Up near the house I have pots of Narcissi and Tulips which should give a colourful show next spring. They are covered with protective mesh, mostly to keep Mr Squirrel away but also to prevent my laziest cat from using the pots as a handy toilet area. On the left you can see the ground feeder for the birds – again protected against Mr Squirrel and also  the local Pigeons. The mesh allows small birds to get through.

Top of the garden

Just out of view in the above picture is one of the few flowers still showing in the garden. This small 90cm (3′) evergreen shrub has been flowering since April and shows no sign of slowing down.

Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina'

Further down there are more hanging bird feeders and on the right against the fence two evergreen climbers wrapped in straw, fleece and bubble wrap, the far one much shorter than the nearest one. These are Trachelospermum jasminoides. Last year the nearest one was cut to the ground by the frost and snow. I thought I had lost it so this year I am taking no chances. I was so sure I had lost the original plant that I bought a new one which is why there are now two wrapped up bundles.

Middle of the garden

Below, the splash of orange in the centre is Erysimum ‘Apricot Delight’ and the wide curving silvery green branches behind it belong to Teucrium fruticans which has lovely small blue flowers in early summer. The greenhouse is now lined with bubble wrap and, along with an electric fan heater, helps keep temperatures above freezing for the tender plants stored inside.

Greenhouse and pond

Growing by the pond are some Schizostylis which are putting up flower stems, unaware it is no longer early September when they usually come into flower.

Schizostylis coccinea 'Major'

At least the sun was shining when I took these pictures but it is so low in the sky at this time of year that it is easily hidden by the surrounding trees. My thoughts are turning to Spring and Summer because I find the lack of sun so depressing. Where are those seed catalogues!

Bottom of the garden

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Top of the garden

But further down there are still Dahlias, Rudbekia, Nasturtiums and Salvias giving their all. Look at the ridiculous red Salvia elegans against the greenhouse on the left, over five feet tall. It was planted in my small herb border and has flattened every herb within reach.

Middle of garden

Middle of garden from another angle

Even a late  Centaureaflower  has appeared, despite the fact that it is surrounded by six seed heads from its companions who finished flowering over a month ago.

Centaurea macrocephala

Slightly to the right in the picture below you can see the foliage of my new Witch Hazel, planted earlier this year. I am looking forward to seeing the flowers appear next Spring but in the meanwhile I make do with the colourful autumn foliage.

Bottom of the garden

Hamamelis 'Vesna'

On a sunny October day if I want to imagine it is still Summer I look at this Rose. She is a beauty and she will continue to produce a late flush of flowers until the first heavy frosts send her into hibernation.

Rosa 'Ghislaine de Feligonde'

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Poppies popping up in the distance

This is the newly planted central border, completely redone earlier this year.

Filling the border

In May I noticed these Poppy seedlings which appeared either side of the new path running through the middle of the border. I did grow some double varieties at the bottom of the garden last year. How on earth these seedlings  all gravitated here from the other border is a mystery.

Poppy seedlings in May

I removed quite a lot but even so July has produced this display.

The disappearing path

They are Papaver somniferum, mostly pinky red….

Papaver somniferum

….but not all of them.

Papaver somniferum

As for my double varieties from 2010…….none seeded true. Typical!

Of course the garden does not care about my feelings and has welcomed the rain. Positively revelled in it which is why there is such an abundance of flowers blooming at the moment. The newly planted border across the middle of the garden is looking good.

The new border

This new planting gave me the opportunity to buy my first large Iris and she is a beauty. The colour is very intense.

Iris 'Stepping Out'

A contrast to the cool yellow heads of this Achillea with its lovely finely cut grey foliage.

Achillea 'Moonshine'

At the botton of the garden my wooden seat is nearly hidden by Geranium psilostemon.

The old wooden seat

I am also very pleased that these two native Orchids are growing well in my garden. Luckily I have found two  small areas that do not dry out in the summer so the plants seem happy. Moist soil is rare in my garden as my soil is very light and sandy.

Dactylorhiza praetermissa

Dactylorhiza foliosa

Finally, do admire the bronze coloured buds of my Centaurea which will eventually open into large, yellow, thistle like flowers. The buds open very slowly and I find them very attractive though rather odd….like a tightly curled wig of hair, very shiny and metallic against the pale green leaves..

Centaurea macrocephala

Last year nothing was done to the front garden and this year weeds and  Welsh Poppies had taken over. Lovely though they are, those Poppies are thugs. It was a mess.

Front garden before make over

I decided it was time for a re-vamp. Time to be ruthless. I wanted to go for a foliage effect via shrubs which should require less maintenance (Hmmm!). Tired perennial plants in the centre were removed….

Front garden half empty

….and replaced with new shrubs. The large evergreen at the back is my Daphne bhoula ‘Jacqueline Postill’. Wonderfully fragrant when in flower and lovely glossy leaves the rest of the year.

Front garden and new shrubs

Some of the perennials at the front were retained to soften the front edge . Hopefully the shrubs will merge together cutting down on maintainance. Wishful thinking I know.There are lots of spring bulbs in there somewhere so it will be interesting to see where they pop up.

