Gently Fading

Four weeks ago, the featured image was Hydrangea ‘Pink Annabelle’. Forgive me; I’ve used Pink Annabelle again today. The colour has started to fade to a pale parchment with hints of pink, but she’s still holding onto her beauty. Unless the lovely flowerheads become lightly coated with a glittering hoarfrost, this will be her final photo call.

Yesterday I was assured that the wasps that banned me from the garden have finally gone. I’ve been able to cautiously start working outdoors again. The forecast tells me it’s going to be dry and sunny today so I’ll be able to head out to pot up some spring bulbs! Bulb planting begins – exciting!

There are also a couple more repeats on here today simply because they’re still showing their fabulousness while others are not. The recent rain has caused many of the roses to shed their petals, making them unworthy subjects for the camera! The hostas have been devoured by garden nasties (I said a few years ago that I was done with hostas for that reason, but I found I couldn’t be without them) and I’ve started lifting and binning this year’s poor and non-productive dahlias. I’m also planning to cut back a few perennials that are taking their last gasp and pull up annuals. This will give me space to plant the tulip bulbs later in the season. Winter preparations are underway before the weather gets bad.

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Shades of Autumn

July was a wet, windy and cold month, and I see signs of autumn creeping into the garden already. But if the gorgeous colours of the Rudbeckias will stay with me for the next few months, then I’m ready to welcome Autumn in!

Six on Saturday

Rudbeckias. Recently planted Rudbeckia hirta ‘Enchanted Glow’, Rudbeckia hirta ‘Enchanted Ruby Crush’ and Rudbeckia hirta ‘Enchanted Romance’ (above and below) are described as perennials by the online garden website I bought them from, but the site goes on to state “Rudbeckia is best grown as a magnificent half-hardy annual”. I’ve never been successful in getting Rudbeckias through the winter, but I plan to leave them in the soil when they die back and hope for the best.

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Six on Saturday 2020 21-11

In my little corner of the country, the garden has exhausted itself, and it’s looking sad and very dull, much like the weather. So this week I’m taking a look back to summer. Not only was it a Covid-19 summer, but it was also a dripping wet summer, at least, where I am. So this week my six is about rain. And before you switch off, this was welcome rain; it was light rain that fell gently one night in June and refreshed the garden after an unusually dry, sunny and warm spring.

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Six on Saturday 2020 19-09

Garden Woes

We’ve just had a new fence built on one side of the garden, and it’s shared with a neighbour. We didn’t get much notice about the start date, so it was a bit of a rush to get trellis off and untangle multiple climbers. A few had to be cut back and dug up. It was a muddy boots job – this area is part of the already muddy and almost-empty border that’s due for replanting. The new fence is up but it has been problematic and not what I was expecting. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I can’t do anything about it, and I’ve moved on, I’m now trying to think of ‘the 10 best ways to camouflage a garden fence’.

New trellis will have to be put up, though I’m wondering if the rambling rose and two remaining clematis will be able to survive their current predicament. I’ve loosely tied them together and have them hanging on the fence…poor things, they currently have nowhere else to go. Continue reading “Six on Saturday 2020 19-09”

Six on Saturday 2020 29-08

If anyone had told me a few years ago, that I would be out in the garden in the pouring rain, cutting back plants and lifting others from a muddy border I would have laughed and said, “Me? No, not me”. I’ve always been a fair-weather gardener but in recent years I’ve come to realise that you can’t always wait for dry, sunny days.

The border revamp is fairly well underway and this week we’ve removed Sambucus ‘Black Beauty’ and Lavatera ‘Rosea’. It was a wet, messy, muddy job with my husband doing all the heavy digging (he wasn’t enjoying it!) while I was tasked with removing all branches and stems to clear the way. Continue reading “Six on Saturday 2020 29-08”