Seems I went a bit over the top last month and
used up all of this months flowers. So it's scraping the barrel
time, but I hope my fungi section will in part make up for the
shortfall of flowers.
|
|
|
|
|
Penstemon Garnet is holding out
and providing a little late colour, although the first sharp frost
should see it on its way for this year. It does seem to be one of the
tougher Penstemons, not only surviving our winters, but making really
strong growth in the Spring. In fact most years I have to cut back the
clumps to keep them in their allotted space.
|
This white flowered large
Hebe is another plant that stays in flower up the first bad frosts and
is another that needs hard cutting back in the Spring, unless you are
blessed with an abundance of space. It reaches about seven feet (2.1m)
high and as much across, probably even more if I really let it go. The
flowers don't seem to draw in the butterflies, but they are a magnet to
bees, even in October on a mild day.
|
|
|
Yet another hanger-on, this time
Potentilla fruticosa Princess, a small shrub, very easy to place and with a long flowering season. The flowers do not appear in great numbers
and the shade of pink varies depending on soil and light conditions. At
other times of the year it would tend to be overlooked, but is more than
welcome in this lean season.
|
A couple of surprises, first is Mahonia
japonica, showing flowers almost open and this was taken in early
October This is rather early, but the flowers seem to brave the worst
of the weather and we need all we can get to carry us through to
springtime. The leaves also look good at this time, dark green,
spiky and
rigid, giving the perfect backdrop to the more delicate looking flower
spikes.
|
|
|
|
The photograph to the left is the
second surprise, it is Rhododendron Elizabeth, and most certainly
a spring flowerer. I have noticed that this, and quite a few other dwarf
Rhodies manage a few flowers out of season. It may be our changeable
weather that confuses them, or perhaps they think they are back in
China, we do have quite a few Chinese take-away meals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've covered Clematis Orange Peel before, but
if any plant is brightening up my autumn garden this is the one, still
one mass of flowers and showing no sign of slowing down. I thought you
may enjoy seeing the difference between a photograph taken from above
and one taken from below.
|
|
|
Helleborus foetidus, now puts on a
show as the dramatic foliage reaches perfection. If you look carefully you
can see, in the centre of the plant, next years flowers waiting to burst
into growth. They are of course also green, but of a much lighter shade
and edged in purple. This Hellebore seeds around for me, sometimes
hundreds of seedlings germinate in one spot, but they are easy to thin out
and pot up when young. I have not found the smell of the foliage too
offensive, but I do try to avoid damaging it.
|
|
|
Nearly forgot this one, another
recent name change, now Persicaria campanulata, used to be Polygonum
campanulata. This is a strong growing member of the family, but loves
shade and is far more attractive and graceful than many of it's cousins.
As you can see the leaves are well marked with red veins and the flowers
are like little pink bells, hence the name. Our wetter than normal weather
has really suited this one and it has formed a large clump in an out of
the way corner near my compost containers.
|
|
|
|
|
Pond in local woodland, created recently and
maturing nicely, hard to imagine that it didn't exist a few years ago,
being totally man made. It does have the advantage of a natural stream
flowing through it. In years to come it is sure to be a favourite place
for children to collect their tadpoles.
|
 |
 These are
October Photographs
|
 These
are October Notes
|
 |