Autumn is fast approaching, though at the moment we’re currently having a lovely warm spell of weather – so this week’s six is a tiny taster of the colours that we should be starting to see in a few weeks time. There’s reds, oranges, yellows, golds, and hints of purple. If autumn is this colourful then I’ll be smiling.
Temperatures from Wednesday on have been in the mid-twenties (my daughters who live in warmer lands tell me that’s cold) but for us, it’s about as high as we like it. My memories of 35-40C temperatures on visits to my girls are deeply etched into my memory. For all of you in the south who’ve been struggling with temperatures in the thirties this week, you have my sympathies.
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Sahara’
I absolutely love the fabulous textural qualities and the colours of these flowers, strong but soft. They’re currently adding a much-needed splash of colour to the garden at a time when other plants are starting to fade. They were grown from seed, and have been flowering for a couple of weeks or more – I’m desperately hoping they continue to flower into autumn.
Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’
Moerheim Beauty has been awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society and it’s easy to see why. The only fault with this plant is where I’ve placed it in the border. It’s at the front and is too tall for that position. Our very knowledgeable Six on Saturday host, Mr Propagator says “If you divide it in the spring to the smallest plantlets you’ll get 15-20 plants out of that one”. I’m not sure where I’d put that many plants, but if successful, I can gift some away, so I will give it a try.
Dahlia Art Deco
This is a gorgeous short Dahlia, that grows just (40-50cm) 16-20” in height. It’s new in the garden this year and growing in a pot in a sunny spot. It’s much shorter than the stated 40cm but I hope that next year it will grow a little bit taller.
Overall, the dahlias aren’t performing as well as they did last year, in fact, many of the plants are in this position. I’m blaming the cold, wet and June and July that we had here, and the general lack of light. I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but the plants have had the same or more care this year than they did in 2019. But there’s time yet for them to put on a good performance.
If you want a little bit of razzamatazz in your border – Art Deco won’t disappoint.
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Marmalade’
Grown from seed, this rudbeckia is a rich golden yellow and a bright, cheerful flower that I haven’t grown in the past. I wonder why it took me all this time to find it…
Dahlia
This is a dahlia without a name, given to me a couple of years ago by one of my sisters. She did tell me the name of it, but I didn’t write it down and now neither of us can quite remember it. It’s a lovely dahlia, with large dinner plate size flowers that bloom reliably every year.
Geum ‘Lady Stratheden’
I bought six Geum plug plants earlier in the year and they arrived at the end of a bank holiday weekend having spent about 5 days in the mail. They were quite sad little specimens, and I doubted that they would survive, but nature took control and soon the plants were thriving. So far, only the two Lady Stratheden plants have flowered, and although they are few, I’m pretty sure that there’s going to be plenty of them next year. The other four are all healthy and flowers should make an appearance next spring.
That’s my contribution for this sunny August Saturday. Wherever you are in the world, enjoy your garden this weekend, and don’t forget to check out everyone else’s Six on Saturday! Follow the link below and stay safe.
ABOUT SIX ON SATURDAY
To join with other garden enthusiasts from around the world, just take six photographs and post them to Twitter and/or your blog each Saturday. You can get all the details from The Propagator who kindly set it all up.
All photographs copyright of Catherine Wood unless otherwise stated
Notes From My Garden 
SoS has made me rediscover dahlias. I have now become a fan again. Lovely post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know how you feel – dahlias have suddenly taken off again, after so many years of being considered old-fashioned, hydrangeas are becoming more popular too. There’s so many more interesting and attractive varieties available now.
LikeLike
So many beautiful flowers. I’m a bit envious of your Rudbeckia. I grew some from seed this year (a red variety) but the few that have survived are taking forever to get going. I hope some flower. Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ has been added to ‘the list.’
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m definitely going to grow more rudbeckias next year – they have good strong stems and stay upright in the winds where many other plants are bent over or snapped.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A beautiful selection of plants.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Paddy.
LikeLike
What a lovely selection! I really like the Helenium flowers. I have not grown them before, but there is always a first time! The Rudbekias are also a lovely colour, with the centre of the flower contrasting beautifully with the colour of the petals. I can see why you are taken with Art Deco! What a stunning colour, and the edges of the petals seem to be slightly darker in colour. Beautiful photos!! Hope the weather starts cooling down a little for you. I’m not looking forward to our summer temperatures again, but the worst months (December to February) are still a long way away. I do love our cool winter temperatures! Have a wonderful gardening week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s already cooling, and by next week no doubt I’ll be complaining that it’s far too cold for August (just as I did at the start of the month!).
