Capturing Autumn: A Garden Photo Collection

This year has been challenging for the garden open days, both due to personal reasons and unpredictable weather. Family and friends have been very supportive, resulting in a record amount raised for the National Garden Scheme charity. Building on this success, the open dates for next year are booked, with the local British Legion charity … Continue reading Capturing Autumn: A Garden Photo Collection

Traditional UK Planting: Tulips and Wallflowers

We have two raised beds that edge the patio. I have removed the dahlias to their winter quarters ready to plant the tulips, wallflower and for-get-me-nots I recognize it is an old-fashioned traditional planting Scheme here in the UK, but it works. The raised beds are not much to look at just now. Hopefully they … Continue reading Traditional UK Planting: Tulips and Wallflowers

Exploring Autumn’s Garden Beauty.

Many words have been spoken and written regarding the beauty of nature in autumn. Someone once said a picture paints a thousand words so here are some photos from the garden with a few words. Looking through the Blue Border. The pots have been emptied ready for the tulip bulbs. Some of the plants in … Continue reading Exploring Autumn’s Garden Beauty.

Autumn Garden Jewels: A Tour of Late Blooming Plants.

A tour around the garden enjoying the autumn sunshine and some late flowering plants. One of my favourite plants at this time of year is the Michaelmas Daisy/Aster or Symphyotrichum as many of them have been renamed. I think it partly stems from the huge beautiful clumps we had in our garden where I grew … Continue reading Autumn Garden Jewels: A Tour of Late Blooming Plants.

Autumn Colour in Our Garden@19

This time of year the colours of autumn are a joy whether viewed in the countryside as you drive or walk around or with the more up close views in the garden. I mentioned in my previous post during wet days the bird feeders have been popular this year especially with the Blue Tit family, … Continue reading Autumn Colour in Our Garden@19

Autumn planting, Spring colour.

This year there is a new planting plan for the raised beds bordering the patio. This will be the first year I have not planted tulips here instead there are Wallflowers Persian Carpet, Digitalis Suttons Apricot and Forget-me-nots’. These have all been grown from seed a considerable saving on plants along with not buying tulip … Continue reading Autumn planting, Spring colour.

Preparing Pelargoniums for Winter.

One of the gardening jobs that has concentrated my mind this autumn has been preparing the growing pelargonium collection for the winter. I have been following the Pelargonium Society's Website Here. advice on reducing the size of the plants so that they will fit into the space available. They recommend to reduce the risk of … Continue reading Preparing Pelargoniums for Winter.

Wildlife in Our Garden and Autumn Colour.

Goldfinches feeding on sunflower hearts. Vitis ' Spetchley red '  Fuchia 'Mrs Popple’ Malus Golden Hornet and Tithonia ‘Torch’ The Alpine Boxes and pots. Nerine Bowdenii Please select Watch on YouTube then full screen for video. https://youtu.be/ShCKEqdnLeQ What is giving you Autumn Joy in the garden or countryside?

Our Garden@19 in September.

September is one of my favourite months in the garden, it could be nostalgia because we always had a wonderful show of Michaelmas Daises (Asters/Symphyotrichum) in our cottage garden at home. Many other plants also provide interest at this time of year, the annuals such as dahlias, late flowering perennials, trees and shrubs with changing … Continue reading Our Garden@19 in September.

Ravelin.

We visited Ravelin on Sunday, one of their National Garden Scheme open days. It is situated in the next village to us, Hanley castle. The description is from their NGS page. "A ½ acre mature yet ever changing garden with a wide range of unusual plants full of colour and texture. Of interest to plant … Continue reading Ravelin.

Autumn Colours, Music and Poetry.

A video of the changing autumn colours in Our Garden@19 and some borrowed landscape. I filmed this over a two week period to record the changing colours. Please watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/Sm6GP9IrGng What is providing you with Autumn colour? With the requirement in most countries to wear a face mask due to the Covid19 pandemic … Continue reading Autumn Colours, Music and Poetry.

