The garden looked shell-shocked after this week’s deluge. Rain at last! But rather too much at one go. “It never rains but what it pours…” etc etc. Anyway, the giant sunflowers [1] held their own and are still putting on a show. Then there were the almost immediate signs of revival by the lawn which had been dusty brown all summer. This reminded me of our Kenya days when our lawn of tough Kikuyu grass was reduced to looking like old sacking during the long dry season. But come the short rains and up would spring masses of green shoots, an instantaneous green sward.
The rain stirred the caryopteris [2] into flowering. It is supposed to be late, but this year seemed particularly so. As a shrub, its structure is rather underwhelming. The small silver-grey leaves and lax stem tendencies make it look rather like some unkempt garden escape on waste ground. Or maybe it was just the way I pruned it. The instructions said give it a good cut back. Or then again, maybe it is simply the effect of a long, dry summer. This variety is Heavenly Blue. And if the overall look isn’t too exciting, the sapphire sprays are gorgeous, and bee-life loves them.
I have some other young caryopteris shrubs by the greenhouse. These have yellowish leaves and are a variety called Gold Crest. At the moment, their shape is rather more appealing. Also the contrast colours of flowers and foliage is pleasing.
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The French Marigolds [3] have also appreciated a good dousing. Grown from seed this spring, Red Gem has been flowering all summer. She’s supposed to deter white fly, so I planted her out in the greenhouse amongst the tomatoes, and also between the raised beds where I have a rather late performing Tumbling Tom cherry tomato. The individual flowers are tiny but it’s still a good show.
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Another plant that’s done well until this week is one of my new favourites: phlox Norah Leigh [4]. I should have featured her when she was in full bloom. But she still has a few flowers, and although I’m generally unkeen about pink, I find the contrast with the variegated foliage very attractive. I’m becoming a bit of a phlox fanatic.
Here she is after the heavy rainstorms:
And here she is a week of so ago, before the rain: a stalwart show considering the dry weather, and that I only bought her as smallish specimen back in the early summer :
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Some of the seed grown Madonna Lace Didiscus [5] are still going too. Also much loved by insects. When the flowers fade they transform into little silvery sputniks – quite magical on a dewy September morning.
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But the prize for the longest flowering flower this year goes to the self-sown and -grown snapdragons [6]. They’re on their third blooming round at least, and the plants are now growing quite shrubby with masses of seed heads among the latest flowers. The original volunteers have made some new plants in the course of the summer and these are also flowering now. And there’s me thinking that our front garden soil, which is full of old paving mortar and mashed roof tiles is somehow problematical. Norah Lea and the snapdragons are clearly loving it.
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Late summer in the back garden. He who-builds-sheds’ wing shade is obscuring the sunflower view from the kitchen door, though we have been glad of it. Here’s what it’s hiding:
Six on Saturday Please call in on Jim and see what he’s been up to in the garden and at the allotment.
Hooray for the Snapdragons and I love the Phlox too.
Snapdragons rule OK 🙂
Those marigolds are so pretty, and give a wonderful colourful accent, which I really like.
Those marigolds! And I love the look of your bistro table and back respite there. Looks lovely. Thanks for sharing Tish! What a nice bouquet of garden friends.
It’s a quirky little spot we’ve ended up in, Bill. Pottering in the garden is a very effective distraction from writing anything of substance. Maybe when the garden goes to sleep…
Oh gosh I think there’s plenty substance but that’s maybe for you to decide (or is it?). Joyful to me just the same. Here’s to quirks. Got a bunch in my trunk if you’d like to have a look ha!
Now there’s an offer. Is it legal? A trunk of quirks.
Kind of like this bag of tics I have over here…
Heay rain? What’s that? We really need some here. Your garden is definitely making the most of it.
I’m surprised the rain didn’t reach you, Margaret. There seemed SO much of it 😉
Ha! All used up then! We don’t ‘alf need some.
Lovely flowers Tish. I especially like your sunflowers. They spread smiles!
They do spread smiles, Anne. Thank you.
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Lovely late bloomers! It seems like September is a beautiful month of the year in almost every garden–both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. 🙂
That’s a very pleasing thought, Beth – lovely gardens in sync around the world.
The colours of your garden are glorious, Tish. I can imagine a lovely cup of tea in your back yard sitting area. 🌺
Now that is a very lovely thought, Flavia: tea together.
Good colors. Thanks for these photos.
Thanks, Rebecca.
Your September garden is looking very good. So colourful. I love the caryopteris Gold Crest. My daughter has the variegated one which I greatly admire. I gave hers a hedge-cutter trim back in May so I hope it has done well! Phlox seems to have done very well this year, even mine! And I must remember to sow snapdragons next year.
Interesting you should say that. I tried to sow some snapdragons myself this year, and a weedy lot they were. Possibly got too hot in their modules before I planted them out. Instead, I’ve been scattering the self-sown seed heads around, just to see what will happen next year.
Your garden is beautiful!
Thank you, Jennie.
You’re welcome, Tish.