1. Aster-New England
These asters have been shooting up in height for a good while. They were a wedding gift last year. This variety grows very tall and has a mass of flowers the bees are enjoying for late-season food. They look a bit odd in the border currently as these are very tall surrounded by shorter plants so I need to look at something mid-height to break it up a bit. They are looking a bit droopy in the rain but will recover when we get some sun.
This Hebe was a birthday present a few years ago. It is a short variety with wider dark leaves. It is possibly the wrong side of tender as the leaves have browned off badly through winter each year but it has recovered. The flowers come late in Summer or early Autumn adding some bright bursts late on in the year. The evergreen leaves keep a bit of structure through winter as the perennials around die down.
I’ve made a start on some bulb planting with a few croci going in the two small planters that flank the front door. The hostas will die down soon. The crocus will grow up before the hostas return. As with the cyclamen I’m sticking to white flowers in the shaded front garden as they stand out nicely in the darker front garden.
I’ve got a number of irises, crocus and alliums on orders but not bought any tulips yet. So I made a start with a layered planter from Tescos. I’ve normally looked for these when discounted but thought I’d get one for more. The crocus tommasinianus will come up, followed by the armeniacum muscari and the triumph tulips “purple flag” later on. I’m trying to create more pots with successional planting so I don’t spend as much time shifting pots back and forth and replacing pots. When these have finished flowering the muscari and tulips can be moved to the borders. The crocus will go in the lawn.
My mum has had a fairy door built for Alice following on from her fairy garden and dinosaur garden. She has loved playing with it and it gave me a bit of time to get some ground cleared ready for bulbs and got two of the passionflower seedlings into the ground.
I haven’t featured the view from above in a while. The garden is taking on more of an Autumnal feel. The dogwood leaves are changing to orange. But we still have lots of colour on offer. The dahlias and cosmos still going strong. The late-flowering clematis and passionflower are still putting on a good show. The builders are back so I have the pots and table back on the lawn while they work. But hopefully they’ll be done soon and then I can start putting the patio back together. I’ve got lots of evergreen heucheras, grasses and ferns to go back on to keep the interest over winter. The right-hand border is more filled with late-season colour while the left shone in early Summer with lupins and foxgloves and lychnis.
The front garden is filling out. The hostas have got fairly well established before they die down for winter. The hydrangea limelight is settling into its position. Many of the heuchera and ferns are evergreen so they will keep some foliage going over winter. Then alchemilla is filling up gaps with self-seeders. I’m hoping to edge the path next holiday and then get a layer of compost, then bark down to tidy the ground up a bit, suppress weeds and gradually improve the soil.
The rain has started for the day. I didn’t manage to get the irises in the pots I planned to do last week so I still have that to do. I was suckered in by another Thompson and Morgan deal on £2.50 clematis so I have four of those to plant. One evergreen for the fence. One I’m thinking for a obelisk in the border. The other two I’m thinking will go in pots. But I need some bigger pots for this so I may need a trip to the garden centre some point. Enjoy your weekends. Hope the yellow weather warnings don’t cause too much damage.
If you fancy taking part in six on Saturday check out the guide.
It’s interesting seeing how your neighbours’ gardens are just lawn and no borders – all that planting potential going to waste. Your front and back gardens are looking great. I have bulbs ready to go. I just need things to die back to create space.
LikeLike
The neighbours to the left have got a border but not visible with the fence. They’ve got lots of daisies and verbena on the go. A clematis montana that spills over nicely to my side. They’ve got an apple tree cordoned up the fence. They’ve planted some climbers along the visible side but not doing much yet. The borders have got that usual mistake of being a bit too narrow, but not everyone wants high maintenance. But she works for the wildlife trust so knows the importance of planting for the wildlife. At the bottom where they have the slide there are ferns and a small pond. I benefit from a lot of frogs as my wife doesn’t want a pond while Alice is small.
The other side just has grass as they have several dogs, but they have been shamed into improving their front garden. Following mine they have no started clearing theirs and asked for some advice. They just want a low maintenance front. So they’ve got a hydrangea ready to go in, then gravelling around it and possibly a few foliage plants. Then it’ll look quite nice as we’ll have three front gardens in a row looking good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really must sort my front garden, too. It used to be fine until the tree died. Meanwhile, what a beautiful fairy door! I think we will all be wanting Fairy and Dinosaur gardens!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did the front as we’ve had it fresh render and wanted it all looking smart. Was just gravel with a few weeds in before. Be a couple of years filling out but makes me happier arriving home.
LikeLike
Do you have a trick for hebe to bloom every year? I’m waiting for mine desperately …
Congratulations for your garden … You have nothing to envy your neighbors, yours is much more beautiful and lush!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve cut this Hebe back a bit in Spring each year to remove damage. Don’t know if that helps. But I think they go through optimal stages of flowering for a few years then flower less and less. Quite easy to take cuttings to reinvigorate
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ok I will do, thank you
LikeLike
You do cram a lot of plants into a relatively small space! And they all seem so healthy too. The front garden is starting to fill out, maybe some tall grasses to add height? And Alice’s fairy door is wonderful, she’ll spend hours playing with her fairy garden now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lots of mildew on the forget-me-nots and aquilegia from crowding and weather. But it does pretty well. I’m now at a stage of removing plants and have a handful of the same repeated rather than single specimens. Though more and more space is going on ferns.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I especially enjoy those overhead shots! Your front garden is to be admired, especially with your well-planned seasonal interest. I would like to try my hand at growing hebe after seeing yours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The front garden has been more planned than the back which has been a bit more patchy. I removed 4 Hebes earlier in the year. They go through a period of looking nice then get a bit tired. This one’s flowers are quite nice as they go. The thinner leaved ones seem to cope better with the cold and sea winds mine face. This one takes most of the year recovering from winter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, good to know about hebes.
LikeLike
Our hebes just seem to grow almost wild. I guess though that the ones we have are probably native?
LikeLike
They are a New Zealand native so possibly. Your largest plant genus. There are a mass number of species and many cultivated forms covering every environment.
LikeLike
I started bulb planting today. Dafffodils and Crocuses aleays very satisfying. Good blog as always
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t topped up my daffodils yet but I think I may have dug out a good patch planting so I may need to replace some.
LikeLike
Both gardens looking fab. The front looks very well planned. Your front path follows a similar, er, path to mine. Except I cant see my path any more, it has been swamped by the plants. Imagine me planting too many things. Tssk. I have to pick my way through.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Give it a year the stepping stones will disappear followed by the path as the jungle takes over.
LikeLike
What a beautiful fairy door. Someone talented! The front garden is going to look wonderful next year – looks pretty good now! I am so trying not to spend money and make use of seeds, self seeders and divisions instead but….
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m hopeful that the front should fill out well. A few of the ferns I don’t think are coping with the sea winds but I can swap those for the varieties that do survive. I’ve tried doing much of this on the cheap. Almost every hosta and fern were bought in winter or at local plant sales but still things I want I can’t find this way.
The fairy door is lovely. She’s a very lucky girl.
LikeLike