Travelling

I’ve travelled up to the north of Scotland again today to stay in Badachro for a few days. My parents’ garden is looking very good at the moment.

Front garden of heathers & azeleas

Wildflower meadow

There is late colour in the herbaceous border. The wildflower patch is full of scabious.

Saturday

Its felt quite autumnal today for all it is only the 3rd September. Its been damp and a little cool today. I got around to planting out some of the crocosmia Red King today to go with the yellow and orange ones I already have and also to find homes for the little blue salvia and the echinacea that I bought as bargains. Ben enjoyed sometime in the catnip patch and then settled in the arbour seat until I came back in with yet more blackberries.

Friday

Another day spent out at work, home at 7 and conscious of how quickly the nights are already drawing in. My courgettes this year are fails, but I’ve eaten the first of my potatoes revelling in the taste of their newness & I picked more blackberries today.

The heuchera are providing so much colour & not just from their foliage adding to the late summer colour in the garden - they are such good value

Working Wednesday

Been at work today and a bit late home. Main task related to the Magic Garden was inspection of my cutting collection. My golden globes buddleia has well and truly taken as have the lemon verbena. I am optimistic that the more recent cuttings will similarly root. The ginger is beginning to grow away.

Golden globe buddleia

Lemon verbena

Tuesday

I’ve been quite busy today in the Magic Garden. I collected seeds from foxgloves, monkshood, globe thistle & snapdragons and removed dead flowers and leaves. I inspected where I have a mason bee’s nest but have left it be. I picked some more tomatoes, blackberries and blueberries.

Back Home

Much to my own relief I’m safely back with Ben & my Magic Garden. Ben is a bit cross with me & didn’t appreciate my efforts to water the new plants in both from and back garden. We could really do with a period of rain. It is already beginning to feel a little autumnal in the garden.

The birds are really appreciating the feeders at the moment despite there being lots of insects around. I am very careful to put plenty of water out too

Thursday

I’ve been a bit busy today but I had a bit of time to take some photos in the Magic Garden of my late summer flowers.

I’m quite pleased with my sunflowers - next year I’m going to plant a lot more now I’ve discovered that they do just seem to need a lot of sun.

Tuesday

Been quite busy today but did have a friend round at lunchtime who suggested the Magic Garden was looking rewilded. I’m still not sure what to make of that as comments go! Still, I did have a happy few moments watching the birds on the feeders.

My blue & long-tailed tits muck along together & have been doing so as long as I have watched

My second sunflower is coming out now - not the most impressive display but better than I’ve achieved with sunflowers before. There are still a lot of bumble bees around and they are enjoying my globe artichokes as they too are now coming more into bloom. It was good to have the washing out on the lines drying.

Monday

Another day at work & spitting with rain when I got home. The garden could do with a good soaking but the rain remains on the thin side. I harvested more tomatoes and blackberries today with more of both to come.

I took an old heuchera out from the front garden yesterday - I’m not sure which one it is but its a lovely dark leaf. I split it up into a whole set of new plantlets which will hopefully thrive now. This has worked well in the past and I plan to put two back in the from garden next spring having marked the spots where I want them to go.

Sunny Sunday

I spent a lot of today outside starting with going and picking brambles in the waggonways - looking forward now to making blackberry and apple crumbles all winter with these and the bramley apples from the garden. I then came home and worked on the front garden border, planting out the heuchera as well as a wormwood, lavender, silver thymes and a curry plant, 2 small veronicas & 2 yellow sedums. I also found a home for the Gaillardia Arizona Red I bought last week

Heuchera ‘Forever Red’ PBR

Heucherella ‘Pink Fizz’ PBR

Heucherella ‘Catching Fire’

Heucherella ‘Hopscotch’

Heuchera ‘Champagne’ PBR

Heucherella ‘Solar Eclipse’ PBR

Heucherella ‘Sweet tea’ PBR

Heuchera ‘Circus’ PBR

Saturday

It decided to pour with rain when I cam home today so I haven’t done all the things I planned to in the Magic Garden. Fortunately it seems we are to have a dry day tomorrow so I can catch up in the Magic Garden - I have the buddleia and lavatory to plant still and would like to do the last planting of heuchera in the front garden too so that the border looks better

Today’s main success was remembering to harvest the monkshood seeds.

Friday evening

Home after another longer than intended day at work, I’m already noticing its getting darker earlier.

I did a quick water of the tomatoes and cucumbers and then checked the cuttings I took earlier this week - so far so good! I have pinched some white Buddleja cuttings too on the way home from the metro but I think they were too wilted before I got them home.