Although this weekend's temperatures were down a good few degrees on the previous weekend and the weather has been most unsettled the flowers are sizzling. In my vase today are :
- Amaranthus caudatus 'Viridis - grown from seed sown in the greenhouse back in March. The plants are at the allotment and are looking rather aenemic. My allotment plot neighbour who has an exotic jungle of a a plot has plants that have reached dizzying heights. I will have to ask him his secret.
- A single flower from dahlia 'Sarah Raven'. This is new to me and I don't like it as much as I did when it was looking at me from the pages of a catalogue. My dahlias have been an unmitigated disaster this year. With the exception of the dark leaved 'Magenta Star' and one to still to flower plant, all the allotment dahlias were either nobbled in the winter or came through only to fall victim to bunny or mollusc damage. Our wet summer meant that there were more of the latter pests out and about. I was especially upset to loose 'Henriette' which had been so productive last summer. Time soon to start thinking of replacements for next year.
- Phlox drummondii 'Cherry Caramel' grown from seed again sown in the greenhouse on 11th March. I like the colour of this and it seems to be trouble free so will probably sow it again next year.
- A single flower of the perennial helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer'. This came to me as a division from the owner of a cottage that we stayed in back in 2009. I had asked her for the name of the plant having admired it both in the garden and in a vase with other late summer flowers and was delighted to come away with a living souvenir of our holiday.
- Flowers of rudbeckia hirta 'Sahara' grown from seed started off in a heated propagator in February. Two of the plants that I planted at the allotment last year survived the winter but fizzled out in spring. I still haven't seen the full colour range of these flowers as promised by the seed packet but maybe next summer. They are beauties.
- Some foliage in the shape of physocarpus probably the variety 'Diablo'.
- A very dark scabious which has appeared of its own accord at the allotment. Last year I grew some scabious from a packet of allegedly mixed coloured tall flowers. They all turned out white. Whether this is one that did not reach maturity land flower last year I just don't know or maybe it is a self seeder? There are white flowers too which came through the winter.
Thanks as always to our hostess the lovely Cathy over at 'Rambling In The Garden' . Do join in the fun!
Beautiful assemblage of late summer flowers. The volunteer scabious is a great color. Would love to have one volunteer here. The addition of Amaranthus caudatus 'Viridis' is just perfect.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful assemblage of late summer flowers. The volunteer scabious is a great color. Would love to have one volunteer here. The addition of Amaranthus caudatus 'Viridis' is just perfect.
ReplyDeleteIt gets harder and harder to find flowers at this late time of year, especially when they have suffered from the heat. Your vase looks lovely and I'm very impressed you grew your phlox from seed.
ReplyDeleteYes, my sunflowers would have been at home in your vase, Anna! If you find the secret of amaranthus do let me know, as some years mine are huge and some years not - this is a 'not' year, and I don't think I have cut them at all. How curious about the scabious... I love your assortment today, in the lovely ginger jar ps got your email whilst in the campervan in a farmer's field near Harrogate with a very dodgy connection and it really threw me - thought at first it was an old one I had accessed by mistake. Will respond in due course :)
ReplyDeleteYour lovely blooms make up a rather nice vase. Aren't the little white dots on the dark scabious eye catching? Liked the way you described up and downs, and failure to reach stated promise...nice to know I am not the only one for whom there are problems. Also to get your descriptions of weather and growing conditions...this side of the country it has been so very hot and dry, and if it rains it just sufficient to make it a little more comfortable for the slugs!!!! Only cool enough to have more than a sheet from this Sunday. Enjoy the autumn and seed collection time.
ReplyDelete'Sahara' caught my eye immediately. If I see it in my local garden center I'm going to snap it up even though Rudbeckia are just expensive annuals here. I'm committed to trying to grow different varieties of Amaranthus from seed next year but, if Rudbeckia require extra help in germinating from a propagator set-up, they're probably out of my reach.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a painting.
ReplyDeleteThe dark scabious is very striking and the rudbeckia caught my eye too. I love the late summer colours with a touch of pink. :)
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