Beyond the garden gate
For starters you’d come across an unusual collection of items.
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| Sedum Collection – August gardening |
Old steel capped boots nailed to the fence with houseleeks now making them their home. Along with a collection sedums there’s also a little bit of lost property that I’ve found along the Lade. (If you’re interested I’ve put together a quirky collection of containers for sedums etc over on my Gardening Pinterest page).
But what’s beyond that little winding path besides the bike?
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| Newly planted Sweet Williams (Dianthus barbatus) for autumnal and early winter interest |
Around the Patio
At the moment the colours mostly surrounding the patio are shades of reds, pinks and lavender. Low growing stonecrops (Sedum) full of pink buds hug the edges of some containers while dwarf sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) and Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus) spill over the edges of others.
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| South westerly facing patio – August gardening |
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| Mexican Fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus) |
Even the lettuce Lorro Rosso has made an appearance in the containers. I use it as much as as a dark foliage plant as well as an edible salad leaf. While the Cornus ‘Baton Rouge’ stems have turned to a more intense scarlet again and contrast so well with the soft carex grasses.
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| Lettuce ‘Lollo Rosso’ used as a foliage plant |
The Inner Circle
Along the gravel path from the patio in what I call ‘The Inner Circle’ a Japanese Spiraea ( Spiraea japonica ‘Shirobana’ (Genepei)) is just smothered in pink and white blooms.
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| Multi coloured blooms from Spiraea japonica ‘Shirobana’ – August gardening |
Around The Perimeter
Elsewhere in the garden this has been the best year ever for the Calamagrostis grasses (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam’) as they act like exclamation marks throughout the borders.
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| Flowering Carpet Red Standard Rose in The Inner Circle border with Calamagrostis grass growing in the border beyond |
Many of the day lilies flowered earlier this year due to last months heat while others have been moody and have no intention of flowering at all. Hemerocallis ‘Pink Damask’ is the best for the shadier parts of this garden. Moreover it reliably flowers every year with greater and greater numbers of trumpet shaped blooms.
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| Hemerocallis ‘Pink Damask’ |
Little Dixter Corner
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| Little Dixter Corner |
This is my first year sowing Shirley Poppies. Consequently it’s great to see such a variety of poppy colours appearing each week.
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| Papaver rhoeas ‘Shirley’ |
Air traffic control is needed when new poppy flowers open in the mornings. Seriously the popularity of these freshly opened flowers is unbelievable with the pollinators. In fact it has to be seen to be believed. Sometimes there are 15 hoverflies on one poppy flower with as many hovering above waiting for a ‘nectar slot’ to become available. The bees don’t wait! … as in the case of this buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).
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| leavesnbloom Nectar Bar |
In closing I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of what’s beyond my garden gate. As in keeping with previous months here’s a birds eye view of part of the garden for August 2013.
August Gardening
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| 2013 August gardening |
Interested in this topic? You might enjoy comparing today’s post with these from previous years.
eileeninmd
I enjoyed the walk thru your garden gate. What a beautiful garden, so much to see and enjoy! The poppies are one of my favorite flowers! Thanks for sharing, lovely images.
Gardening in a Sandbox
Your garden is just lovely Rosie with all the little nooks and crannies and gorgeous colour and texture. Thanks for sharing. Valerie
Mark and Gaz
Your garden looks gorgeous Rosie, picture perfect!
rusty duck
Great shot of the nectar bar!
You have a lovely garden Rosie.
Carolyn ♥
You've created a lovely, peaceful landscape, Rosie. Hope you have time to just sit and enjoy for awhile. Some one should take a picture of the gardener in the garden.
ann
I as so glad that we got to tour beyond your garden gate. While I love the macro shots of beautiful flowers, I often wonder what sort of garden they thrive in. I do macros because my garden is so full of weeds, especially this year with all of the rain that we have had. You have a wonderfully creative garden with beautiful flowers. Right now in my garden the gladiolas, roses and tiger lilies are in full bloom, alone with hail pelted tomatoes trying to ripen.
Rosie Nixon
thanks for the visit eileeninmd
Rosie Nixon
Thanks Val – there are plenty of little nooks and crannies I rarely even show on the blogGardening in a Sandbox
Rosie Nixon
thanks guysMark and Gaz
Rosie Nixon
I have to expand that nectar bar next year!rusty duck
Rosie Nixon
lol Carolyn someday I'll get around to getting one taken, thank you 🙂Carolyn ♥
Rosie Nixon
Oh Ann your garden sounds lovely at the moment and you have such a size of garden too to care for never mind lecturing at uni.ann
Curbstone Valley Farm
Goodness! That nectar bar shot says it all. You really do need an air traffic control tower in that part of the garden. At first I only noticed the bumble bee, but when I looked closer, I realized just how occupied that air space is! Very impressive!
Rosie Nixon
Thanks ClareCurbstone Valley Farm and that's what's just in the air. Each of those poppy flowers has between 7-10 hoverflies already devouring the goodness 🙂
Vijay Nair
I trudged through the woods
Lush and green
The rivulets and waterfalls
A poets dream
With birds in chorus
And rustling leaves
This surely was
God's constant whistling
As i gazed all around
The colourful landscape
Just amazing
His powerful strokes
Homeward bound
Safe and sound
The woods i conquered
Laurels at last
Rested and prayed
Alone in my balcony
Then my heart opened
As if on cue
Amidst the dew
My little garden spoke
What was so true
" Weren't we in your sights at all
How come the woods
got it all "