I didn’t sow any California Poppies this year but a few have appeared including these under the dog rose.
The nasturiums are doing well again, and should continue to flower for a while yet.
The cornflowers Polka Dot have almost finished flowering having provided lots of colour for several months.
Following on from last Thursday’s post I decided not to do a Wear your Wellies post yesterday, and thanks to Linda and Liz who both sent me pictures.
Have a good weekend!
During last Tuesday night the wind gusted to around 50 mph so I wasn’t surprised to find on Wednesday morning that the double row of climbing beans and canes had toppled over, especially as the canes are old and need replacing.
I picked all the beans which I later sorted with most of them being left to dry then shell. It was a job that I would have done in the next week or two as they’d almost finished so I didn’t lose many.
On Friday I had the robin keep me company, mostly at less than arm’s length away, and twice he briefly perched on the tip of one of my boots.
Here he is on the top of compost heap where I was was adding the comfrey plants that I’d cut back to ground level.
During the week I also picked all the tomatoes that were okay then pulled up the plants.
Thompson & Morgan have included this blog on their list of 10 awesome allotment blogs, which is kind of them, and as you can see I’m in excellent company.
Have a good week!
On Wednesday, 20th September the gardening charity Thrive that I support is having a mass fundraising event Wear your Wellies to Work Day.
The idea is to swap your shoes for wellies for the day and wear them to work, at home, to the shops, walking the dog, not forgetting in the garden or like me on the plot and make a donation to Thrive.
Have a good weekend!
Liz’s Tulip poplar – Over in Lexington, Kentucky Liz has been really busy recently with various garden events but sent me these two pictures.
As you can see if you compare these to the picture in the Tree following, July 2017 post she has removed the lower branch that she mentioned which certainly gives it a better, more balanced look. Liz also tells me that the tree is now too tall to measure properly but it must now be approaching ten feet.
Flighty’s Dogwood – A few of the leaves have already started to get a reddish-brown tinge to them indicating that autumn is on the way. Mind you it’s also got some new leaves and, more surprisingly, flowers as well.
That’s a sign that the changing weather patterns are confusing much of our flora.
Our usual thanks to Pat, The Squirrelbasket, for hosting Tree following.
The gazania Daybreak that I have on the window sill at home finally fully flowered again yesterday, a week too late for the show.
It’s the third time it’s flowered, roughly once a month, and the plant now fills the five inch pot that it’s in.
I’m really taken with these plants and flowers so I’ve decided to grow Talent Mixed from seed next year, which is a variety that has silvery-coloured foliage. There are five colours – orange, red shades, rose shades, white and yellow.
The red shades are more bronze/brown and the yellow flowers are a solid colour. These are the two I particularly like but I’ll be happy with whatever I get to germinate, grow and flower. Perhaps I’ll even have one in flower for next year’s show.
Have a good week!
(The second picture with thanks to Benary)
but there’s still plenty of colour and interest on the plot, although overall it’s now looking somewhat past it’s best. It hasn’t helped that I’ve done hardly any proper plotting over the past couple of weeks.
This self-seeded sunflower appeared in the middle of the potato patch and has grown well over six feet tall with a large dinner plate size flower.
Having moved the sedums across the path earlier in the year I’m pleased to see that they’re doing well and now flowering.
The knee-high yellow cosmos Xanthos are still flowering profusely even though I’ve not been dead-heading them.
Despite the tomato plants being affected by blight I’ve left them as I’m still picking plenty of good fruit. At long last some of the black ones have gone blotchy red indicating that they’re ripe. They taste okay but I don’t think that I’ll grow them next year.
Have a good weekend!
Newton Park Horticultural Society‘s Annual Show yesterday where I was helping, stewarding and showing after an absence of some years. It was again held at the local Roxeth Community Church which I’ve not been to before, and have to agree with everyone that it’s a good venue with a light and airy main hall and a couple of other rooms for some of the classes and for refreshments.
There were just under three hundred entries, slightly down on last year mainly due to a regular serious dahlia grower/shower not being able to attend. Here are many of the flower, fruit and vegetable exhibits set out ready for judging.
I’d entered nine classes including a truss of the black tomatoes just as talking point as I knew that they wouldn’t win a prize. My other eight entries won four firsts, two seconds and two thirds which surprised and delighted me. Three were in the Novices Only category winning a first, second and third. The French beans and onions both won first prizes, with the latter being particularly pleasing as I was up against some previous winners. One of the white pattypan squashes was awarded a third.
In the Other Floral Classes I was delighted to win a first prize with my pink Cosmos.
The last of my entries was a picture of Foxy in A Photograph – Garden Visitors which came second to a superb robin photo which I certainly would have chosen as the clear winner.
My winnings came to the grand sum of £2-80, just over double the entry fees, and I then spent most of it on some yellow tulip bulbs.
After a delicious lunch the show opened to the public for a couple of hours, and it was good to see a steady flow of people looking round. I joined them and had another look at the colourful array whilst chatting with some of them including Martin, a onetime fellow shed helper, who’s sadly not in good health.
Three entries which caught my eye were these lovely dahlias, an unusual succulent and a wonderful Harvest Festival basket.
All too soon it was time to hand out the various cups, trophies and other prizes to the winning exhibitors.
There was an overflowing surplus produce stall which had nearly sold out by the time we packed up. My contribution included lots of French and runner beans, three patty pan squashes and some tomatoes.
It was a long and busy, but most enjoyable day which went quickly and smoothly. Christine, the show secretary, has already provisionally booked both the venue and judges again for next year and I’ll be there trying to emulate this year’s successes.
Have a good week!
The Big Sunflower Project
