Well – 4 days late with my post for GBBD, I considered not doing one, as this really is rather late, but I know that I would regret it next year, or next month, as the GBBD posts are developing into a nice record of what blooms when.
Autumn has arrived here – although our trees have only just started turning colour – I think this is because we had such wet weather in September and a lovely start to October.
Biggest surprise is this little field poppy, which has been flowering non stop in a crack between the paving and the top pond since June – I actually gave it a bit of a poke the other day to check it was a real flower!
While the rest of the garden may not be bursting with plants and colour – there are vignettes which still delight me; like the Verbascum blattaria albiflorum agaist the physocarpus ‘Diablo”
I am sure that I should probably take up the last of the flowers from the cutting garden – to prepare the soil for next year – but there still is life in them. The Dahlias are just going on and on – they also started flowering in June! I am “well impressed”, this is the first time I have grown dahlias and they will certainly be added to next year. The jury is still out on the Zinnias – the very wet summer we had did them no favours at all.
In the kitchen garden – the “bedding dahlias” grown from seed make an interesting contrast with beetroot ‘bulls blood’ – grown as a salad leaf – although this late in the season it looks decorative more than appetizing.
At the bottom of the garden the cornus capitata that I transplanted last year has settled down well, in in addition to the flowers it produced in the early summer, it is now laden with these strawberry like fruits
The echinacea purpurea are doing what they do best, in life:-
and in death;
However, my biggest delight this October has been this Aster lateriflorus ‘Lady in Black’. I love her. I am not a big fan of Aster and this is the first one I have ever bought. The flowers are small and white supported by dark stems. Behind you can just make out the rudbeckia fulgida var deamii and it’s turning into a pleasing combination.
The Marguerites and Salvias are still going strong, so all in all – I am quite pleased with the amount of colour still showing in the garden.
Thanks must go to Carol / May Dreams Garden for continuing to host this wonderful event.
Great selection of flowers blooming, I am amazed the poppy is doing so well still. Lots of colour.
Joanne´s last blog ..MERROW
What a gorgeous blog! Congrats on your Blogtanical award.
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Please check out the show and let all your online garden friends know about it. We post a new show every Sunday night!
Again, congratulations.
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Shirley Bovshow
There is still life in there, but have just seen the weather forecast, and I don’t think it is going to last much longer. Rain and cold. But, this time next year, GBBD will feature all those items acquired on Saturday. I will say nothing else apart from that everyone will be well impressed!! Have a good week.
Your beautiful pictures prove that you still have a flowering garden. I particularly enjoyed the red flower. Sometimes I think that plants to better when they just grow on their own instead of us nurturing them along. Thank you for sharing pictures of your garden.
Noelle (azplantlady)´s last blog ..Time for Winter Flowers Yet ?
The field poppies look fabulous – mine weren’t up to much this year & fizzled out ages ago. I do have buds on one of my oriental poppies though!
Juliet´s last blog ..LAPCPADPOUB Day!
Wonderful to see so much colour!
My Poppies are still going too… Lots of seedheads on them so I hope to get plenty next year
I love the dainty little Aster, it looks very pretty and creates a very nice contrast with the Rudbeckia.
liz´s last blog ..Sunday Safari 18.10.09
Gorgeous colors and unusual flowers along with the old favorites. Great Blooms.
Mary Delle´s last blog ..My Blue Glory Bower
You may be late in your posting but your blooms were worth the wait… amazing poppies! All beautiful photos but the vibrant dahlia and zinnia shot if my favorite. Lovely! Carol
Carol´s last blog ..Fall Foliage Feathery Grasses
Gorgeous poppies! I agree they are almost too perfect to look real!
My echinaceas look like that too – I think the blooms only lived for a day! I particularly like the verbascum and physocarpus combination.
Arabella Sock´s last blog ..Say what you see
You have lots of colour, and colour combinations – a talent I have yet to master.
Love the Poppy. I think cracks in paving lead to an alternative growing universe. Some plants do better in a crack than in the main garden.
easygardener´s last blog ..Nibbling the ducks and decorative junk
Lots of lovely flowers still – I like that red Salvia particularly against the white Salvia
Helen
Helen/patientgardener´s last blog ..Delights of Autumn
Don’t expect to see your white flowers and black foliage in the morning. I’m on my way to dig them up and bring them home to Dorset.
Esther
Esther Montgomery´s last blog ..IF THEY WON’T BE ILL PROPERLY – LET THEM COUNT MATCHES
4 days late is not that bad especially as you had such a great excuse for it.
Your garden is looking very colour and bloomful for October. I love Aster Lady in Black, she is growing in my garden too and I think I am in love.
Yolanda Elizabet´s last blog ..Glorious Gloriousness
so much beauty still !! Those poppies are yummy ..hugs, Cherry
I do like that little dainty aster Karen and all the rest too
Anna´s last blog ..What’s Afoot ?
The poppies remind me of my Mom’s garden many years ago. Thanks, Scott