25/09/2014

The September Garden

September is nearly over, and although the nights have got a lot chillier here and there's a bit of a nip in the air during the day, it's still quite beautiful and sunny.

 

Aside from fighting my squirrel battle I've just been enjoying the garden, wandering round with a cup of tea, drooling over the latest plant catalogues and generally taking a week off from any hard work. Over the next fortnight, I'll be adding my yearly mulch of bark. I find this helps so much at keeping the weeds away and it shows the plants off well too. It takes a while, but I actually enjoy doing it.




I am off to purchase some more bulbs at the weekend though, because I know by the time Spring comes the garden will be sadly lacking in tulips! Someone suggested sprinkling the bulbs with cayenne pepper before planting them, but I'm not sure if this works, or if it would harm the squirrels if they still ate them. The dilemmas of a gardener! This next purchase will be grown in pots until planting out time in Spring.






The growhouse is a little less packed as I planted out a mass of bedding plants I'd been growing on into the front garden. There are still cuttings and seedlings and I'll be trying to overwinter some tender plants in there soon. The coldframe is bursting with cuttings so there's no more room for anything in there.


The garden has recovered nicely from it's revamp and everything is growing back. What a shame it will die back again when the weather eventually starts to turn. The Hardy Geraniums are rampant although with more foliage than flowers, just a sprinkling of those here and there. The Cyclamens are looking great though.



I hope you liked the overviews and that you've been able to put your feet up a bit and enjoy your late September gardens. :-) .



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The August Garden                       The July Garden

















49 comments:

  1. You've created such a beautiful garden, it's nice to just sit back awhile and enjoy it without doing too much at this time of the year.

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    1. I agree Jo. I love being busy in the garden, but it's nice to relax too.

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  2. Love your pathway Paula.....bark finishes the borders off perfectly. It is also a job that I love.........

    After reading your post re squirrels and tulips I decided to go buy some and plant them in huge pots (that should keep the rabbits away. I bought Red Passion and Angelique ( one of my favourites.

    I must say I just love looking at the images of your garden.....I know I have said it before, but will say it again, it is such a pretty garden. Enjoy :)

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    1. Oh, I have Angelique too Cheryl, or I might have if the squirrels leave me any! It's so pretty isn't it.

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  3. Your garden is still looking lovely Paula I don't know how you manage it - mine is going over rapidly. All my bulbs have now been bought - now begins the mammoth task of getting them all planted. I grow all mine in containers - the tulips I saved from last year were all eaten by mice - Greer. If it's not one thing it's another!

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    1. Mice! I guess I never see that many of them here with the cats around, like you say, if it's not one thing it's another! I hope the bulb planting goes well.

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  4. Ops - auto correct that should say grrr!

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  5. What a wonderful selection of pictures showing how good it still all looks for the time of year. Happy mulching! Flighty xx

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  6. Your path and gardens all look so inviting. Thank you for the virtual visit!

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  7. Your garden still looks very lush and lovely. Everything looks so neat. I'm wondering about the red daisy-type flowers in the photo above the growhouse, could that be Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy', I'm thinking of growing it next year?

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    1. Yes, It is Cherry Brandy, Hannah. It's the first year I've grown it and I absolutely love it and would recommend it to you. I hear that it may not be truly winter hardy, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that it survives through to next year.

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  8. Your garden looks extraordinary so your yearly applications of mulch clearly have a positive effect. I can sympathize with your squirrel challenge. Although, in my case, the squirrels do far less damage than our neighborhood raccoons. I hope your solutions work! I know how disappointing it is to take a morning stroll and find holes dug throughout the yard - I faced that slap in the face again this morning. Apparently, my prickly succulents aren't doing the trick yet.

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    1. I'm not sure what will work if even the prickles aren't doing the job Kris!

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  9. Such a beautiful garden, Paula. I love it all, especially the Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy' with the backdrop of variegated ivy. What a gorgeous tableau. I feel like we need to just BE in our gardens right now as the days grow shorter and the plants begin to fall asleep. Soon it will all be a happy memory. I'm already ready for spring. :) Cheers.

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    1. Aah yes, a happy memory and then the longing for Spring to arrive!

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  10. Your place is so full and lush! I have perennial geraniums as well that I have been thinning out some. They are finished blooming for the season.

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    1. Mine have really burst into life again Sue, they are even flowering all over now which they weren't doing at the time of my post.

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  11. Your September is lovely, Paula! Garden is still pretty with just a sprinkle of autumn!
    I plant tulips only in pots because of deer and squirrels, but I love your idea about using some pepper. I am sure squirrels won't suffer! Maybe you wrote before - do you use some kind of netting to cover soil above the bulbs? I never did it, but some people do.

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    1. Yes, I did try with strawberry netting Tatyana, but the squirrels managed to get underneath it! I think you're right and pots are the way to go.

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  12. Beautiful colours for September! Thank you. I think the heat from the pepper will not kill the squirrels. Just warm up their tongues that's all (like us) haha... Garden on girl :-)

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    1. Lol Stephanie, you could be right, I might still try it ;-)

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  13. Your garden is jam packed with flowers. I love the feeling of being engulfed by plants. Your path does entice the eye through the garden. My living room will soon look like your garden when I have to bring inside lots of the plants I plan to overwinter. I wish I had a greenhouse or a garden room that was warm enough to overwinter my plants. Squirrels, we have plenty of squirrels but so far Annie (my dog) keeps them from digging up tulips. I simply forget to plant them. I should hurry up and order some.

