Autumn Flowers

It's October, but gardens are still alive and thriving with so many flowers.

I've been pleasantly surprised with the lovely hazy sunshine and mild weather we've been having and it's been lovely to still be enjoying the late summer flowers in the garden - it almost looks like it is still summer if it wasn't for the golden and red leaves turning the trees into that glorious autumnal colour.

There are still roses flowering and giving off their beautiful scents in the October breeze. I always enjoy seeing the verbenas swaying - even when they've passed their best of flowering, they always seem to stand tall at this time of year and add so much colour and depth to the borders.

I love seeing the hydrangeas, they are a strong and colourful plant during July and August and in autumn their flowers still look gorgeous as their colours fade and their lacy caps become tinged with shades of gold and creams. Again, they contribute so much to the beauty of the garden in autumn.

We also have so many salvias and wallflowers too, still bursting full of flowers - they've been flowering since early spring and are still going strong as we head towards the winter months. Cotoneasters full of red berries tipple over walls and rocks and of course the apple tree is laden with apples ready for picking and cooking. Bright pink sedums are always a favourite of mine at this time too - they never fail to liven up dull corners and spots around the borders.

My favourite of all at this time of year has to be the michaelmas daisy, as their delicate purple and yellow heads rise high towards to the late warm sunshine. One of our back garden borders has burst back into full bloom and they're looking stunning.

And, of course, there's still the last of those summer bedding plants - geraniums and begonias especially, squeezing the best of the milder weather before the frosts begin. It's soon going to be time to tidy up and redo the pots and baskets with winter bedding.

Roses at Wrest Park

Autumn rose

The Promenade At Grange

We recently visited the seaside town of Grange-Over-Sands in Cumbria and decided to take a walk along its famous promenade. The promenade carries an aura of Victorian England and is a traffic free zone, so it's lovely for children and walking the dog, and it's very wheelchair and disabled friendly. There is also a tea garden serving light snacks and of course delicious scones and afternoon tea. We've walked this promenade often before, but it doesn't take long to be reminded what a surprisingly beautiful walk this is. 

Flanked by the stunning scenery of the Kent Estuary and Morecambe Bay with its boar tide, sinking sands and saltmarshes on the one side and glorious rockeries and gardens on the other, there's a lot to stop and take in. It's a myriad of favourite garden plants to stop and admire, together with breathtaking views and a haven for birdwatching and wildlife. There is also the train station with trains running regularly behind the gardens, pitch and put, bowling greens and play facilities for children of every age. 

On one end of the prom is the old and disused lido - the town has now been given funding to refurbish this area and under consultation with the public to be make it into another more useable area and point of interest for the community. At the opposite end of the prom, there are more beautiful and ornamental gardens with lakes, ponds and wildlife that can be accessed. 

Parking is available next to the prom and once you've explored and enjoyed a cream tea, there's some interesting shops in the town to have a browse around. When you return to your car by the prom and if you've been inspired by the gardens, there's a pretty little garden centre there, where you can pick up a few plants as a reminder of your visit...

Bursts of valerian give bright interludes along the way

Foxgloves and geranium plants were coming into bloom with vivid blue forget-me-nots still going strong a d interspersed amongst the planting. 

Alliums and aquilegas giving the borders a bold look with strong accents of purples 

Simple sculptures added interest amongst the planting of geums, aquilega and alliums

Vibrant and large rock roses loom over, heavy in flower, enjoying the sunny banks

Geraniums, pinks and irises - all a jumble

Stunning yellow and pale blue irises with daisies and chives in the foreground

The pure beauty of a rock rose

The pink spires of veronica 

Elegant bearded irises

Looking out over the bay

Hawthorn in flower and looking across to Grange

January and Time to Take Stock

Apologies for being very quiet since November, as many of you will know I started feeling quite poorly in November and was in hospital right up to New Year's Eve so that's my excuse!

Bright berries on a cotoneastor

It's a brand new year though and a brand new month and time to take stock once more and look forward to the delights which will be coming soon. It's been bleak so far this month with the short days and very wet weather, but I always enjoy a walk up and down the garden each day to see if I can spot anything of interest. It's uplifting to see those bulb shoots pushing through the soil and my thoughts turn to those bright flowers of springtime - the daffodils and the tulips and days being a little longer and brighter.

Bluebell shoots pushing through

It's been mild weather for the time of year and it's interesting to see a few plants flowering out of season and that's one of delights about this time of year -  every little speck of colour in the borders or pots stands out brightly shining and is a welcome sight to be appreciated so much more in the gloom. They are glimmers of hope for what's to come soon. Some of our daffodils are nearly out and I've heard many reports about daffodils being in bloom since before Christmas.

Budding daffodils

Daffodils about to flower

It's also a time for a good tidy up, my hubby's been out there just tidying a hedge or two, trimming a few things back and tidying a few borders. I think these dark, cold months are a little bit about anticipation and preparation - I'm always thinking about what I might like to do next in the garden ready for summer. Which plants I might like to add? A new border perhaps? Move a few plants around? Split and divide a few? There is plenty to be planning ahead for, plenty to get started on if the weather permits.

Rosehips adding a splash of colour

Last summer's geraniums still in flower

One big job we need to organise fairly soon is to sort something out to make the garden more secure for our new dog - at the moment we have just natural hedges and little fencing - I like it like this, but need to think how we can secure it better now with something unobtrusive so the pup can't escape, so that's one task to be getting on with outdoors while the garden is resting.

wallflowers continuously flowerig

Purple hues in a shady corner

Geums still flowering

I'm looking forward to seeing if the snowdrops we planted last year have survived or not and I still must plant some hellebores and aconites - every year I say it and then we seem to move swiftly on to spring before I have chance. This year I'm definitely going to plant some, I'll be on the look out!

Ever faithful flowering pansies

A winter hanging basket to cheer visitors by the front door

In the meantime it's time to savour the indoor plants - my orchids are always a pleasure at this time of year. And it's also a treat to enjoy those cosy nights in by the fire and enjoy the indoors while there's a good excuse!

Last summer's annuals still blooming

A bright pink heather adding a touch of vibrance to the gloom

Autumnal Flowers

It's autumn and there's still plenty of colourful plants in the garden. The last of the summer bedding plants are still going strong and there's still fruit ripening on the apple trees and tomato plants. Salvias give displays of white and pink along the edge of the borders and the berries on the weeping cotoneaster tree are vibrant. 

Sedum plants have begun to bloom adding clusters of gentle and deep pinks and the verbenas are still happily reaching out to the sunshine we've had recently. Hydrangeas are another of my favourites, they can always be relied upon for that late summer and autumn colour. We've have different colours and varieties for interest in the front garden. 

Amongst the hydrangeas there's a scattering of other perennials still adding colour - catmint, Johnson's blue, anemones, late roses, geums and daphne. Then there are the autumn brights - the yellows of the potentillas and rudbekias. 

It's possibly one of the most beautiful times in the garden before autumn slips into winter and the days draw in.