There are too many signs of autumn, I feel that summer is slipping away fast. With all the heat that we had over the summer, the flowers are over almost before they have opened up. Thank goodness the temperatures are now lower and that we have been having lots of rain, which the garden certainly needed.
Starting in the front by the bee and butterfly border, the butterflies are busy every day on the Eupatorium purpureum atropurpureum, this grows to about 8ft tall and at least 6ft wide and is a magnet for the bees and butterflies.
Still in the front, the Agapanthus have been visited by lots of bees.
Also keeping the bees happy is a group of Penstemon Garnet. This is such a reliable flower, it flowers all summer long until the frosts as long as it is deadheaded regularly. I must take more cuttings so that I can spread it round the garden.
By the front door, in shade all day, is a pink mophead Hydrangea. This is rather huge now but seems quite happy in the spot where it is, I’m assuming it stays pink because being so close to the house, the soil must be more alkaline than elsewhere in the garden.
Moving round to the rose garden, between the house and gardage, the roses are all now flowering again, thanks to all the rain. They looked so miserable in all the heat, this part of the garden is in sun all day long, so there was no respite for them. This is just a few of the roses out at the moment.
Moving round to the border by the field there are lots of happy sunshine flowers belonging to the Rudbeckia family.
Leaning to catch some light behind the dead oak is Lythrum which likes a damp spot. The underground stream which is mainly where the bog garden is on the other side of the garden, emerges behind the oak before vanishing behind the garage.
By the field is the Cardoon which I nearly lost. It was only found when we cut a conifer back as it was coming too far forward, when found it was only about 6 inches tall. It has taken it 2 years to grow to its proper height of 6 ft. The bumble bees love to wallow in the purple pollen.
Double feverfew is flowering again after being cut back, we have so much of this throughout the garden, that the garden looked so dead and dry until it was cut back.
Still in the border by the field is Rudbeckia Herbstonne, but I don’t think it is very happy. I’m going to move it in the autumn to the Bee and Butterfly border where the soil will be much better for it, then hopefully it will grow to it’s proper size of six feet instead of the 3 ft it is now.
Up at the top of the border is Aster frickartii Monch, a good one that flowers all summer long. This grows quite tall and flops through the plants around it where it looks lovely.
Crocosmia Solfaterre is still flowering and contrasts with the the previous aster which flops over it. The flowers also look good with their own khaki coloured leaves.
A lacecap Hydrangea under the pergola coped with the heat very well and didn’t seem stressed at all.
Part of the clematis Etoille Violette has gone up the apple tree, but part has now decided to behave and come across the beam of the pergola, this is such a good “doer” !
White Clematis Abundance with tiny flowers of C. Mary Rose are still putting out lots more flowers, so flowering will continue for a while yet.
On the opposite upright is Clematis flora plena purpurea. This has made an escape bid up the Bramley apple tree so the flowers are up there amongst all the apples.
To the left of the pergola is Hydrangea paniculata which has cones similar to a buddleia.
Acanthus mollis has now finished flowering by the pond, but the spires are still looking good architecturally so I will leave them for now, but must cut them down before they can spill their seed everywhere!
Pontaderia is actually in the pond and spreading far too much, so work is needed to split it when flowering has finished. It must have burst out of its basket and is enjoying its freedom.
In the bog garden, I have an unknown crocosmia. It is only small, about 2 ft tall, but I would not plant a crocosmia in the wettest part of the garden. C. Lucifer is only about 6ft away. by the gate into the pond area, so I think he may be to blame, is it one of his seeds do you think? When it has finished flowering, I will move it to somewhere a bit drier.
My favourite grass, Stipa gigantea which looks so lovely in the sunshine, billowing in the breeze, making a nice contrast with the clipped box.
The common Myrtle has made a small tree at the side of the dead oak. Ignorance was bliss when I planted it after a holiday in Crete where we saw some beauties. I think this is the only one which is hardy here and it seems very happy even though the soil in this area is quite damp.
There is Verbena bonariensis all over the garden. The problem is that there is one here, one there and one elsewhere, I think I need to get a few of them together to make more of a statement, maybe then the bees and butterflies would use them more as a feeding station.
Moving round almost into the back garden now is Rudbeckia again, but this time keeping company with Lysimachia ciliata Firecracker. This was given the Chelsea chop this year as it grows too tall in our soil then flops everywhere.It is now about half the height it normally is and it has so many side shoots, all flowering so I must remember to do this every year.
In the back now, the Japanese anemones have started flowering. It took them a good few years before they obviously felt happy, but now there’s no stopping them.
When I go into the woodland, it feels really autumnal, with all the Horse Chestnut leaves on the ground among lots of Cyclamen hederifolium. I seem to have far more white flowers than pink ones, the ants are spreading the seed everywhere. Lots of them are single flowers so in a few years time the corms should be big enough for lots more flowers on each one.