I hope it doesn’t get too hot for you this summer. One of my daughters is in Perth Australia and I’ve been there during January/February and wouldn’t do that again unless essential. We’ve found April to be a better time for us to visit. I’m not surprised you look forward to winter temperatures. Happy gardening to you too! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perth can be hot and a tad dry. I stopped over there briefly on a flight into Australia, in February 2017, and it was pretty hot then. It is definitely a lot green over on our side of the country, although it has a higher humidity. I will enjoy the last month of cooler days!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really like these heleniums with their drooping petals and their pretty colours; I have never sowed any so far but seeing them in many blogs makes me want to try them next year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Go for it Fred. Heleniums are gorgeous! 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice colour theme. I have a yellow rudbeckia which needs to be kept in check but does flower for many weeks. It was a small plant from my brother a few years ago and now it is in several big clumps around the back garden.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Is that the one beside the sweet peas in your post today? It looks lovely. 😊
LikeLike
Yes, it may appear several times over the next few weeks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
These warm – make that hot colours work wonderfully together. It’s a little cooler here in Lancashire today and that’s very welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Temperature are starting to drop here too, Susan. We have rain forecast for tomorrow, and although I don’t want to let go of the sunshine, gardens and fields do need watering. I hope your temperatures are more bearable now. Enjoy what remains of the weekend!
LikeLike
Oh these are my kind of colours! Love the reds and oranges – those Rudbeckia are simply fabulous in that first photo. And I am very envious of your Helenium. Both of mine have died. I had Moerheim Beauty and a darker red one – possibly Chelsey. But after two seasons they are no more. Probably crowded out by other plants. When did you sow your seeds? I might give that a try. I just love the way Helenium flowers look, they are so photogenic and your photos of them are absolutely gorgeous. 😍
LikeLiked by 1 person
I started sowing seeds at the end of March, and that ran into the first two or three weeks of April. Moerheim Beauty was bought as a plant though, and this is its second, perhaps third year in the garden. Thank you! They’re lovely plants to photograph, easier if it’s done on a perfectly calm day and we don’t get too many of them here. I think you perhaps have the same problem on the Cornish coast. 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
We do indeed! Which is why I rarely use my macro lens.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Much the same here!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fabulous photos! I think the Rudbeckia hirta ‘Sahara’ looks stunning. I’m putting that one on my list to have a go at growing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. It’s back on mine too, and it will be joined no doubt, with a few other hot colours to add some energy into next year’s end of summer borders.
LikeLike
all lovely. good luck with dividing your helenium. i’ve just bought one myself, so will plant it and maybe divide it in the spring. i have art deco in a pot on my patio, it is perhaps 60cm, no higher. could your mystery dahlia be ‘black jack’? i had that one (well actually i have it, but it has been eaten at ground level the last couple of years).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve toyed with the idea of buying another Helenium just in case I mess up the dividing and growing on – but I’ve too many other plants I’d like to get first. 😁
I’ve looked at ‘Black Jack’ and the flower & stem appear to be exactly the same as mine. I’ll look at the leaves tomorrow as the description for Black Jack says “this variety features a really unusual foliage colour, rarely seen on a dahlia – dark green leaves are contrasted by deep red veining and stem”. Will let you know. Sorry yours got eaten.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a dahlia fan, so your duo appeal to me. I’ll be checking online soon and perhaps growing some from seed.
Thanks for a lovely Six and a lovely read, Catherine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Pádraig. Growing dahlias from seed is something that I haven’t attempted – I might like to give it a try next year. Thank you, I’ll read up on it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fabulous photos as always Catherine. What camera do you use? I’m addicted to the ‘Sahara’ rudbeckias now. I only have one the merlot shade in the mix this year 😢 I suppose it’s just a matter of luck with the seeds in any given packet. I’ve grown dahlia ‘Art Deco’ for the first time this year too. Mine also in a pot is short but it came into flower early and has been a prolific flowerer putting most of my other dahlias to shame.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Anna. I use a Fuji X-T30 which I bought at the start of the year. It’s a small camera, and fits my hands nicely, and far lighter than the ageing Nikon D300 that was becoming too cumbersome for me. It’s taken a while to get used to as it’s so full of technology and I’ve always preferred to use my cameras on manual (except focus – the eyes are not as sharp as they used to be!) But overall, I’m enjoying using it.
I love the ‘Sahara’ variety too, and I’ll be growing them again next spring.
LikeLike
Thanks Catherine. It certainly takes excellent photos!
LikeLiked by 1 person