SEPTEMBER

 

There are still flowers - the rose Grouse, a vicious ground cover plant, and the canna lily we were given is coming out. Small cyclamen by the old log pile, crocosmia and the hydrangeas.

Elsewhere we are into a world of seedheads be they wild or not. The broad-leaved willowherb, a persistent frequent weed, though easy to pull out sows itself everywhere but, en masse, its tangled seedheads catch the light and have a fascination of their own. The alliums leave an explosion on a stem and even the small brown cups of seed on the red campion are not unattractive.

I am concerned that couple of trees have dry crisp leaves that are falling prematurely especially the grey poplar.

The paper-like leaves crunch underfoot.

The gardener has been strimming again and begun the task of levelling the area by the old compost heaps. R is dead heading and her new crinodendrum has arrived and been out. I have been trimming various bushes to more of a topiary like shape - but not so neat. One of the buddleias has the dreaded honey fungus.

Trees are a dominant feature of the garden, framing and creating views.

The raspberries are tidied and happy, we are eating the plums straight from the tree and the damsons are coming ready. We have lots of pears but the apples are a bit few and far between after zealous pruning last year.

The hypericum sows itself everywhere - too much everywhere but has good colour now in fruit.

I have to cook some chicken thighs as searching for last year's damsons for R to make some jam I left them out of the freezer. Have done a chinese dish with hoisin sauce etc. 

So, the nights draw in and the temperatures fall, yet another summer passing and soon the garden will need bedding down for colder days - but not quite yet.