Late Summer Colour and Interest in the Garden

I've taken some time out to photograph my own garden this week.

There's always something in flower or looking it's best, here's a few of my favourites for Late August colour or interest:

Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii

We have lots of these, they are so bright and cheerful, need very little attention and flower right into autumn and the first frosts.

Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

Hydrangeas seem smaller and a bit late this year, I would imagine this has to do with the warm dry summer, they prefer to be in damp soil and my soil is sandy and dry, but still not a bad show.

Echinacea 'White Swan'

The bees seem to go to sleep after feeding on Echinacea 'White Swan', watch out for slugs when they first appear in spring, we have planted some pink varieties also which we are trialling in the perennial border, including 'Raspberry Tart.'

Agapanthus sp.

We have agapanthus in pots, some I rescued from a garden in Chelsea, the garden was in full shade and the owners thought they would do well.! They were about to go on the skip....... as a failed plant.

I feed these with a tomato liquid feed to get the most flowers.

They are now in pots in sunny positions!

Acanthus spinosis

this does well in a very dry area of the garden under a pine tree where most things struggle

Phlomis fruticosa

Even though the Phlomis has finished flowering it has a sculptural beauty, I love this plant most in winter in it's skeletal form and when the low sun picks it out and makes it glow gold, gorgeous!

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'

We have alot of grasses in the front garden including Pennisetum up by the quartz wall, one of which has a nest of over 200 baby spiders with its mother guarding the web, I would imagine they take cover in the wall in the winter.

It's just about to show off it's fluffy panicles, I'll wait a week or so and take another picture.

Comments

Sculpture in the garden, greencube designs a sculptural ball garden

I'm still out taking photos of all the gardens that have been constructed in the last year and last night I visited our clients in Borough Green, Kent to photograph this garden. We designed the terracing around this very beautiful home and picked up on the existing buff coloured stone detailing that formed the sills and frames around the doors and windows. A complimentary colour of yellow granite was finally chosen (Yellow Granite paving from CED) and a sculptural border of yellow granite balls (from Rock Unique) underplanted with Ilex crenata balls and Libertia grandiflora. Oak benches and oak arches have also been included and some division of zones created by deck laid flush with granite. This scheme fuses well with the house and setting. I will return in August to take further photos when the garden furniture is in place and hopefully get some night shots, lighting not yet fully completed at time of visit. Greencube planted this garden in two phases, the trees, ro

Practical storage solutions in our gardens in Tunbridge Wells and Folkestone

Storage in a garden is a common requirement but often forgotten or positioned too far away for practical use. Greencube have installed solutions in 2 of our gardens this year without the need for an ugly shed. The built in seating has doubled up as a great practical storage solution so that the cushions, hand tools and firewood for the brazier are readily available.

But my favourite is most definitely the Telegraph Garden

Designed by Cleve West, a magical space with walls retaining at seat level, so wherever you walk you can pause, sit and enjoy, I managed to gain access to Cleve's garden and even had a brief chat with him. I loved it even more once in the space. The star plant at the show for me is most certainly Dianthus cruentus, with its crimson flowers which looked wonderful in amongst the cotswold stone, with its elegant stems and deep red flower. The statuesque columns, the wonderful dry stone walls and planting that had space, looked natural and certainly did not look like it was only planted a week ago!!!! The play with water with the water pipes and channel through the garden with stone stepping stones, all beautifully executed and inspirational.

greencube garden and landscape design, UK

Search This Blog