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    1. I wish my cats kept the squirrels away, but they just sit there staring at them! I actually wish I had more room to overwinter plants too, the poor shelves in the grow house can't take too much weight.

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  14. I like to put down a bark mulch as well and really find it helps with weeds. I have a few tips on how to beat squirrels when it comes to tulips in a post that I will put up shortly ( it would be too long to put in a comment unfortunately). I envy you being able to grow Cyclamens. They look so pretty in your garden.

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    1. Thanks Jennifer, I'll keep an eye out for that post, although I think I've found a pretty good solution for most of the tulips I planted. I'm giving it a week or two to make sure though :-) .

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  15. Your garden is looking so beautiful and lush, Paula! I just love your pathway; it really invites one to keep going and see what is around the next bend. I'm going to plant more tulips this fall, despite the deer and rabbits that are the pests around here. Our dogs keep the squirrels at bay for the most part, but it seems like we gardeners are always battling something. Still, we gardeners are an optimistic lot!

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    1. Definitely full of optimism here Rose, Spring will be lovely in my garden and I will have lots of tulips (she says, crossing her fingers behind her back) ;-)

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  16. Dear Paula, there is still so much color going on in your garden, I have to admit I am quite envious. My garden is mostly green, if not yellow, after two months of scorching heat and I have to wait until it becomes cooler and the garden recovers from the Southern California summer before it will be presentable again.
    I really love your corner with the cyclamen and the heucheras. There is a very dark purple leaved plant there, is that an ajuga? And if so, you do you mind letting me know which variety it is. I think the foliage is quite stunning. Wishing you a nice restful weekend to gather all the energy to do the things in the garden that you intent to. Warm regards,
    Christina

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    1. I guess there is a downfall to having heat for so long Christina. I'm always longing for it here, but I guess the plants prefer cooler conditions for the most part. The Ajuga is called Black Scallop. It seems to be doing really well and I'm looking forward to it spreading out and giving a bit of ground cover. Hope you're having a lovely week :-) x

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  17. You're garden looks wonderful. I love how the stepping stones wind their way through the lush growth.

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  18. Hello Paula, your garden looks beautiful. I love the clematis enveloping the shed. Who has priority on the stepping stones when approaching from opposite directions?

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    1. Lol, I've never thought about that Sunil as whoever is with me goes down the path at the same time and generally comes back with me too. I guess I would graciously step onto the bark and let them pass if the need arose ;-))

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  19. I cup of tea and a wander through your garden - what could be lovelier? You are an artist, creating delightful vistas throughout. You have earned a little relaxation time! For me, this is almost the busiest time in the garden, planting, transplanting, mulching, trimming, cleaning up, etc, etc.

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    1. How poetic Deb, you make it sound so beautiful :-) I guess I've done all my hardwork early this year and can afford a little relaxation now.

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  20. Wow, it looks great Paula. Yours is the kind of garden that I like to explore to see all the great nooks and crannies and excellent plants. I love all the benches, trellises, and hardscapes! Are all the plants in that last photo in pots? Wow, that's quite a display and quite lovely.

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    1. Yes, all the plants around the pond are in pots and still doing really well. I want to overwinter some of them but I fear I will run out of space and they will suffer during winter:-( I will try to save as many as possible though as they've been lovely.

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  21. Everything looks so lovely and fresh. I love the way that all your plants are still so defined - mine are sprawling all over the place like leggy adolescents ...

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    1. Lol, Mine usually would be too Jane, I guess everything got chopped back early because of my big tidy up and rearrangement over the last couple of months.

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  22. Love everything. Looks so pretty! I have heard you can wrap the tulip bulbs with chicken wire or something similar and the squirrels can't dig them up! I have not tried it but I will if I plant more(-: I love the squirrels but hate when they dig my stuff up.

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    1. Yes, they're lovely to look at but a right pain for eating bulbs, they've had my crocus too! I've heard lots of mention of chicken wire and it may be something I'll have to look into if my current methods don't work.

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  23. Paula girl this does not look like a late September garden at all! It looks so fresh and full of life ... I too feel like by the time the landscaping is done I will have to wait all winter to see how truly beautiful it will all look. I seem to have missed this whole season .. just too much going on or what. But my plant tag box is bursting so I had to have been busy? LOL
    I have no tulips .. I just can't cope with the squirrel mafia ... but I have my bag of daffs to plant so I will make do with them and they will smile their big yellow grins in Spring.
    Enjoy your garden Paula it is gorgeous !
    Joy : )

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    1. Bless you for your lovely comments Joy! I know just what you mean, time is truly flying by and Christmas is looming ever closer. At least we will both have lots to look forward to next Spring :-)

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  24. Your garden looks gorgeous! Especially love your path.The foliage combinations of fern and grass looks beautiful!
    And the red postbox setting on the hut has become a nice accent along with clematis! You have an extraordinary color sense:)

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  25. Hi Paula! Your garden always so pretty! Love to see the walking path. I hope those squirrels have left your bulbs alone, I can't believe they dug them out! Looks like you haven't been posting for awhile, I hope everything is well with you and that you're just enjoying a little break. I myself was out for awhile, but thankfully I'm back here again.

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    1. Yes, I've been having a little break too. I think it's nice to sit back and relax for a while :-)

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