The Perovskia has been tumbled by the wind, I hope it rights itself eventually. I think I will have to move it, as it is sending out lots of underground runners and will soon take over the alpine scree if I’m not careful.
All the hardy Fuchsias are flowering away, this one is Delta Sarah and grows rather large over the summer. I must take cuttings of this one as I’m sure I can find a home for some more.
Fuchsia Genii is by the back door, more cuttings needed as I would like it in the opposite border as a link between the sunrise and sunset borders. The foliage starts out golden then turns green over the summer.
Little Erigeron isn’t so little any more, it is taking over, seeding into the cracks of the paving by the house. I must move some or I will be tripping over them and I don’t think I want any more visits to the hospital!
Astilbes have been given a second wind with all the rain we have had lately and are looking happy once more. They didn’t like our hot, sunny, dry spell at all, some of the foliage turned to a crisp. They look a lot better now that the old foliage has been cut away and they are now flowering once more.
That is about the sum of all the flowers in the garden at the moment. I planted quite a few Echinacea in the border by the field last year, unfortunately they all disappeared over the winter so I think the answer is to grow more from seed, as there isn’t much flowering there at the moment.
Many thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this meme once more, do pay her a visit to see more flowers from around the world.
In spite of all my problems with its common cousins, Crocosmia Solfaterre is one I could come to love. The myrtle looks wonderful too and good to know that it can be hardy down here, I never had any success with it ‘up country’. The clematis pergola is lovely.
Like you I’m seeing signs of autumn, perhaps that’s why the year feels it’s going past so quickly. It’s too soon!
C. Solfaterre took a long time to settle in Jessica,I thought at one time that it was going to die on me!
Autumn is definitely in the air, I have seen toadstools and lots of berries, it is coming too quickly.
You have so many gorgeous plants to take you through August, Pauline. I am sure that your Crocosmia is one of Lucifer’ s children. People worry about Crocosmias because it can be invasive but I find that most of them form nice clumps and there are some gorgeous new colours. Have you come across ‘ Hellfire’? It is beautiful..
No Chloris, I haven’t met Hellfire yet, is it one of Lucifer’s children, sounds like it! I find that most Crocosmias are well behaved, except Lucifer which increases so quickly, I’m always giving corms away. I must try sowing more Crocosmia seed, who knows what will come up?!
Your August garden is simply beautiful. I have an Agapanthus blooming; the others bloomed two months ago.
Agapanthus are such beautiful flowers aren’t they Jean, and the bees love them too!
I agree summer seems to be almost gone with our weather of late…cool rainy days. But your garden is still putting on quite a show.
Yes Donna, it is quite a lot cooler now, I have to admit I prefer it like this, the heat was too much for me and my flowers!
You have a great many beautiful things in bloom. I envy your cyclamens. I have some but they are not easy here. The Pontederia you can sometime see in the wild around here, but it is not common.
I am also trying to somehow regiment Verbena bonariensis. They seeded themselves all over but were thickest in one spot, half in a bed, half in the path. I kept those and removed all the others. Nest summer I will have a kind of drift, but half of it will be in the path!
The Cyclamen Alain are a sign that summer is coming to an end, it is happening too soon this year. The seed is spread by ants so they pop up all over the woodland, in places where I wouldn’t think of planting them!
Verbena bonariensis always seems to seed itself in the border just by our paths too and then flop over them! I keep moving them back but they seem to work their way forward!
Everything looks beautiful! You have a wonderful variety of plants, grasses and shrubs. Your roses are perfect and I love the lace cap Hydrangea. Again I’m amazed at the variety of Clematis you have still blooming! We recently got a much needed rain too and it has made a difference….
A lot of my clematis Sally, are the Viticella variety which flower at this time of year over here and into September. Later still will be the Texensis varieties, I must get a few of those to extend the flowering period.
The rain has made such a difference here, the garden was so dry after all the hot sun that we had for 2 months, so unlike normal British weather. The plants and I both appreciated it!
It’s so enjoyable and interesting to see what grows in your garden Pauline. And comparing how similar plants do in my garden too. My Lythrum does well in a dry spot but isn’t as tall as yours – love that effect- and my anemones have been flowering since July. My asters on the other hand won’t flower until September! Beautiful fuchsias – sadly hardy Fuchsias aren’t hardy here…. Our weather has been like yours and it does seem summer is slipping away, but there is still much colour to come I’m sure!
My books tell me Cathy, that Lythrum is a bog plant so I think when it has finished flowering, I will move half of it over to join the primulas in the bog garden and see how it does there.
Hardy Fuchsias are a good filler for the borders here, they flower for a good four months at least. They die down to the ground in the winter but so far, have always sprouted the following spring.
Yes, still lots more colour to come, but it is always a shock when the autumn flowers join in with the late summer flowers, I realise then that the months are slipping by too quickly!
