The tomatoes are going bananas (!) and have starting ripening since I took this picture. I've also been busy planting seeds for next year (lupins and sweet williams top left) and collecting seeds from around the garden.
One thing I look forward to in Autumn is the turning of my Virginia Creeper. It was a bit slow to grow in the first few years but now I swear if you stand and look at it for a few seconds you can see it growing! It will soon start to turn the most magnificent shade of red. It's very quickly wending it's way around the side of the house. I think by next year I'll be cutting it back.
I was a bit disappointed in my containers this year but they seem to be going for it now. The long red dangly thing is Love Lies Bleeding. I'm never sure if I like that name or not. Anyway, it's a really easy to grow annual and fills out gaps in the garden and containers as it can get quite big. It also seems very drought tolerant. You can collect literally millions of seeds from each dangly head and grow them for free next year.
The plums are nearly ready but the apples are never at their best until October. I like to freeze lot's of plums and enjoy crumble throughout the Winter. I always collect lot's of poppy seeds by upending the heads in an old vase and then just shaking them. I then leave the vase laid flat in the shed for a few days for all the bugs to make their escape and scatter the seeds where I want them. I always think dried poppy heads are so beautiful. Very sculptural I suppose.
Something else that's easy to grow and will seed everywhere of it's own volition is Verbena Bonariensis. It's sooo expensive to buy in a pot but easy to get going from seed and then you'll never be without it. Next to Buddleia it's the best plant for attracting butterflies.
These are just a few of my Hollyhock varieties. I do love them. As do the bees. But you do need a lot of room for them. The picture bottom right is of one that set seed on the veg patch and I didn't have the heart to pull it out or the room to move it elsewhere so I let it flower. I'll regret that when I get seedings coming up all over the veg patch next year! Because it's had plenty of room to grow it's absolutely enormous.
There are only a few clematis at their best now and I only have one yellow one left to flower. I've planted a couple of new varieties this year so will look forward to seeing what they produce.
One of my favourite plants is Hemoracallis (or day lily) The one on the left there flowers for weeks and weeks and each bloom last's just one day.
And the sedum is starting to turn pink which is a sure sign of Autumn as is the fact that the wheat in 'my' field has been cut, baled and brought in. Next thing the plough will be out and nothing looks as autumnal as a freshly ploughed field!
There is new stock on the website today. Because I've been so busy today and didn't get around to doing this post when I intended some of the items pictured are already sold but there's lot's more lovely things just like them available over at This Vintage Life.
Something else that's easy to grow and will seed everywhere of it's own volition is Verbena Bonariensis. It's sooo expensive to buy in a pot but easy to get going from seed and then you'll never be without it. Next to Buddleia it's the best plant for attracting butterflies.
These are just a few of my Hollyhock varieties. I do love them. As do the bees. But you do need a lot of room for them. The picture bottom right is of one that set seed on the veg patch and I didn't have the heart to pull it out or the room to move it elsewhere so I let it flower. I'll regret that when I get seedings coming up all over the veg patch next year! Because it's had plenty of room to grow it's absolutely enormous.
There are only a few clematis at their best now and I only have one yellow one left to flower. I've planted a couple of new varieties this year so will look forward to seeing what they produce.
One of my favourite plants is Hemoracallis (or day lily) The one on the left there flowers for weeks and weeks and each bloom last's just one day.
And the sedum is starting to turn pink which is a sure sign of Autumn as is the fact that the wheat in 'my' field has been cut, baled and brought in. Next thing the plough will be out and nothing looks as autumnal as a freshly ploughed field!There is new stock on the website today. Because I've been so busy today and didn't get around to doing this post when I intended some of the items pictured are already sold but there's lot's more lovely things just like them available over at This Vintage Life.
