August

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Its been a mad few weeks, been on holiday, started a new job, got the builders in.  This means I have completely neglected the garden.  I must pull my finger out and get back on it.  One of my distractions has gone, Instagram has been deleted.  



Apart from the purchase of a Cotinus and some orange Daylily's to contrast with the purple foliage of the shrub I haven't done anything outside.  In fact they are still in their gc bargain-corner pots waiting to be planted.  




The Lavender is crying out for a good hair-cut, things need feeding and watering, grass needs cutting, hedges need tidying, the wildlife pond needs skimming, there are weeds that need pulling, plums that need picking, climbers that need tying in and flowers that need deadheading.




However, there is plenty of time for all that, this weekend looks promising...famous last words. Here are some pictures I took this evening after my run home from work, today is my Friday as my sister is getting married tomorrow.


After a long drought - no rain for 6 weeks, I am happy to see the grass looking almost lush again and green, a couple of downpours have done the trick.  The recent weather pattern has contributed to an incredibly green space, so many vivid shades.

The Cosmos are doing their thing much earlier than last year, they were struggling to flower in 2017 and were still in bud well into September getting incredibly tall and leggy.  This year they are shorter with an abundance of blooms, the bees are loving it. 
I'm also very happy with the Vitis coignetiae 'Claret Cloak' growing up the large willow.  We've been watering it a bit more regularly this year and it is certainly doing much better climbing up high with the aid of some twine circles around the trunk.  


Every year that passes makes me more impressed with some of the plants performances that invariably do better than the label.  The Budleja should only reach 150cm but has outdone that in just its third year.  The Mexican fleabane just get better with age - another job for me is to transplant some of it in the cracks of the drive out the front so that we can brighten up the front of the house somewhat.  

Finally we returned from our summer jaunt to the sight of these lovely Agapanthus flowering again in the pots that have been their home for quite some time, maybe one day I'll get round to repotting them into sightly bigger vestibules.  

I really must remember to just sit outside in the garden when I have a moment to just soak it all in and enjoy the space.

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