WE’RE DEW FOR A FRUITY ONE
In the cottage garden, the colour range is now wider than ever before this year as mauve triangular spikes of Physostegias contrast with buttercup-yellow Coryopsis. Dahlias come into their own this month, providing banks of delicious cut flower blooms for weeks on end. In the rockeries, dwarf Solidago displays tufts of golden bloom which contrast with minute double-flowered Campanulas resembling very miniature roses – but in blue.
Walls are dressed in vibrant red Campsis and double-flowered Hollyhocks in their rich shades of deep red and paler shades of pastel pink. Finally, patio tubs are not complete without the exuberant double-flowered Begonias.
Will your prize blooms earn you a rosette?
PHYSOSTEGIAS, given moist conditions in sun or partial shade, are child’s play to grow. They are better known as the obedient plant as the little tubes of gorgeous mauve flowers can be moved into a position of your choice. They grow fairly tall in a heavy soil, up to as high as two metres and although they can be a little invasive, their slender stems really don’t take up much room at all.
So they are ideal for popping up all over the place amongst roses and earlier flowering plants, such as Alliums and Aquilegias. They can be propagated remarkably easily or even accidentally by snapping off bits of root in late autumn or winter and popping into the chosen position in groups or even potted up (if you want to remember where they are).
ECHEVERIAS are one of those succulents that hate the winter wet and so seem to be somewhat troublesome for the average gardener. But this maybe an overstatement as these easy to please plants require minimum maintenance for most of the year. If planted in a dwarf terracotta container topped with grit, they require very little summer watering and a cool dry frost-free spot in winter. I love their rosettes of fleshy grey leaves, edged with pale purple and their exquisite fleshy peachy-pink flower stalks borne in August and September.
Don’t feel the winter has got you cornered
A NICE winter corner by the front or back door is hard to beat if you have the right selection of plants. It is well worth designing such an area because the majority of the garden tends to be enjoyed from spring to autumn. There is a whole range of shrubs, border plants and bulbs to choose from for your winter garden.
Cornus 'Winter Beauty' has breath-taking flamingo-orange stems which look stunning against a dark background - particularly with green conifers. Pulmonarias are reputed to flower in the snow in shades of pink, blue or white. They have very pleasant soft green leaves for most of the year, some with white spots or freckles on them. They also thrive in shade and do not mind being overtaken by herbaceous summer plants.
Hellebores are an absolute must for a winter border. Who could resist their delicate nodding blooms opening from late January until April.
Obedient to the point of disobedience
PHYSOSTEGIAS, given moist conditions in sun or partial shade, are child’s play to grow. They are better known as the obedient plant as the little tubes of gorgeous mauve flowers can be moved into a position of your choice. They grow fairly tall in a heavy soil, up to as high as two metres and although they can be a little invasive, their slender stems really don’t take up much room at all.So they are ideal for popping up all over the place amongst roses and earlier flowering plants, such as Alliums and Aquilegias. They can be propagated remarkably easily or even accidentally by snapping off bits of root in late autumn or winter and popping into the chosen position in groups or even potted up (if you want to remember where they are).
Tovey’s Tips
• LAWNS have had good warm wet weather this year and so are looking good. It is still important though to give them a good scarifying this month and begin to cut on a higher setting. Later in the month, an autumn dressing can be applied.
• CONTINUE to dead-head roses to promote further blooms for autumn.
• THIS is a good time to spot-weed lawns by using a long pronged tool.
• KEEP feeding Calcifuges (commonly known as Ericaceous plants) with a suitable liquid feed particularly those growing in containers.
• ACANTHUS make a bold statement in the mid-summer border. Their spiky tubes of flowers contrast a muted purple with white lips. They need plenty of space to grow in full sun to appreciate their architectural beauty. Their seedheads also persist well into winter and can be cut for a dried flower vase.
Remember, remember you get it all in September
SEPTEMBER will see a good deal of warm sunny weather lasting into the second week. It then turns much more unsettled and windy until mid-month and then another relatively warm dry spell is expected. The fourth week sees the return of wind and rain, followed by light winds, slow moving showers and overnight fog.
Next month……..
OCTOBER brings a rich tapestry of leaf colours from ornamental trees suited to the small garden. Rockeries provide translucent autumn crocus and Cyclamen. We will also be planning beautiful spring borders.
See you next month!
Go back
