Warm sunny days, and not a cloud in the sky, which meant filling watering cans at the water butts on Monday and giving everything a good soaking in the raised vegetable beds and pots. Everything that can be has been moved to the sunniest part of the patio in the hope of extracting the final harvest.
We made a quick run to the Recycling Centre on Tuesday to empty six bags of green garden waste – far too much to go into the compost bins. With thoughts of another impending lockdown, we didn’t want to be stuck with rotting vegetation for weeks on end. Wednesday and Thursday were a wash-out. Friday was early sun and late showers, with a cold north wind and hailstones for good measure.
I can’t complain about the weather this week. A couple of really hot days, followed by cooler mornings, but dry and warm for the most part. I think we had one misty morning. I’ve done some work with the allotment cages, and turned over the compost in my bins. I’ve cut back lots of foliage but because it’s green waste, I’m taking it to the recycling centre as I already have far too much in the compost and I need to balance it better.
I also need to speak to my other neighbour to ask her to arrange to cut back her jasmine, which is not only beginning to cover my Potting Shed roof, but is finding its way inside too. (Featured Image) It is very pretty, but has never been pruned since the previous neighbour planted it twelve years ago.
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Swiss chard Bright Lights. For some reason, only the red grew this year. Then it was hidden by tomato plants and forgotten about. By the time I rediscovered it, it had bolted, though there are shorter stems separate from this plant. But it looks pretty and I might be able to collect seed, so I’ve left it alone.
After clearing some space in the front shady border a few weeks ago, I rediscovered my two remaining heuchera. This is Berry Smoothie showing plenty of healthy new growth.
The Mexican feather grass is at its best at this time of year, but brush against it and your clothes are covered in seed heads.
This sedum has been in the garden long before I moved here. Possibly Sedum Kamtschaticum?
Is this a jelly bean sedum perhaps?
All good things come to an end as Sunflower #1 sets seed, which I want to collect for the bird feeders.
With dodgy internet this morning (typical) I may not be able to comment on other posts, but I’ll try to read as many as I can courtesy of The Propagator’s Six on Saturday challenge thing.
A sunny start this morning, though the wind is picking up and clouds moving in from the south. I’ve already taken my morning walk along the lane and done some work in the garden; removing leaves and any flowers/tiny fruit from my tomato plants to allow ripening , as instructed by the nation’s favourite gardener on last evening’s Gardener’s World.
I love the colours of this Strawflower, which I intend to cut and preserve in a vase. And there are more to come, a darker one and a pale silvery-pink. They have a great texture too.
Livingstone Daisy – one of several from my 29p packet of seeds from Lidl
I thought I’d take a photo of a white-tailed bumble bee enjoying the nectar on this Autumn Joy. But I later found I’d got more than I bargained for.
You can see where this Lagurus ovatus grass got its common name of Bunny Tails.
My pitcher plant has a flower! It’s not fully open yet and it’s proved difficult so far to get a clear image. I think it need to go back into the greenhouse to help with the aphid problem on my pepper plants.
There won’t be many more weeks before I run out of flowering plants to photograph and share here through The Propagator’s Six on Saturdayclub, but I’ve a few to share still, and I fully expect to see the start of crocus bulb shoots in a few weeks, unless the heatwave forecast for Sunday and Monday confuses them.
