Monday 21 September 2009

Odds and ends in the garden



The sunflowers have come out at last. They are a very late bloomer, and very thuggish. They have taken over the whole border, ansd will have to come out in the autumn. I don't think we will ever get rid of them, as the tiniest bit of root springs up enthusiastically!



Buried in the sunflowers is one brave helenium. We couldn't get it out when the sunflowers began to take over, but it refuses to die. Hopefully I will be able to rescue it. It deserves better!



A couple of late roses are blooming on the patio. They are a very pretty pink, but the winds get at them at this time of the year.



We have a lot of ferns down the end of the garden, as it is, or rather was, very shady. When we raised the canopy of the sycamore tree it let in a lot more sunlight, but they don't seem to mind! I love the way the spores fit on the underside of the ferns.

It is definitely autumn now, it even smells autumnal! I like this time of the year, but the days are getting shorter now, which is not so nice. We have had some lovely sunny days, so I hope they will return. Judging from the weather maps, I think it will be a while before that happens! Depressions are fast approaching across the Atlantic!

Still, the rain makes the country green, and the reservoirs need filling, as they are very low. The Garden Centres are full of bulbs, so I must go and indulge myself and plant some cheerfulness for next spring.

13 comments:

Sue said...

You have reminded me to do my bulb order, thank you! Including lovely scented indoor ones, mmm! x

Gilly said...

Happy to be of help!

kenju said...

Pretty pictures, Gilly. We have a way to go here before Fall comes to stay.

KathyA said...

That helenium is lovely!
We're having gorgeous weather here. Today should be about 77 and very sunny. The nights are cool -- and feeling and smelling autumnal.

Connie said...

I loved the light on the petals in the first photo. Yes, autumn is here - so many pretty photos will be our reward!

Diane said...

Even though we keep having lovely bursts of (very hot it was yesterday) sunshine, the colours and smells indicate that Autumn is here.x

theMuddledMarketPlace said...

those first two photos are glorious!

Hollace said...

Happy Autumn to you, Gilly. Our weather in Oregon is in the 90's here this week, so summer isn't going away quietly. It's hard with the school kids getting hot and tired in the classrooms...But my niece in Denver writes that they had a little snow in their mountains this morning!

I am trying to think about how to bring fall color to my front yard.

Glennis said...

Lovely photos!! I, too am fascinated by the way spores look on the bottom of fern leaves.

That helenium is nice - you don't see them around much, and it's lovely to be reminded.

Lucky you to have fall in the air. We still have a few weeks of heat ahead - they're saying it will be 100 degrees today!

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

I've always wante to plant sunflowers and never got around to it. Your pictures are lovely. I need to get some bulbs to plant - thanks for reminding me.

kenju said...

Gilly, Re your comments:

No, we don't live in a gated community, but our neighborhood of 70 homes is self-contained - only one way in and one way out. We are in the county (not the city).

Maria said...

Our weather is still hot, but the mornings are Fall cool, so I feel the promise of the season is about to arrive.

Your flowers are beautiful. Our roses come out both spring and fall, but the summer heat makes blooming difficult.

cheshire wife said...

Sorry to have to say that I do not like this time of year when every thing in the garden starts dying off, but I have to admit that our garden is looking colourful.