Garden Report 2007 - 17

September is bringing a late summer. The good weather is set to continue for the next few days at least which is good as there is so much needing to be done. I have had a steady stream of bulbs arriving through the post - just waiting for the allium Christophii and 15 dwarf narcissi. I have already been very busy out there.

Anne got James to cut down the sycamore that was growing on the corner on the other side of the road and was blocking our view across to the river and fields and hills beyond. She said we could throw our prunings into the hollow over there, which is great. It gave me the incentive to start getting all the overgrown shrubs back under control.

I pruned back hard the two buddleias that were in LB1 and Lb2, and then set about a very large spirea. I then discovered it was actually one large spirea and half a dozen smaller spireas. I dug out the smaller ones with hopefully enough root still intact to survive and left them on the verge. When Anne passed by I told her to take them if she wanted them - and she did. I have now planted up the large gap cleared with three fuchsias, two dwarf rhododendrons, a hosta and a pulmonaria. Around the plants I have planted tulips, dwarf narcissi and bluebells/grape hyacinths from Lilian. It still looks very bare but hopefully the fuchsias, if they survive, should grow quite a lot larger.

Paul also offered some help so I asked him to remove one of the brooms that had reached the end of its life. It came out much more easily than expected so I then gave him free rein to hard prune the buddleia in LB4 (again) - it was amazing how big it had got considering how much we had cut off of it earlier in the year. I weeded the area around the old broom and pruned back another spirea, and now have another large gap to fill. I am planning to put one of the largish rhododendrons that I bought from Aldi earlier in the year where the broom was.

I have also completed planting up the gap created in LB6 when the aucuba was sawn down. It doesn't seem to have done it any harm as the stump is now covered in glossy green leaves again. It can stay there - I just need to ensure it is kept small. Two agapanthuses and bulbs added to the previously planted fuchsias.

LB1 has been weeded and generally tidied up. I am hoping it will now need minimal work until next spring.

The new trellis bed has been weeded again, and the more vigorous perennials tied back to the trellis.


The rose bed was weeded again last week, and I had a bout of dead heading. They are looking a lot better now we have had a spell of warm, dry and sunny weather.

These are two of the new ones I planted earlier this year.

The climbing roses that are at the trellis in front of the cowshed are also putting on a very nice display at the moment.

Other than the cyclamens still being confused one of my pulsatillas also decided to flower again a couple of weeks ago, but I did not capture it on my camera. The potentillas have decided to put on a much better performance now too, after their rather feeble flowering display last month.

Not everything is confused - autumn plants are beginning to flower too.

This gentian has just opened its first flower. It is planted next to an alpine phlox so it is hard to see where one starts and the other ends.

The autumn heathers are also behaving themselves. I bought some more in Aldi's yesterday - also planning for them to help fill the broom gap, and hopefully act as a barrier to a land slide there.

The autumn crocuses are also doing 'what it says on the tin'.

The hypericum is now earning its keep, the berries are looking very decorative.

I have two clumps of phlox in the high bank - this pink one and also a white one.

I also have this white fluffy plant dotted around various places - I have no idea what it is as I cannot find it in my gardening book. If anyone can tell me what it is I would be very grateful.