Another week of sunshine and showers, the grass has grown so much and the gardener is on holiday! There are more signs of life in the garden so once more I’m feeling more positive about everything, maybe next year will be ok after all. I didn’t think I would be able to find six photos worth showing you, but just about managed it, so here goes………
Another clump of Colchicums has appeared, these were split from the clump that I showed you last week and never seem to flower at the same time.
These are the ones I showed last week, now fully open and still hiding behind a fern!
My witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis, dropped all its leaves during the drought and I was worried for a while that I had lost it. Yesterday I noticed that along with some leaf buds, there are now lots of knobbly flower buds which I’ll be able to enjoy in the winter, the rain certainly came just at the right time.
I usually cut my Eucalyptus gunnii back in the spring, but having just come out of hospital at that time, I forgot about it as I wasn’t strong enough to do any gardening. I remembered later in the year and chopped it back, but by then the drought had started and nothing happened for months. Not so long ago, I noticed that new growth had started, thank goodness, so now I know that this plant will be ok too.
Another fuchsia which is doing well without any attention is this very pale one, given to me as a cutting by a little old lady in the next village many years ago. I think I’ll be taking cutting of this one to put up at the top instead of the Hydrangeas which can come down nearer to the water butts.
Old fashioned Sedum Autumn Joy, but the butterflies still love it, pity they all flew away when I went to photograph it yesterday.
Mahonia nitans Cabaret is now starting to strut its stuff and lookig very colourful, flowers and leaves.
There we have my six for this week. Hopefully you will pop over to Jim at Garden Ruminations to see other plants from around the world.
Its amazing how resilient some plants are, you think they are doomed and they surprise you. I do love witch hazels, so pleased for you. Lovely fuchsia, so delicate.
I’m so pleased the witch hazel has responded to all the rain Gill, it looked so pathetic when it lost its leaves so early, no autumn tints at all just straight brown and then gone almost in a day.
The pale pink Fuchsia is a beauty – very elegant. Funnily enough there were quite a few Colchicums out at Forde Abbey. They’re not something I’ve ever grown but I’m tempted – they look a bit more robust than spring Crocuses which tend to get flattened by the weather in my garden.
The fuchsia cutting which was given to me about 30 yrs ago was originally up the end wall of the old ladies house, it looked like a wall of icicles Graeme, so pretty. I shouldn’t call her a little old lady, she was probably younger than I am now! I have found Colchicums so easy, they increase well so each spring I move some from each group to other parts of the garden, they look good with cyclamen hederifolium.
What a lovely delicate fuchsia, it looks wonderful.
Glad you like it Rosie, it was a lovely gift. Must take more cuttings as it survived the drought so well.
I’m so glad that the witch hazel has revived, they are such lovely (and expensive) plants. Your dainty fuchsia looks like one that self-seeded in our courtyard (there is a large specimen nearby). It grew very quickly!
I’m so glad the witch hazel survived Jude as I’ve had it for a long time and would hate to lose it, so pretty when it flowers and has such a lovely perfume on a cold winters day.
How tall is your eucalyptus? I haven’t been able to prune mine for a long time, as it’s over 6m tall! 😂
My eucalyptus is now only 6 ft tall Fred and that is how I hope to keep it. The new foliage is so useful for flower arranging with its round leaves. I did have another which sounds very like yours but in the end I had it cut down!
Wow, that Fuchsia is unique! I don’t think I’ve seen that one before. They are special plants, aren’t they? Sunshine and showers…sounds similar to my conditions here, and perfect for the garden. 🙂
Thanks Beth, I like that fuchsia too! I’ve been very impressed at how well they have coped with no extra watering during our long drought over the summer months.
Such lovely pictures but the fuchsia, in particular, is stunning. I love fuchsias, they just seem to cope with anything thrown at them, weather-wise.
Very True Helen, they have done really well this summer with all its weather problems.
Fuchsia magellanica var. molinae ‘Alba’ methinks. I must get colchicums if they grow in the same conditions as Cyclamen hederifolium.
Thanks so much for the ID for my Fuchsia Jim. The colchicum like more sun than the cyclamen but I grow them in the same woodland soil and it seems to suit them ok and there are areas in the woodland that the sun gets through where the cyclamen are happy.
My colchicum are also out and like yours have increased, but are not in the best of places – not sure how easy they would be to dig up though… Oh, and I have checked my witch hazels and they too are all ain bud, mostly prolifically – hurrah! Lovely fucshia
I’ve not had any trouble digging my Colchicums Cathy, but do it in the spring when the leaves are almost finished. Glad to hear that your witch hazels are ok too.
Beautiful photos, your garden always looks do magical! 🌸 What an elegant fuchsia and the lovely Eucalyptus foliage would make great cut flower bunches.
Thanks Sarah! The fuchsia is rather pretty and I’m so glad the Eucalyptus has survived as I cut it rather a lot.
You did very well for your six, and your hopefulness comes through in your tone! We have been dry for weeks with rain finally forecast for later in the week. I’m almost looking forward to the lawn returning and possibly mowing again before winter, but anything which gives a little relief will be welcome. My witch hazel has lost most of its leaves but not all of them yet.
It was rather a job to find six for last Saturday Frank, I suppose it will be harder each week now. We are having a dry week this week so at last I can catch up on a few necessary jobs in the garden without getting wet! The witch hazel has been with me for over 30 yrs so I’m very glad that I haven’t lost it.