You have lots of lovely things still flowering away, even though it is beginning to feel a wee bit autumnal. I love that Penstemon, and feel that they are one of the best garden perennials, and for that, forgive them for being a bit tender. The horse chestnuts have turned so ridiculously rely this year – some near me began at the end of July. The season seems much more advanced than it usually is, perhaps because of the early spring. We had green on the hawthorn on 25th Feb (what a geek I am, sorry, I have to make notes of these things!!)
Penstemons are such super flowers Jane and Garnet in the front is now at least 15 years old and still going strong. I have a few others but Garnet seems to be the strongest.
Horse Chestnuts are really autumnal now, dropping their brown leaves everywhere. Have the ones near you escaped the moth that is disfiguring the leaves, from June onwards ours have been affected?
Yes, wonderful to have the rain to refresh, and your roses look absolutely perfect regardless of what the weather has been doing. Good to see those clematis again – I am still dithering about whether to order more now or leave them till the spring. It is interesting with our Etoile Violette that the one growing through the rose at the front of the house flowered early and finished weeks ago, but the two on the fence by the ‘bus shelter are at their peak now and with smaller flowers – yours looks even better now it is scrambling over your pergola. I think I will split my Cyclamen this year as they are doing so well, although the ants and a.n.other have done quite a good job. Good to see all your beauties, Pauline – even Firecracker, which I hope I have removed every trace of here!! 🙂
Both the garden and I feel refreshed after all the heat that we have had Cathy, I prefer the temperatures now.
At least I can see my clematis now without peering up the apple tree, it is now doing what we intended all those years ago!
The Cyclamen in the woodland are spreading nicely, soon we may have a drift!
Every plant you’ve highlighted looks wonderful Pauline. The Penstemon Garnet is very nice.
Thanks Susie, you’re very kind. I think the Penstemon family certainly earns its place in every garden
Tim and I drove up to Virginia yesterday to see his parents this weekend. The Eupatorium purpureum atropurpureum was growing along all 300+ miles of the drive. We saw it today, too, while hiking. It is certainly in its glory here. Though my shady garden doesn’t produce many summer blooms, I’m lucky to enjoy the wildflowers and the gardens of others, like yours. The Stipa gigantea looks very smart with the clipped box.
The Eupatorium or Joe Pye Weed, is a wild flower here too. We have quite a bit that pops up in the garden, but most of that gets pulled out, just a couple of plants get left for the butterflies. The big one in the front is a hybrid where the flower heads are huge, at least 10 inches across. I don’t know what is was crossed with to make such large flowerheads, but the bees and butterflies seem to love it!
I too like the contrast of the Stipa with the clipped box, thank you!
I think you still have plenty of summer going on in the garden, and I don’t want to hear any complaints about a short season! I seem to remember snowdrops in January while we here were still sitting under several feet of snow! Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it 🙂
Yes, please take care of the erigeron. Autumn is the only fall I want to hear about!
You are quite right Frank, we have an almost 12 month garden here with some of the snowdrops starting to flower around Christmas time!
I have just the spot for my Erigeron, up on the balcony in 2 planters that can’t be moved and therefore can’t be watered by a neighbour when we’re on holiday.
Oh some blooming lovely July blooms Pauline. I saw fuchsia ‘Delta Sara’ at the Southport Flower Show last week. She was stunning but I did not realise that she was hardy at the time otherwise she would have come home with me. I always smile when I see photos of erigeron karvinskianus which is all over our front courtyard and which himself has regularly tried to sabotage over the years. Glad to read that your garden has enjoyed some refreshing rain at long last.
Anna, if you would like me to do a cutting for you of Delta Sarah, just let me know.
Erigeron shouldn’t really like our garden being on heavy clay, but the seeds have found the cracks in the paving to their liking, they just died in the flower beds!
Thank you for the tour of your beautiful blooms! Looking at this post is almost like looking at my wish list! I love your cyclamens. I have thought of planting some beside one of my woodland garden paths. They are such a charming plant. Yours seem to do very well. I also adore your fuchsias. I planted my first hardy fuchsia this year, and so far it has prospered. I will see how it does through the winter. Then there is your Eupatorium! This is another plant I have wanted for a while, and I am determined to plant some soon.
You’re too kind Debs! I think cyclamen would love your woodland, they love any shady soil with lots of leaf mould. I hope your hardy fuchsia survives your winters, ours get cut down to ground level each winter and they soon sprout again in the spring.
Many, many beautiful flowers in your August garden Pauline, I saw many signs of autumn last week in the UK and walnut trees here are just beginning to show some yellowing leaves but that could just have been the higher temperatures last week while we were away. Crocosmia Solfaterre does have the perfect combination of flower colour to foliage I remember seeing it for the first time at Great Dixter and being captivated.
Crocosmia Solfaterre took a good few years to settle down Christins, during which time I thought it wasn’t going to make it. All of a sudden last year it started spreading and again this year, so now it is a decent sized clump.
The high temperatures in the summer and also not having any rain for about 2 months, have made a lot of trees look as though autumn has arrived, the woodland floor is covered with crisp orange leaves!