I would like to see more of it in the garden, maybe I will have to grow some from seed, then I will have a drift.
Spirea Jacobs Coat is still flowering with its 2 colours of flowers. It always seems to manage more flowers after the first flush of flowering earlier in the year.
Hydrangea paniculata Candlelight is blushing pink now, having started off as lovely white cone flowers.
I shouldn’t have been surprised to see the Colchicums flowering, but I was. My other clump aren’t quite ready to open their flowers yet, maybe in another week.
My large blue hydrangea has opened another new flowerhead. All the other flowers on the bush are turning very muted shades of blue, green and beige, just this one saying “look at me”.
Hydrangea Limelight, which was new this year, has done well and has enjoyed all the free water coming from the sky!
This hydrangea is trying to decide if it wants to be pink or blue, it is taking its time, but I’m sure will end up blue eventually.
The cyclamen in the woodland just get better and better each day. More flowers seem to be opening all the time and I keep taking far too many photos of them!
The mixed colours mean that the ants have been busy.
Japanese anemone, but it is hiding under one of my acers so will have to be moved, I bet I’ll leave some roots behind which will sprout again!
New Guinea Bizzie Lizzie will have to come in soon to finish its flowering as once the frosts arrive it will just collapse.
..the same with this one…
…and the same with this begonia.
Fuchsia Delta Sarah has been magnificent this year. Even though it was cut right back in the spring, it is now taller than me (5ft 6ins). It has grown so much that it has been blocking the path by the dining room, I think a move is in order, I will take cuttings just in case it objects!
By the front drive we have a patch of very weedy looking asters. Each time I go to pull them out, they are covered with such a variety of bees that I leave them alone. If the bees love them that much, then they deserve to stay.
The star of the driveway border though is the clump of Eupatorium. It is 7ft tall and also covered with bees and sometimes butterflies. The flower heads are amazing, so huge this year with having so much moisture, it has certainly relished the conditions.
I don’t have much time for my blog at the moment, or leaving comments, just a snatched moment here and there, in between sorting everything out here at home. Not much time to be gardening either which is a shame, but I’m still managing to get some done thank goodness. The garden is definitely winding down, it is beginning to look more golden, berries are in evidence everywhere, very autumnal, summer has gone.
Thanks must go to Carol at May Dreams Garden for hosting this monthly meme, please pay her a visit to see flowers from around the world.
What lovely grasses! And those Hydrangeas – Wow!
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Thanks Lea, I’m just so glad that something likes all our rain!
Lots of beauty despite the weather! I hope things calm down a bit for you and allow you more time to play in your garden soon. Happy GBBD!
Thank you Peter, I do try to get into the garden for a bit each day, weather permitting, but it isn’t always possible unfortunately.
Love your grasses and your Eupatorium! Happy Garden Blogger Bloom Day.
Thanks Rebecca, this is the month when the grasses are at their best, bringing movement to the garden with the wind.
It’s been a disappointing September so far Pauline, after that underwhelming August but at least the plants are lapping all that rain up especially that glorious eupatorium. I hope that you manage to snatch some more time outside soon.
The weather has been so disappointing this month Anna, usually September is such a wonderful month. The plants don’t seem to mind though and it has meant less watering for me, so for that, I’m glad!
I like your Aster and I might have one like it. It was given to me last year and I plopped it down in an empty spot. So far, nothing; but it has spread out and covered all the empty area around it. This is the first Aster I have ever grown so it will be a surprise.
Thanks for taking the time to share your garden on GBBD.
Jeannie @ GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com
Asters are so good at this time of year Jeannie, they bring a nice splash of colour to the September garden, I hope yours flowers next year for you.
Always interesting to catch up with what’s happening in your garden, Pauline, and compare what’s flowering. I have just added one of those lysimachia so will be interested to see how soon it shows its thuggish tendencies!
My Lysimachia lasted a few years before it started wandering Cathy, so you should be ok for a while yet!
Lovely photos Pauline. I do love that Aster, but I know what you mean about them looking untidy. Mine are sprawling before they have even opened! Your Eupatorium is amazing – still flowering now. The wild ones in the woods near us are just fluffy seed heads now. Have a great week Pauline, and hope there is time for some more pleasant jobs soon.
I think the aster is a seedlng of one that used to be there, very nondescript, but so wonderful for the bees and butterflies! The Eupatorium is also wonderful for the wildlife, it is the star of the driveway border.
I’m like you, Pauline, finding it hard to do much blogging and gardening lately – but still hanging in. Beautiful grasses and flowers, beautifully photographed (as usual)
Gardening and other jobs have to come first Catmint, hopefully it will all be done eventually, then I can get back to normal.
You have some lovely blooms and grasses, I love all the blues and purples. Your garden is looking marvelous, despite having little time to garden. I hope the house sorting goes well and you get a little more you time soon, and some better weather.xxx
Thank you Dina, the garden is definitely looking autumnal, it seems to have come suddenly this year. The forecast for today is sunny all day, maybe I’ll forget the house and work in the garden for a change!
I feel like I have been barely able to snatch moments for blogging and gardening lately, too. Hopefully that will change with the coming of autumn. Your own garden looks like it is doing very well. Fuchsia Delta Sarah is gorgeous! I am also so impressed with your cyclamen in the woodland area.
Fuchsia Delta Sarah has been amazing this year Deb, so tall and covered with flowers all summer long. I can’t really take any credit for the cyclamen, more and more seedlings start flowering every year, thanks to my army of helpers, maybe I ought to sow some seed myself each year?
I love asters, but they can look weedy. I used to grow S. lateriflorus, which looked weedy, spread maniacally, and grew to the size of a shrub. The bees loved it though, and I have the stings to prove it from when I pulled this aster out of my beds.
I think my aster is a seedling of another Jason and it has now taken over, it has far more bees on it than the original, so for that, it is allowed to survive! If I think of moving it, I will take note and only go near it when it isn’t in flower!
Hi Pauline, It’s so much fun to see your photos. You have so many wonderful blooms! I love the Cyclamen and have a soft spot in my heart for wild Asters…..they are pollinator magnets.
Thanks Sally for your lovely comments, it is nice to have flowers at this time of year, still lots for the wildlife to enjoy.
I just love all your amazing looking flowers!!! Your garden is super gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing those colors with us:)
Thanks Kim for your kind comments and for stopping by!
The cyclamen are a dream!
Thank you Jayne, more and more flowers seem to open each day, it just gets better and better!
So much beauty, Pauline! I wish I could grow those tall grasses in my garden, but have neither space, nor light. I’ll enjoy their fall glory vicariously through you. 🙂
I’m happy to oblige Anna, grasses certainly come into their own in the September garden.