September garden highlights

A whole list of things looking gorgeous in my garden at the moment.

Waving deep pink Japanese Anemones.

These darker ones flower for much longer than the paler more rampant ones I also have which are well and truly over now.

My favourite Echinacea (which collapsed whilst I wasn't looking!), fluffy Sedum - new this year and Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve' which has been flowering since June, cuttings from my Mum which have done so well!

Lovely vivid blue Larkspur, with Heuchera flowers (second flowering) on the right and Rudbeckia behind.

My very first successful Echinops - I've lost count of how many times I've tried.

Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' - my favourite new plant this year. It's in the new bed at the bottom of the garden, flowering madly and cheers me up every time I open the front door! I need a least one more of these.

My new Cotinus and Golden Sambucus. Again my new bed, and the foliage is starting to look as I hoped it would - a lovely contrast of colour and form.

Echinacea head - lovely shape, lovely colour.

Another new Sedum 'Autumn Joy' with green Sage, a soft and dreamy combination.

Now round to the back garden and a new raised bed we built this year is looking lush with Ipomoeas, Nicotiana (unintentional) and Osteospermum, my cuttings from last autumn.

The trailing Rosemary is flowering again.

My vivid Geraniums haven't stopped flowering all summer, I love their lack of subtlety!

Osteospermum, this is the parent plant that I took all the other cuttings from.

My first Eucomis 'Burgundy Sparkle' was a great success...

...unlike...

...my Dahlias. I tried two this year: 1, Rip City (above), which I planted as a corm and whilst it is still alive it's unimpressive and has not even the hint of a flower (I know it looks chewed but that's quite recent and it didn't look any better before it was munched, frankly),

and 2, a plant of Bishop of Canterbury, which came with buds and good growth only to look happy as Larry for about two weeks and then to determinedly die no matter what I did!

I have the feeling me and Dahlias might not mix, but I did try and I will keep the Rip City and see what happens next year.

This years random attempt at something I've never grown before is a packet of Lily bulbs - watch out beetles here I come!!!

And so September draws to a close, the work in the garden is piling up and the planning for next year already underway. The cycle never stops, things succeed and things fail, the balance is maintained and we move on - which is what I love about gardening.

Now that was a lovely outing!

Stage 1 of the spring bulb purchasing - yippee!

Some new varieties, some old favourites and a random Lily!

More details later but Fentongollan Farm shop didn't have everything I wanted so the search goes on.

Watch this space!

Memories of a wonderful summer weekend

Early in the summer we had a National Trust weekend. Friday saw us meandering around the Trelissick Gardens and eating ice cream (Callistick lemon Curd - yum!) and Sunday saw us fascinated by Lanhydrock House and eating ice cream (Callistick honeycomb - yum again!).

Trelissick was a trip for my Mum, glamorous eldest and me, so a girls afternoon.

As we came out of the entrance building the first thing we were greeted by was a very gnarly and heavily trained Rose with very showy flowers that I almost mistook for a cistus.

 

It had strange buds again reminiscent of a Cistus...

 ... but very Rose like hips and was labeled Rosa Bracteata. It was gorgeous with it's flowers as big as my palm gleaming in the sun.

We visited the house which has only recently been opened to the public.

and has a lovely orangery.

and a room with great views and armchairs, maps and binoculars - what a good idea!

But the star of the visit were the Hydrangeas...

...in all hues of blue (and conveniently matching Glamorous Eldest)...

and gorgeous faded variations.

From more unusual delicate, lace cap, starry flower forms...

...to the most common of mop headed blue.

My favourite was this one - Hydrangea Serrata 'Miyama Yae-Murasaki' (guessing it originates from Japan). With it's beautiful colour variations and layered petals it was stunning!

Fiery Crocosmia in the sun is always beautiful and...

The views were to die for!

On Saturday we headed off to Lanhydrock which was an outing for the whole family and didn't disappoint either. 

The house was fascinating and intrigued even the teens (although not for too long obviously!) 

Dining room...

...one of about 10 kitchen rooms

...and estate offices as well as sitting rooms, games rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, galleries, attics, servants quarters - the list goes on, even the youngsters had to stop for a rest!

There is so much to see, with more than 50 rooms all beautifully furnished and dressed. And outside the rolling park is beautiful too with very impressive, enormous and fiercely clipped topiary,

and some gorgeous bronze urns filled with bronzy Sedum.

In fact the indoor and outdoor complimented each other perfectly.

There was so much we didn't see, we will definitely be returning sometime soon to see more of the gardens, the woodland walks and the river.

And as an added bonus there was a little land train to take us back to the car when we were tired out on the way back! (and who would have guessed that cool teens would still get overexcited about a ride on a mini train, wonders never cease!!!)

Summer round-up

It's so long since I last posted that I feel like I have missed a great swathe of things I meant to talk about and now it feels too late. All the summer highs and the odd low seem distant memories and we have moved onto the next stage - that of Autumn and harvest.

But there were so many bits of summer that were heavenly that they must be marked so here is a swift(ish) summer roundup.

1. Lunch at the Vicarage in St Clements. 

They planted their garden from scratch last year and it's doing so well, the perfect accompaniment to a delicious lunch (but no ducks like last time)

2. Trelissick Garden

Gorgeous Hydrangeas and heavenly views.

(more to come on 2 and 3 soon!)

 3. Lanhydrock House.

Fascinating, we really need another visit - there is just so much to see - over 50 rooms!!

4. First harvest

...and the points from the Truro judges are: Rainbow Beetroot 10 points, Carrots nul points (again!)

5. Holiday in Crete 

Dried seedheads, beach wonders and mile upon mile of swaying silvery Olive Trees!

I did manage to post from Crete a couple of times, it's amazing how easy it is when the only other things you have to do is lie in the sun, read and eat!

6. Barbara Hepworth Garden

One of my favourite places in Cornwall, the perfect mixture of art and nature, peaceful and calm but also massively inspirational. I would love my garden, studio and artworks to be just like this. I don't think that's unreasonable, do you?

7. Photoshoot in a beachside garden in Porthtowan

Lovely pots full of stripy succulents on a glorious sunny day with the very best sea view.

That's just some of the garden related highlights of the summer, blimey it's been a busy one!

Onwards and upwards and into the Autumn, the seasons wait for no woman. There is a mountain of work in the garden waiting to be tackled and everything is as dry as a bone. I'm already a bit late on the seed sowing for next year and I haven't got my spring bulbs ordered so I best get on.