Changing foliage in September GBFD.

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Pauline

The present sunny spell is lasting quite a long time. We had torrential rain last Friday which perked all the plants up, and now we are back to sunny days once more. September so far has been a very warm, sunny month.  I’m not complaining,  but we do need more rain to keep the garden happy. When looking round the garden for foliage to photograph this morning, nothing was jumping out at me, it is too soon for the autumn tints where we live, only one or two plants have started to change, most will be photographed for next month.

Cornus sibirica Westonbirt

The red stemmed Cornus along the driveway in the front have just started to change colour, only a few leaves at the moment, but the rest will follow soon until they are all a pink/purple colour next month.

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Berry Delicious.

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Pauline

At this time of year,  berries are are covering some of the shrubs and trees in the garden and becoming more and more obvious as they change colour. If only the birds would leave them until the cold weather of winter kills off the insects, then they would have plenty of food to see them through a cold spell. Unfortunately they are like children in a sweetie shop, hopping from one bush to another, trying them all.

Sloes, Blackthorn

Lots of sloes on the blackthorn at the top of the garden,  sloe gin anyone ?

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Still flowering for GBBD September.

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Pauline

September is halfway through already, it is darker in the evenings and there is definitely an air of autumn about the garden. Misty mornings which then turn into beautiful sunny days are the norm at the moment and will be for a while longer if the weather forecasters are to be believed. Some flowers are having a last mad fling before the onset of cooler weather, some are flowering again , but smaller, where they were cut back earlier. Some though are just starting to flower,  as now is their time to be the centre of attention.

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Lunch and a garden in Somerset.

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Pauline

We met up with a friend the other week who was making her way home from Dorset to Wales, at Margery Fish’s garden at East Lambrook Manor in Somerset. There is also a good pub opposite, The Rose and Crown, which is ideal for lunch. I think the pub must do very well from all the visitors to the garden, especially in February as the garden is famous for it’s snowdrops. One year we went and got the last available table, so its best to book ahead.

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Back to School.

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Pauline

The Rotary Club in Exeter have promised a school in the city that they will redesign and plant their little garden, with wildlife in mind. The undergardener is a member of the Rotary Club in Exeter and I was roped in to give them some ideas on design and to tell them which plants would be suitable. When I first saw it, my heart sank somewhat as there had been a garden on the site but it was completely over run with weeds and seedling trees.

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August EOM View.

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Pauline

Looking back over last month’s EOM view, there has been a subtle change in the way the garden looks, it is a much softer light which makes everything appear more mellow with hints of yellow to be seen everywhere, summer is slipping away. I have taken my usual wander round the garden but there don’t seem to be any highlights this month. I will have to go searching for some for you, I just hope I can find some!

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Is Summer slipping away? GBFD August.

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Pauline

Even though we don’t want to think about it, the evidence is there for all to see. The fresh green colours of spring and summer are gradually being overtaken by a few colours of autumn. This is a white peony which I really must plant soon, it has been in a pot for far too long.

Paeony foliage

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Butterflies flutter by.

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Pauline

At the risk of boring you,  the butterflies only flutter by after they have had a pit stop at the nectar bar in the front garden. The nectar bar I’m referring to is Eupatorium purpureum atropurpureum given to me by a friend as it grew too big for her garden,  thank you Jill ! Right from it’s first year here it has been a magnet for bees and butterflies. Each year now it puts up more stems topped off with the huge pink flowers, at least 10 inches across, far larger than the ordinary Joe Pye Weed,  opening from deep pink buds. When I got out of the car the other day, I stood mesmerised by all the butterflies and bees feeding on the flowers, it really was a feeding frenzy with more insects arriving all the time.

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Summer is slipping away. GBBD August.

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Pauline

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.

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Beans, Butterflies and Bertha update!

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Pauline

I thought it was too good to be true. I thought we had escaped any damage as the remains of hurricane Bertha passed through, but on going up to the fruit and veggie garden this morning, we found that the runner beans had been toppled.

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