It’s been quite a wet week with very few opportunities to get out into the garden. On the plus side, that gave me time to make a 12 Days of Christmas calendar for the grandchildren and I’ve packed up the Dahlias, Begonias and Eucomis and put them in the loft for the winter. The temperature is coming up a bit for the next few days and today looks to be dry here with some sunshine (woohoo!) but it’s wet again tomorrow. That will give time to read the other Sixes at https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/
- All the damp weather means that some of the herbaceous seed heads are looking rather scruffy. I like to leave them standing for as long as I can but have already cut some down. This group doesn’t look too bad though.
- This group planting has looked good all year and continues to do so, even when soaking wet.
- As the weather cools the leaves of Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Variegatum’ start to turn red.
- The birds have eaten most of the berries in the garden but don’t seem to notice those on the Sarcococca. Maybe they don’t stand out enough. This plant is only a couple of years ago so has some growing to do. The tiny white flowers open in the depths of winter and smell wonderful.
- In the spring I took some cuttings of a variegated wallflower when I cut it back as it was looking very straggly. I haven’t got around to planting them out yet – maybe today? The original plant has rallied well so do I really need four more plants? Probably not, but that rarely stops me.
- A few weeks back our esteemed leader showed flowers on his Rudbeckia ‘Short and Sassy’. I checked my plant at the time and it had well and truly finished for the year. Or so I thought. Most of the plant is still at ground level but this section has had a resurgence. Not much, but any colour is welcome at this time of year. I’m altering this part of the border and want to move this plant but don’t like to disturb it now.
The slugs and snails have been enjoying the new foliage as well.
The ground is too wet to work in the borders but there’s plenty I can do from the gravel paths. My garden is still preserving my sanity and it’s amazing how high maintenance I can make it. Have a great weekend, stay safe and happy gardening.
I may copy that nice arrangement of evergreen fern and heuchera.
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They’re in a very shady little border and definitely earn their keep
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Very original these variegated wallflowers. How are the flowers in colours?( like the common ones , red and purple?)
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Flowers on variegated plants don’t always go well do they? These are a soft mauve and compliment the foliage. It flowers non-stop, just like ‘Bowle’s Mauve’
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Right. We can’t often have beautiful flowers and original leaves.
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My favorite in the garden is the black colors with a pop of bright green! Everything looks so good in your garden right now, almost Spring like!
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Thanks
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Your seed heads really do look lovely. Maybe birds don’t like sarcococca berries? I haven’t seen them eating mine either bit I’ve never thought about it until now!
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You still have so much going on in your garden. I haven’t noticed the birds eating the crabapples I left. The crabapple jelly I made with many of them was disappointing this year so I will leave the whole crop on the tree next year to tempt them a bit more.
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The birds seem to be more picky this year. I guess there’s still a lot of natural food around.
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Gosh, your Sarcococca has a lot more berries on it than mine and I don’t think the birds have eaten any either.
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As I read, Sunday morning, the rainwater is tumbling down a flight of steps outside the window so heavy has the rain been overnight. With these conditions we can never have those frosty, wintery scenes so often depicted in photographs used to illustrate the perennial garden/meadow garden movement. We don’t get crisp frosty winters. Instead we get wet mush – off with their heads!
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It’s been non-stop here today Paddy and even the gravel paths are waterlogged. I think I’ll be cutting down a lot earlier than previous years
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Cutting down is just about done and I have a huge pile ready for shredding. The garden is under water in parts today with no possibility of any gardening. I went outside for about ten minutes to take a few photographs but then settled in to read and watch some sport on television. (and drink, just a little!)
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The wallflowers look very healthy. And your photo of the sarcococca has reminded me to take a look at the one I planted in the front garden last year. It’s still pretty small and I can’t say I’ve noticed any flowers or berries. Like your garden, here it is wet, wet, wet.
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Getting wetter by the day at the moment.
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