Rain at last

Flowers on the windowsill

Garden is looking much better after some much needed rain. It has become cooler, the days seem to be shortening rapidly. It's all feeling quite autumnal.

Selinum wallichianum

The Selinum pictured above was planted several years ago and has always looked good with its ferny foliage and white cow parsley flowers. It has been suffering in the dry weather, I have had to water it a lot. It will get a new home in the autumn.

I have noticed that the taller flowers in the garden, such as the aster and gaura below, don't seem to have grown as tall this year. Perhaps this is due to the drier conditions?

Aster 'Little Carlow'

Gaura lindheimeri 'The Bride'

A change in the air

The nights are drawing in, it's dark by 8.45pm.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) on asters

I had these unknown asters from my Mum's garden. They are also know as Michaelmas Daisies or September Flowers, they are flowering very early this year.

The sedum is starting to colour

Hydrangea quercifolia, the Oakleaf hydrangea is staring to redden

The Rowan berries have been ripe for a few weeks. The leaves are yellowing now.

My neighbours apples are ripening.

Rosa Glauca hips

And the skies are quiet now. The Swifts or Swallows (I have never been able to work out which birds they are) have now moved on to warmer climes.

A yogurt jar, a bit of ribbon and some flowers

Flowers for August

Before I started growing flowers for cutting, August was a very lean month for flowers in my garden. Not any more.

Early August

It has been very summery recently with warm sunshine.  A few humid days and nights too.

One of my favourite grasses is Deschampia flexuosa 'Tatra Gold'. It reminds me of a cloud of silk especially with the sun shining through it. This clump is growing under the Acer....

...I also have this clump amongst the white Astrantia, a combination I am very fond of.

Whilst pegging out the washing I noticed these ladybirds on the Achillea next to the washing line. There are 6 in this picture I counted another 12 of their friends.

I wish they had found their way to my Larkspur. After investigation I think they may have suffered a virus carried by the blue-green aphids I found all over them. I had to pull all of them out. I rescued as many of the flowers I could, they are now drying ready for  my pot pourri type mixes.

I have also had to dig out my once lovely Viburnum plictutm 'Grandiflora'. It used to fill the whole of the space in the photograph below. I am undecided what to do - try some vegetables or more cut flowers. What do you think?

On a brighter note, I have had plants appear that I have not grown for at least a couple of years. This Snapdragon is one. I shall be saving seed as I really like it.

Mixed flowers in a jug