Wednesday 20 August 2014

A Taste of Things to Come............

Sissinghurst

.............with these chilly mornings and evenings, reminding us that sadly, summer is on its way out and Autumn is just around the corner.


As much as I love the change of seasons, I'm not yet ready for Autumn. 

I still yearn for a few more weeks of warm, balmy days, wearing sandals and dresses, without the dark and stormy skies and the threat of rain, and without the cool winds which, yesterday evening when walking the dog, were so sharp that I could almost have done with a warm hat. In August.


At least these cooler days are perfect for gardening. I have neglected our garden this year - my excuses have been its either too wet, too hot, not at home, or just simply not in the mood. 

But now its cooled down a bit I have at last found my gardening mojo - just a tad too late for summer plants but ideal for weeding and clearing borders, and adding a few new plants for late summer and early Autumn. 

So today that's what I've done - weeded and cleared borders, and whilst I was in the garden I had company in the form of this dragonfly, which seemed to like perching on the sundial. It kept flying off then returning to the same place.



Now that I've cleared some of the borders, I need to put in a few new late summer /early autumn flowering plants. 

On our walk this evening we picked up a few from a plant stall set down a quiet country lane outside someones house, which I'd spotted earlier today on the morning walk. 


We went armed with cash and carrier bags and came back with these three lovely beauties for a fiver.


Two Rudbekias - I think?


Aren't they gorgeous?


And the most beautiful dark orange dahlia (or is this a chrysanthemeum? The flower says dahlia to me but the foliage more chrysanthemum like?).





We also picked a few windfall cooking apples from the orchards. 

The farmers are starting to get the crates ready in some of the orchards, so it won't be long before they pick some of the varieties.



The last few evenings we've been picking more blackberries too, which around here in Kent have been ready for weeks - we spotted our first ripe blackberries back at the end of July.



. These photos with the first few ripe ones were taken on the 30th July - much earlier than last year. 


So we've been picking them on and off throughout August. 

Perfect to go with the apples. 
Just love blackberry and apple crumble!




I still have a Sissinghurst post to do, following on from my last post.

Sissinghurst

But I'll share a couple more photos now as this is what made me think of buying those particular plants today - this lovely display in one of the gardens at Sissinghurst, my favourite from this visit - the hot borders, all reds, yellows and oranges - they were stunning.


Sissinghurst

Sissinghurst


More next post!

25 comments:

  1. Ohh, I am looking forward to more Sissinghurst!! All the pictures that you have shown so far are so beautiful. Your new plants are lovely, just right for the time of year to add a bit of colour to the garden, I am not ready for summer to be done yet either, we don't seem to have been out in the garden much at all this summer with all that has been going on, so I need it to last a bit longer yet too!! xx

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  2. The flowers there look beautiful. Enjoy your new plants, you still have a few good weeks left. :)

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  3. With the wildland fires and above average temps we have experienced in the Pacific NW, I am quite ready for Autumn Gillian!
    Always a pleasure to stop by,
    P.S. Picking up blackberries still, harvesting green beans regularly and a handful of tomatoes (nights below 60 degrees F do not help, sigh!)

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  4. Oh, I am not ready for it to end either. I love September and wish that it was a season instead of a month. The days are warm and sunny but not hot and the nights are cool and inviting. Around here the flowers come to life after the hot weather and they are magnificent in September and then Autumn hits and they fade away.

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  5. I love your choice of plants, they are so cheerful and will help bring some lovely colour to your garden as you move into autumn. I'm never ready for winter, I love long sunny days without having to wear layers of clothing to keep warm. Sadly for you it's nearly autumn, happily for me it's nearly spring. One of the joys of blogging is being able to see what is happening in the garden on the other side of the world. There is nothing more lovely than seeing blue skies and sunshine pop up on the screen when it is damp, cold and grey outside. Enjoy your blackberries and apples. Crumble, yum.
    Anne xx

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  6. Your flower shots are gorgeous. I wish my blackberries produced this year. Enjoy!

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  7. Beautiful plants, I love dahlias and the colour is stunning perfect for an Autumn border. Apple and blackberry is one of my favourite crumbles we have an abundance of blackberries around at the moment. I am hoping for a Indian summer but that's not looking good at the moment the temperatures have really dropped and we also have cold winds. Autumn is on its way and here to stay.

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  8. We visited Sissinghurst back at the beginning of June on a perfect English Summer's Day. What a gorgeous place this is. We had never really visited Kent before so it was all new for us, and quite delightful. Sissinghurst is a beautiful garden to photograph and we took dozens. I am enjoying seeing your August ones. Thank you for sharing them.

