The last few days have seen a marked contrast as we move toward's the autumn equinox later today. Friday was positively balmy and apart from a swift short shower it was dry. I made the most of it to gather up the last fruits of what has been a bumper tomato crop, to lift the remaining 'Charlotte' potatoes and move them to a crate in the shed as well as taking down the sweet peas and French beans wigwams and disposing of the somewhat bedraggled plants. I also took a few cuttings. Himself was kept occupied with picking apples. Just as well as Saturday was the wettest day we have had for some time - it poured down throughout the day and then into the early hours of Sunday morning. When I checked the weather app. on my phone yesterday morning it informed me that we had had 36mm of rain in the last 24 hours! However we woke to a sparking clear blue sky complete with sunshine and it turned out to be a completely dry day, possibly the first we've had this month.
In my vase this week a nod to autumn's arrival with :
- Dahlia - I think this one is 'Night Silence' but I'm not sure as it's in a pot with no label.
- Panicum capillare 'Sparkling Fountain' which was sown from saved seed back in March. I've grown this grass for a few years now and love the way it sparkles in the sunlight. It self seeds but never in places where it's easy to extricate and replant so I sow it yearly.
- Rudbeckia hirta 'Enchanted Flame' - for the first time in a good few years I had no joy with growing rudbeckia 'Sahara' from seed. I was upset as it's a flower mix that is good for late summer/early autumn flowering with colours of various shades. After some pondering I remembered reading about the rudbeckia hirta 'Enchanted' series over at Catherine's 'Notes From My Garden' blog. More pondering and although these plants are half- hardy perennials a special 3 for the price of 2 offer from an online source tempted me. I must admit that I'm not keen on the muddy looking colour that these particular flowers had in bud but I do like the final fully opened version. I will still sow 'Sahara' again next year whatever joy I have with overwintering these plants.
Thanks as always to Cathy who is the custodian of our Monday's vases and who blogs over at 'Rambling In The Garden'.
A few domestic tasks to catch up on here whilst it's still warming up - the temperature in the greenhouse dipped down to 5.7 centigrade here overnight which is most cool for September. Then there are jobs to get on with outside. Wishing you a happy Monday and a most gentle autumn 🍂
Hello, Anna. Happy Autumn. It sounds like you had a good gardening summer. I am gearing up for winter planting here (tomatoes, etc.) I love that Dahlia whoever it is and am a fan of Panicum grasses as well. Enjoy. A.melia.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do love that grass Anna - the effect is wonderful! I have tried it from seed once without success but if it seeds around it shouldn't be that difficult so I will try again (I find my Lagurus ovatus is seeding around little here , but is tough enough to pull out and plant up somewhere if required). Did you buy the rudbeckia as plug plants? They look really pretty. Not sure I will bother with Sahara again, as it has always been 'iffy' for me. That was a lot of rain you had on Saturday - we had less than half that here, but it has all been very welcome and the garden is enjoying it. And this morning when I got up, the temperatures was 2.9 degrees C and still dropping!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great combination of elements--from the flowers to the grasses and the seeds. Great creative arrangement, and it's lovely. Happy vase day!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though you and your husband have both made good use of the weather where possible, Anna! The Panicum grass adds a lively element to your arrangement and I love that dahlia with its dark center - it's a perfect nod to the change of seasons. I'm not seeing much of a shift here yet beyond the change in the light but I remain hopeful that cooler temperatures - and rain - are on the horizon.
ReplyDeleteThe Panicum is gorgeous Anna! It really sparkles. I must remember to try some of my Panicum in a vase. Such a pretty Dahlia too. Sounds like you made the best use of the finer weather. I think my last tomatoes will have to come in tomorrow too as it's very autumnal now. Rudbeckia is something I have on my long list of plants to try growing from seed next year. I always love seeing your 'Sahara', so a shame it didn't come to anything this year.
ReplyDeleteA very striking flower
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