Closeup

In case you might be interested the new shrubs were:

• Berberis thunbergii ‘Helmond Pillar’
• Cotinus ‘Dusky Maiden’
• Euonymus japonica ‘Green Rocket’
• Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’
• Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’
• Physocarpus opufolius ‘Diablo’
• Pittosporum tenufolium ‘Tom Thumb’
• Rubus lineatus

Will they all survive? Probably not. Will they grow to the size and shape I am expecting? Who knows. Gardeners learn to wait and see for we  can take nothing for granted.

Any suggestions for ground cover between the shrubs? The garden faces north and the soil is very light.

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Top part of the garden

The new border in the middle of the garden is being replanted and I am looking for something decorative for the top of the posts which will support climbing plants. I thought of training my two black cats to sit up there but they are strangely unco-operative.

Revamped centre border

The canes are protecting a newly installed Viburnum juddii. The cats started using it as a rubbing post and had broken a small branch before I noticed. The orange flower is the perennial wallflower Erysimum ‘Apricot Delight’.

New planting

At the bottom of the garden one cat prefers to sleep on the seat instead.

The wooden seat

In the foreground the glory that is my Wisteria and in the background the pink blossom of Cercis siliquastrum. This is one of my most loved flowerings in the whole of the garden year.

The Wisteria and Cercis in flower

Here is my small raised bed containing plants that like dry conditions. A few things died over the winter so I need to find some new additions. The three Agaves are temporary fillers for the bare spots.

Raised bed

April also signals the beginning of the hardy Geranium flowers. They are a favourite of mine.

Geranium renardii

Everything is looking good. Now I must do some weeding!

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So far I have done the top half near the house.

Top part of garden

Top part of garden

I have also removed a shrub beside the greenhouse which is on the left just behind the green shrub on the picture above.  Here I have created a small perennial herb garden. So far I have planted Chives, Garlic Chives, Fennel, Sage, Thyme, Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Winter Savory and Mint (in a pot sunk in the ground) . There is also a pot of French Tarragon which will go into the greenhouse over the winter as it is not reliably hardy.

Cleared for a Herb garden

Herb garden

The bottom half of the garden remains untouched. Well, not quite untouched as my large Agave in a pot finally succumbed to the winter weather (despite protection) so that has gone. I have also removed an obelisk which supported Rosa ‘Zephrine Drouhin’ which suffered badly from blackspot.  I can’t be bothered spraying Roses so it just had to go. In  the space I have planted Hammammelis ‘Vesna’.

I must get started on this area soon – there are so many plants in the wrong place and if I leave it much longer it will be too late. There is a Fern planted in front of the wooden seat below that in mid summer grows so big you have to climb over it to sit down!

Bottom corner

The old Herb patch used to be in the small allotment that lies beyond our garden gate. This was not ideal because herbs need to be near the house so that you can pop out on impulse to pick some. Am I just too lazy?

Entrance to small allotment

It is called the small allotment because our main allotment is another 2 minutes walk away – how lucky is that!

The allotment has now been weeded and some seeds sown under cloches which I will remove soon. The Digger has planted a Tayberry ‘Buckingham’ where the herbs used to be (to the right of the white chair).

Small allotment

All in all the garden is looking much more alive.

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On the ground uderneath the Eucalyptus tree I found some rolled up bark and a dead branch with three seed pods.

Eucalyptus parviflolia

Nearby were the fallen flowers from a red Camellia.

Camellia japonica 'Kimberley'

It was windy today so my little metal hen had fallen over onto the gravel.

Green hen

Suddenly I heard a scrabbling noise and soil flew up into the air. I turned around to see this….a  flattened Daffodil.

Narcissus 'Ice Follies'

Who or what was to blame? The culprit was nearby. It was Georgie my 13 year old cat, having a crazy run through the flower border. Cat owners are familiar with these sudden bursts of energy when a cat jumps at anything that moves. My flowers swaying in the breeze proved irresistable to her.

Georgie

A minute later she looks the picture of innocence. “It is nothing to do with me” she seems to be saying.

For more Blooming Friday posts visit Katarina at Roses and Stuff.

Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'

In general the back garden borders look much the same because the weather continues to be cold and I have not yet started my usual Spring cleanup. Well, there is actually one major change as a result of this year’s project……the removal of the trellis across the middle of the garden.

Now you see it.

Garden Trellis

Now you don’t.

No Trellis

It has made an amazing difference with the garden looking more open now. We are going to lay a short path of strepping stones through the centre of the border so that the borders either side will become more accessible.

The posts that supported the trellis are still there because I am considering using them as supports for climbing plants of some sort. They are adorned with branches at the moment, temporary landing places for birds coming to the bird feeders. They will miss the tangle of trellis and climbing Rose. Hopefully new shrubs and climbers will be in place fairly soon.

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Frost on 'Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens'

For the last two winters we have had  ice and lots of snow. I am reminded of the winters I experienced as a child when it snowed every year.

Because the snow lasts only a few weeks I can enjoy its beauty knowing it will not stay too long. In this  I am lucky because I know several of you are snowbound for months. For me it is still a wonderful novelty.

The white garden

I love the silence that falls with the snow and the way everything is transformed as if by magic.

View from bedroom window

For more Blooming Friday posts visit Katarina at Roses and Stuff.

Have a good weekend.