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  9. What lovely plant finds. I'm not ready for the end of summer either (are we ever?) and I've got lots and lots to do outside. I shall look forward to seeing more of Sissinghurst. CJ xx

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  10. Nothing quite like a bit of orange to perk up your borders, it's my favourite garden colour. Your plants were such a bargain. There are so many cyclamen and pansies in the shops here but I'm not ready to go there yet, like you I think it's too early for autumn.
    V x

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  11. Blackberry and apple crumble is delicious. I love your flowers pictures. Dahlias are one of my favourite flowers. It's so much cooler now - I'm thinking of getting a blanket to wrap round me!

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  12. Your new plants are lovely, they should give you a great show into autumn. The rudbeckias have got a really warm glow about them and so too has the dahlia (I think it's a dahlia too - if, when you take it out of the pot it has tubers, it's a dahlia). Looking forward to seeing your Sissinghurst pics.
    Jane xx

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  13. We are going looking for blackberries later-they seem to just be starting around here. Otherr than rinse with water (in a sieve) do I need to do anything else to 'clean' them?
    Sorry for being so ignorant x

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    1. thanks for the reply on my blog-we got a few yesterday and I have followed your instructions-they are in the freezer waiting for more until we have enough for a crumble!

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  14. Lovely post, Gill! It's hot here this week, but has previously been unseasonably cool for this time of year in the Southeast. August is usually pretty awful around here. :) I feel a little sad at seeing summer coming to a close this year, too; it's been a mild one for us and very pleasant weatherwise, and it's gone by so quickly.

    I love your pics of the dragonfly! They're so plentiful and colorful this time of the year. I know what you mean about keeping up with the blog; I've been having a hard time keeping up with visiting my fellow bloggers lately. I've kept up with reading your blog (you know I love reading about the U.K.), but I haven't been leaving many comments. I've definitely been admiring the lovely cushions you've been sewing! :)

    I look forward to seeing your posts on Sissinghurst -- what a beautiful place. Enjoy the remainder of your summer days, Gill!

    Hugs,

    Denise at Forest Manor

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  15. Those flower shots are just lovely. Unfortunately the change in weather is coming but not so bad if it stays warm through the day. x

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  16. Terrific photos Gill! Isn't it great when you get something so beautiful for a good price? I think they are dahlias, I got some this year which are pink but they have the very dark leaves also. Apple and blackberry crumble...yum, and almost free too...yay! Sissinghurst looks fabulous, I love the verdigris container in your opening shot.
    I love the fact that our gardens carry on without us when we are busy, but love it when we give them some tlc too!
    Hoping all is well with you Gill. I got my kitchen finished in the nick of time, and I love it . I hope to post about it soon. Lots of love to you,Linda x

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  17. Autumn is my favourite season although we do seem to have lost a chunk of Summer somewhere, berries are ready early and my garden is dying down - I will look forward to your Sissinghurst post.

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  18. Beautiful plants, I wish I could find some like those at such a bargainous price. I'm not ready for autumn yet either but it's definitely on the way, even the blueberry foliage is already changing to a glorious red.

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  19. Garden gate stalls don't seem to exist here in North Wales, and I miss all the bargains one could pick up. I'd have left the dahlias though, I associate them with earwigs, the only insects that can make me squeal.

    We're planning a blackberrying session at the weekend ... I can't wait.

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  20. Lovely oranges, yellows and reds in your garden gill! Lucky you to have a dry day to do some gardening. It feels like it has been raining non stop in Rotterdam.

    Looking forward to your photo's of Sissinghurst!

    Happy weekend!

    Madelief x

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  21. I hate to mention the 'A' word but it does feel like Summer is on the way out round here too. We were so tempted to light the wood burner the other night after coming back cold from a swim! We did resist but it was a close run thing! Very much not ready to say goodbye to Summer quite yet. On the plus side we're enjoying blackberries and apples too. And the colour in your garden is looking beautiful and very Summerlike still.

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  22. LOvely post Gill - I'm not ready for Autumn yet either, but the leaves are certainly beginning to change colour round our way. Such beautiful photos as always,
    Kate x

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  23. I love garden gate stalls and have bought most of my garden plants from them! Good quality and bargain prices. Gorgeous pics as usual. Yep, Autumn is nearly here, but at least we did have a good summer - for a change. xCathy

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  24. Oh I'm so with you on not being ready for Autumn. It doesn't seem like our Summer was very long this year! I think the start of the year was just so awful across the UK, having warm balmy days have been what we have all needed! Having said that, I spent time in my garden yesterday getting it ready for Autumn and tidying it all up, that it felt good, like I was a little more ready for the seasonal change! I really have to be in the right mood to garden, and I did have to chuckle at your comments for reasons not to have bothered this year with yours! I was the same! I just take trips to visit others gardens to get my flower fix!!!!!!

    Have a super rest of a week!

    Vanessa xxx

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Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment - I love to read them!
Gill x