End of Month View September 2014

End of Month View August 2014

According to the press, we are, here in Edinburgh experiencing one of the driest Septembers on record this year.  I'd pretty much agree with that!

The only thing normal about the weather this week is the wind.  We've had a fair few good drying days - is that a saying those of you from other parts of the country or planet use?  It's regularly used by neighbours here abouts as a way of passing the time of day.    

Helianthus Lemon Queen, must have put on another foot of growth over the past 4 weeks - I just love the size of these beauties and they are doing a far better job of hiding fencing than the shrubs are right now.  The cardoons are long past their best, I read somewhere that the birds should enjoy the seeds from this plant,   I'm not sure how long those bone dry stems will last in this wind, so they'd best get a move on!  It's hard to miss the acid yellow berries on the Pyracantha (P. Golden Charmer) covering the back fence.  Both the Helianthus and Pyracantha really stand out when the sun has gone over the roof tops.

Cardoon seed heads

On a scale of 1 to 10, one being unhappy and 10 being ecstatic, I'd say I am probably around a 7.5 with this new border but putting together this post over the last 9 months will prove useful to me whilst planning what needs doing between now and spring. 
   
My favourite combo in this bed just has to be the trio of  Persicaria, Sedum and Helenium.  I removed Hydrangea paniculata Pinky Winky, as I had better use for it elsewhere in the garden.  When I get round to my autumn tidy up, I will move the clump of Crocosmia Lucifer back a bit towards the fence, where it will get even more room and make a sizable clump before too long.  Slap bang in the middle is a lovely grass, Chionochloa rubra (a native of New Zealand), commonly known as red tussock.  It makes a gorgeous mature specimen, as seen in my local nursery, whether or not it survives the winter wet in the ground here, remains to be seen.  I've grown this for 2 years in a container but have chanced it in the ground this year.   I think the pot was holding it back and it's enjoyed getting it's feet in the soil.  Keep your fingers crossed for it please.  

Butterflies and Bees enjoying the late summer sun.  Thankfully there is still plenty on offer for them. 

The little Aster that appeared from beneath the foliage of a geum a wee while back, is just now blooming it's little heart out.  Now why can't the others look this good?  I have these dotted around the garden and all of them are looking, well, rotten really.  That's as good a word to describe them as any I suppose.  This little clump is a remnant returning after the floods of 2012. 


Aster novi-belgii Purple Dome

If we do a 180° turn and look back down towards the house,  the young Rowan is just beginning to look autumnal and I was absolutely fed up looking at the rust ridden Kilmarnock Willow - it's been relegated to the great big garden waste container at the local dump.  The Laburnum I purchased for elsewhere in the garden back in spring has been moved into it's spot.  I am much more happy with this area now.  Those Laurels at the back are going to a neighbour just as soon as we can coordinate removal.   We missed the window of opportunity back in spring, hopefully she can get herself into gear and ready to receive them at some point in the next few weeks.     

Autumn foliage on Sorbus Autumn Spire

My plans over the next few weeks will be to cut back and tidy up what's needed in this area.  Since I haven't done any weeding in and around the plants since back in spring, I have noticed that there are a few clumps of creeping buttercup appearing here and there and the odd marestail popping up.  The buttercup will be easy to eradicate but the marestail no so!

Thanks for reading my End of Month View this September.  Please join me and other garden bloggers over at The Patient Gardeners Weblog who are posting this month.