Flower of the Month. December 2019.

I caught sight of this Vinca flower in the spring border. Vinca difformis is similar to Vinca major, differing most significantly in its habit of flowering right from Autumn, through mild Winter spells to Spring.   Such a welcome cheering sight to find in the garden at this time of year, especially after all the rain … Continue reading Flower of the Month. December 2019.

Tulips, Pots and Saucers.

The beginning of November saw the planting of pots with, crocus, iris, narcissus and species rock tulips. Old hanging baskets used to keep the squirrels away.Two large pots either side of the banana bench were planted with Tulip 'Abu Hassan', Siberian Wallflowers and Forget-me-Nots. When the rain finally eased I managed to complete planting my … Continue reading Tulips, Pots and Saucers.

Autumn Project 4, Unexpected!

Banana Bench & Boston Ivy, Autumn 2018. This year I noticed that the Parthenocissus Tri. Veitch, Boston Ivy, behind the banana bench, had been almost completely replaced with wild Ivy. Now while I like Ivy in the garden for its benefit to wildlife, here I would prefer to see a more colourful plant. I decided … Continue reading Autumn Project 4, Unexpected!

Autumn Project 3 Completed.

I have long held the view that autumn is the beginning of the gardening year, preparing the garden and the plants for their winter rest before the explosion of spring and summer glory. The main autumn project, this year, has been to move plants into their correct positions! I am sure many of you can … Continue reading Autumn Project 3 Completed.

Plant of the month.

Asters, Michaelmas Daisies or Symphyotrichum, as some of them have now been renamed, are one of the autumn garden flowers I have always loved to see. This is probably because of the wonderful stand that grew in my parents and grandparents gardens. There are many to choose from, for October's plant of the month, in … Continue reading Plant of the month.

Autumn Project 2 Completed.

I have to confess to watching many of the gardening programs on television along with reading gardening magazines, books and of course blogs, for inspiration in planting and design. One programme featured, what I thought was a good structural design for supporting climbing plants. When I had finished building my version, I thought it looked … Continue reading Autumn Project 2 Completed.

November Sunshine.

Blogging has had to take a back seat recently with a wedding, holiday, a kitchen refit and decorating taking precedent.  I lifted all the Dahlias from the raised beds last week, replacing them with tulips, also filling all the tulip pots. With the sun shining, I took a quick tour of the garden with the … Continue reading November Sunshine.

Autumn Colour in Our Garden@19

    The National Garden Scheme has posted this quote on their website. "Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile." William Cullen Bryant (1794 - 1878) You can view their Autumn Smile here What is making you smile this Autumn?

The season of Mellow Fruitfulness & Pooh Sticks.

The end of the summer holiday saw us, with the grandchildren, visiting the Knapp and Paper-mill reserve of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Link                                              The reserve lies in the Teme valley and the Malvern Hills area … Continue reading The season of Mellow Fruitfulness & Pooh Sticks.

Ten Top for November.

I am joining Chloris and her many followers in posting my Top Ten for November, please visit The Blooming Garden to see what their Top Ten are. Number one, the seed heads of the Lunaria, which provides a silvery shine in the low November sunlight. This plant provides interest through out the whole year, from the young … Continue reading Ten Top for November.

Top Ten for October.

Choosing my Top Ten flowers in Our garden@19 is difficult at any time of year, however one for October has to be the Michaelmas Daisy. (Aster/ Symphyotrichum.) This white one appeared in the garden two years ago. I think it may have come in with another plant. It is a runner (ie.invasive) by the appearance … Continue reading Top Ten for October.

Signs of Autumn.

Walking around Our Garden@19 the other evening there were some notable signs of autumn, not least in the temperture. Some of the plants are starting to develop their seasonal colours. Please join me on a short walk through the garden. The first to catch your eye is the flowering cherry tree between the patio and … Continue reading Signs of Autumn.