End of Month View October 2014

I must say that I've truly enjoyed taking part in End of Month View posts this year.   Joining in has really made me concentrate on what's been going on in this border.  Work on this bed started at the beginning of the year.  Participation in this meme hosted by Helen over at The Patient Gardener's Weblog has been a bit of a change for me.  I chose the plants, planted them and let them do their own thing.  This is not how I normally go about things in the garden.  I'm a plant now and think later kind of gal, or I was.  It's been good to see how plants have settled and performed without my interference. Helen, credit to you, you've taught me how to be a bit more patient.  No pun intended, honestly. Thank you!

It's hot, hot, hot!  For October here in Edinburgh that is!  Despite a couple of cold mornings, the

End of Month View
September 2014

temperatures here in Edinburgh continue to impress.

Mind you, we are forecast more seasonal norms from next week onwards.  I need to find the time at some point to get out and chop a few things back.  Most of the flowers are finished, as you can clearly see in the large image below, taken a couple of days ago.

I think the Acer on the top tier is the stand out plant, foliage wise, this week.  Perennial wise, the Persicaria continues to impress me.  It is now entering it's 5th month of flowering.

End of Month View October 2014

A few other blooms are putting on a brave face.  Sadly, I've not seen any bees or other pollinators for at least a week.  It's shame really, as it's not only this border that has blooms, there are lots more elsewhere in the garden.  

Lupins, Sedum and Helianthus blooming end of October

Geum Bell Bank, might be showing signs of powdery mildew but it is not blighting some welcome late blooms.  These coppery pink blooms, may for some, be a bit wishy washy in comparison to other Geums available but I don't mind that, I rather like it.  I also find this plant holds a bit better shape than some that I've tried and got rid of before.

Geum Bell Bank flowering end of October 2014

The Photinia fraseri Red Robin, which for the first few months, was quite frankly, getting on my nerves and all summer it just blended into the background, so much so I hardly noticed it.  The plant had previously grown a bit straggly, not quite how I envisaged it.  So back in April I introduced some canes in an attempt at getting it to grow a bit more upright.  They seemed to have done the trick and is now making quite a nice shape.  It's earned itself a bit of a reprieve for now.

Photinia fraseri Red Robin

There is little else to report for this post, other than the fact, I spent a few weeks contemplating about how this area of the garden will look come spring time.  I noted at the beginning of the year that I would source bulbs to plant this autumn and to be honest, I'm betwixt and between on what to do. Nobody will venture up here in the winter, would they be a waste of time?  I know I should plant some for the early pollinators but I do have lots more elsewhere and I'm not sure how much of a difference having a few more here would make.  We shall see how I feel when the time comes.  It's not difficult to source bulbs by the pot full in springtime here.

I hope the weekend is a good one and I'm off now to see what's happening in your garden!  Thanks for reading.