greentapestry : With Thanks To The Patient Gardener And Monty Don

Monday 5 September 2011

With Thanks To The Patient Gardener And Monty Don

Fashionably late as usual here is my 'End of Month View' post - in real life I am one of those people who is completely neurotic about timekeeping. Despite not wearing a watch for the last quarter of a century or so, I arrive early for appointments and am terribly impatient of those who do not arrive on time. I am working at being more tolerant.

Well here we are at the end of another month and as you can see the border is shrieking out colour wise. My senses are offended and the occupants are going, going, gone! I have realised that apart from the colour combinations that most of the plants are too tall for where they have been planted. The chocolate cosmos, day lilies and osteospernum and geraniums are staying put but the penstemons and dahlias are headed elsewhere. The dwarf French beans are just a one season wonder - surplus to room at the allotment I was reluctant to consign them to the compost heap so stuck them in the border. I have some thyme and a white parahebe to plant as well as the purple campanula in a pot which has crept into the above photo. I am looking for not too tall grasses and as yet other unidentified companions to fill in the gaps.

What may not be obvious from these photos is that there is a four foot or so drop to the lawn below, where there is another border, so the dahlias and penstemons are either headed for the lower deck and/or to grace the allotment.
With a special thanks to Helen over at 'The Patient Gardener' who came up with the idea of a critical monthly review and also this month to Monty Don, who imparted some succinct but most useful advice on 'Gardeners' World' last Friday. Deadheading dahlias has always been a bit of a mystery to me but Monty has shed light on the matter. If the bud is round it is still to flower, if pointed time for the snip. I finally now know what I am doing and am pleased to report that I am no longer feeling spent, squelchy flowers.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for joining in again this month. At least you have flowers on your dahlias to deadhead, mine havent flowered at all

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  2. I must admit I have some pretty terrible plant combinations that have shown themselves this year, glad I'm not the only one.

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  3. I was totlally confused as to why I had loads of buds on my Dahlias and never any dead flowers. Finally I noticed the difference in shape but was still nervous the first few times I dead headed (pleased Monty Don confirmed it so clearly)

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  4. I thought you were talking about me at the start, I'm always early and very impatient with those who are late. I've still only got one dahlia in flower, though there's some buds on another so I might get to find out what it is before too long.

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  5. Some of my dahlias haven't flowered yet - i hope they get their skates on and do so before too long!

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  6. I grew dahlia 'dark desire' this year. I'd not grown dahlias for years. Deadheading almost daily mind.

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  7. Must be a question of taste as I thought the height of the flowers were ideal as it made the drop to lawn deeper. As for pink and orange, combo, the burgundy leaves helped shout in unison not shriek. Maybe it's because my borders just cry green.
    p.s. snap we took off our watches at about the same time

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  8. I have a new mantra thanks to Monty - pointed is pointless. I can be heard muttering it to myself as I deadhead the dahlias...

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All your comments are much appreciated and treasured. I wil try to reply to everyone who leaves a comment, but it may take me a few days, especially when I start spending more time in the garden and at the lottie. I know that you will understand :) I am sure that I will also visit your blog if I have not already done so. If you have any specific questions I will either reply to them here or you can email me at : thegreentapestry@gmail.com

Namasté

- Anna.