COLOUR AND CLIPPING

The garden is gradually settling into an autumn jungle. R had dead headed the white anemones again and her savage cutting back of the catmint when it was spent has been a success with a new flowering.

White tailed bumble bees (Bombus leucorum) are feasting on the sedum to build up strength for the winter. It is so important to try and keep some flowers going in the garden into the autumn for these insects. We do not get many honey bees so rely of the bumble bees for pollination.

There is quite a lot of red in the garden - reflowering oriental poppies, roses and also rosehips.

One surprise is the Rosa mundi which, a la Monty Don,  sheared back by a third. It has responded by flowering.

The blue salvia, given to us by the late Sue R, has done little all year so far but finally is flowering with its wonderful deep colour.

It is a time for clipping and both a box in a tub and the sarcococcus by the back door are now globular - more to come. R usually does it but I got itchy hands and went at it first.
One of R's favourite plants is the alchemilla mollis, especially after rain when the drops glisten magically.

We had a fantastic lightning display the other night and, after the rain, the sky cleared to be laced by cirrus and contrails - there are planes everywhere looking liker they could collide at any moment - but I know really they are thousands of feet apart in height - at least I hope they are.

And the grass it groweth every day, hey nonny no! 
And the rain it raineth every day!
So no man goes to mow, goes to mow a . . . anything.
And the online BBC weather forecast says the sun is shining as the rain drives against my window . . .