This is my first foray into ‘Garden Bloggers Bloom Day’, so I am excited and nervous all at the same time. Confused, too, as it is also Wednesday, so in theory I guess I do another post for ‘Wordless Wednesday’?! Anyway, here goes…
The first thing I see when I venture out the patio door is this pot with the last of my outdoor Tomatoes (‘Minibel’) and their wonderfully cheerful companions. At least it ensures a bright start to the day, even if it does also highlight that I am lousy at getting round to dead heading…
Cheerful though they are, my true ‘Plant of the Moment’ has to be Crocosmia ‘Emily McKenzie’. The plan was to have her in a pot this year and then plant her out in the border, once I’d worked out where she belongs. But. The flowers are so stunning that I think I am going to keep her in a pot, at least for now, so that she can be enjoyed up close and personal in all her glory. I underplanted with Californian poppies, which worked really well, so same again next year please!
This has been my year to play with colour, and much of that playing has been done by growing things in pots on the patio. Early on I had tulips and primroses, then poppies, a Nepeta, now it is the bedding dahlias (the seed was a gift to my in-laws at a wedding reception!), Arctotis and Gazanias, still all going strong.
The bed tucked behind my brand new greenhouse gets lots of sun, which is a rare thing in my garden so I’ve been using it as a kind of mini cutting garden. As things have turned out, I’ve been so busy this last month that I have rather neglected it, not cutting or dead heading, so I’ve not had as many blooms as I would have done. I do love the contrast in form between ‘Bishop of Auckland’, ‘Rip City’ and ‘Hillcrest Royal’, though ‘Rip City’ is so dark that it is hard to capture how sumptuous it is on camera, and ‘Hillcrest Royal’ appears to need each and every stem supported.
This latter came as a surprise, as my first experience of growing Dahlias was on Anglesey a couple of years ago, and I hadn’t appreciated the difference in climate. None of them even needed staking there, and only grew to about 1.2m. Here they have been rather more rampant. Daft of me really, as we were right on the coast in Rhoscolyn, and although it has a lovely (relatively) dry micro climate, it was very exposed.
You may have spotted the single “embrace your vulgarity” Gladioli (Gladiolus?) in the background. The plan was that this bed would have fuschia pink, acid green and deep purple Gladioli growing in amongst the Dahlias for an unsubtle riot of late summer colour that Dame Edna would be proud of. So far, however, the Gladioli have not really materialised…
I haven’t entirely forsworn subtlety though! The Sedum ‘Frosty Morn’ has never looked better, probably due to the fact that I finally remembered to do the Chelsea Chop thing, so it hasn’t flopped this year. I only have this because Cotswold Garden Flowers didn’t have the one I wanted and persuaded me that this would be even better. I’m not generally a fan of variegated leaves, but this is so pretty I am thrilled they gave me what I needed, not what I asked for! The Pelargoniums are a departure for me too. My Mum used to grow the very pungent deep red ones when I was a child, and I always hated them. When I first got a garden I became very snobby about people who talked about Geraniums meaning Pelargoniums, and declared myself a fan of the former and rejected the latter. A friend on Anglesey showed me the error of my ways, and once I got a greenhouse I couldn’t wait to start a collection. These two are ‘Madame Layall’ and ‘Lara Jester’.
Perhaps most subtle of all are the grasses that are starting to come in to their own. Sadly I long since lost the garden journal that documented which grasses these are, but I love the structure and dynamism they add to the borders, and the play of light on the flowers is utterly beguiling.
Whew! That was fun, but also took a lot longer than I thought it would. I love the way that blogging is making me look more closely at the garden, though I’m not sure that I will be out in my pyjamas at 7:30 am next month taking photos, perhaps I’d better plan a little ahead, rain allowing…
Huge ‘Thank You’ to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.
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I too am new to Bloom Day. Isn’t great? I like that you can keep track of the garden month to month. I love your hot colors. Fall always rewards us with such beauty. Leaves are changing already which adds to the whole composition of gardener blooms.
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Thanks for visiting Donna. I love the hot colours too, somehow they pave the way for Autumn and the Leaf Spectacular. See you next Bloom Day if not before!
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Sorry I left my comment on the wrong post. Your Miscanthus are beautiful, I think they are my favourite grass even if they do need a little water to look at their best – mine aren’t flowering yet so I have that joy to come.
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Christina, you can leave comments anywhere you like, it’s just great to have you visit my blog! Yes, I chose Miscanthus because they are planted around my pond where the ground tends to the moist. Just wish I could remember which Miscanthus it was…
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Congratulations on your first entry to GBBD – are you a new garden blogger as I’ve never visited you before but I see that you also belong to Garden Veg growers just like me. Being a blogger sure does call for being organised at times. I now have some of my posts in draft for days before I hit that publish button.
You’ve many beautiful blooms in your garden. I had to laugh when I read these words ” embrace your vulgarity” as I’ve just recently written about gladioli aswell – I wish I had thought of that phrase.
Plus you have a favourite flower in your garden just now – I had written about Emily Mc Kenzie a couple of weeks ago and about missing her in my garden. The flowers are just wonderful – I have to find some of those corms in the New Year.
Thanks again for visiting my blog – you’re welcome anytime.:) Rosie
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Hi Rosie, thanks so much for visiting and commenting! Yes I am new to the blogging adventure, I think the “prepare in advance” tip is an excellent one. Glad you share my love of ‘Emily’ – good luck finding lots of corms, she’s worth it. Will certainly be visiting your blog again!
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Your Dahlias are gorgeous. Great Bloom Day pics!
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Thanks Megan – and than you for visiting! Now if I could only grow Eccremocarpus scaber ‘Tresco Gold’ like you can… What a spectacular plant!
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Enjoyed your September blooms ~ what a glorious riot of colour.