The Turning of the Season

Late Summer to Autumn

Here we are at the turning of the season. After the serious drought with most plants colourless and shrivelled, the week or two of rain in early September produced this resurection and it was summer again. This is what greeted us on our return from the West Coast of Scotland (which conversely had been full of sunshine and sparkle). When we left the grass was burnt and brown; on our return it was a sea of lush green and intense summer colour.... summer pots and bedding, annuals such as Cosmos, Petunias, ground cover blue Geraniums to great bushes of Salvias (Amistad), and Choisya (Mexican Orange).

Geranium Roxanne

Cosmos, Salvias and Aster frikatii

Chosyia ternata. Arching fronds of Rhus (soon to turn to autumn colour)

Borders seen through the Magnolia branches. Late summer.

Border seen through the Magnolia branches with a statue of a bathing girl by Tom Greenshields looking on.

Helenium autumnale

Zauschneria. A plant suggested by Graham Thomas forty years a go.

Low growing plumbago ceratostigma.

Helianthus

Rudbeckia

Rose Frensham - a restoration of one of Graham Thomas' original suggestion for the borders. So far has survived the Roe deer.

Cosmos. Looking wild, beautiful and free.

Salvia Amistad. Starting from scratch each year, it rises to seven foot every year! Miraculous!

Rosa Chinensis - Remarkable single rose flowering from early in the season through to the frosts. Intriguing foliage and flowers varying between orange to pink to pale white (name/information to be added).

Passion flower (Passiflora). I found this at Wisely Gardens growing on the old house. I promptly ordered it. From memory, I believe it is named "Passiflora Blue Moon".

This bloom appeared a week ago at my kitchen window.

.Next blog will be on autumn converging with late summer. Bulbs, autumn colour leaves, hips and haws.