The weather seemed to mirror the astronomical seasons last week. Monday, the final day of astronomical summer, was all blues skies and warm sunshine. The next day things turned cooler and rather gloomy, and by Wednesday we had rain, something we’ve not had for a while here. The garden is still just about holding onto it’s summer colour, although my first Six on Saturday is decidedly autumnal…
1. The Pyracantha struggled last year for some reason. Leaves fell off, flowers turned black and berries were few and far between. This year it has fared much better and is covered in orange berries. The wood pigeons and house sparrows have already started on them.
2. The Graham Thomas honeysuckle has been flowering for many months. Just when you think this climber has finished blooming more buds appear. Alas these flowers are a little too high for me to appreciate their fragrance.
3. Ah, good old Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise.’ A ‘doer’ that flowers for months on end with regular deadheading. I grew some from seed several years ago but I can’t remember if this is from the original batch or one grown from a cutting. It seems to be easy to propagate; we’re talking Penstemon-shove-a-broken-peice-into-a-pot-and-hey-presto-a-new-plant easy.
4. I have a decision to make, and soon. Back in August I fixed a wire from the fence to the blue shed and pointed a few stems of the Clematis montana towards it. The ‘mile a minute’ monster has almost reached the other end and I’m not sure whether I should direct it around the corner of the roof (just under the guttering) or send the thing back towards the fence. It’s still having the odd mini flush of nutmeg scented flowers.
5. The lesser spotted front garden up next. South facing and prone to frazzling in the summer, I decided to add a few grasses, another Sedum and lots of sun loving annuals earlier in the year to mingle with the self seeded Verbena, Californian Poppies, Lavender and Rock Roses. It’s not looking too bad, although a cat has taken to using the foliage of a Rock Rose and the edge of the lawn as a litter tray; highly annoying as there’s bare soil in the neighbour’s border, surely a far more desirable spot for a feline to do it’s business? I’ve acquired one of those sonic cat scaring devices. Fingers crossed it works.
6. And finally… Grown in pots, Cosmos ‘Gazebo White’ has taken rather a long time to flower but it was worth the wait. The bees seem to think so too.
They were my Six on Saturday. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, take a look at the site of the chap who started it all over at https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.
One Man And His Garden Trowel 
Lovely honeysuckle, I dug mine up many years ago – just lack of experience, I didn’t know how to deal with it and it got out of control. Now I only have a tiny one in a pot – but love the fragrance. The bright yellow coreopsis is a beautiful sight at this time of year along with the pyracantha berries – glad they’re doing so much better this year.
The shed would look lovely with a full canopy of flowers in spring, but then you might want to add a summer-flowering one on top…and so it goes on…
I have two of the sonic cat repellant devices in the back garden. I believe they work – husband doesn’t. Fact is they only cover a limited area and really you need a few depending on the size of the garden. I’m positive mine works – when the batteries run out the cats are back on the strawberry beds. Be aware some adults (such as my son) can also hear them – I haven’t found a setting, except off, that stops it annoying him.
Beautiful cosmos – another new to me variety.
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That’s reassuring. My wife and I can hear a faint crackling sound from it but nothing ear splitting. Our patch out the front is tiny so hopefully one will do the trick. The only issue I forsee with the clematis is when it comes to painting the shed but perhaps the clematis will protect the paintwork from the elements. I think the cosmos seed was sold at Wilko.
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It’s a good choice to let the clematis climb on this shed. It will be very pretty and I guess better next year already . Keep us posted with new photos.
Nice cosmos and coreopsis flowers, new varieties to me that I didn’t know ( even if many are alike)
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Some of them are very similar, especially the white varieties. I will see if I have more wire to send the clematis around the ends of the roof…
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I love honeysuckle – such a joy to see.
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And smell!
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The scent on the clematis is quite lovely, reminds me of talcum powder. I would have the whole shed covered, but then there will come a time when the shed has to be repainted, and what then?
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That’s my concern. What then indeed. Decisions, decisions.
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Send the clematis back the way it came – it will sneak into your shed and take over. The front garden is looking splendid, shame about the cat. I like that white cosmos, I’ve just bought seeds but they are for a double form cosmos psyche.
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Funnily enough some of the clematis did make its way into the shed through a tiny gap. I’ll have to look up that cosmos – sounds interesting.
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Psyche are gorgeous! I grew them a couple of years ago, only problem for me is that they grow very tall and in the wind got broken.
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My first garden was a tiny back yard behind a Victorian terrace. Being a novice gardener I planted a Montana to train up the wall. It found the washing lines and rapidly spread along those, but looked so pretty doing it. I think the moral of this tail, is don’t think about whether it should go round the shed or back along the wire, but where it is going to go after that! Seriously, I’m sure either plan would look good.
Your front garden is looking really cottagey and must be admired by people walking by.
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Thank you. I think you may be right about the clematis. It’s a struggle trying to stop it escaping into the neighbour’s garden.
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I love the “Penstemon-shove-a-broken-peice-into-a-pot-and-hey-presto-a-new-plant easy” sort of propagation 😁
And I envy you the honeysuckle. I have some on my north facing fence which struggles to grow and flower, though last year it did produce more flowers than I have seen before. I think it needs more sun which it only gets in mid summer. I might cut it back drastically in the spring and see what happens. On the hill nearby, wild honeysuckle blooms in profusion!
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The clematis looks good. I would leave it this year. Let us know how you get on. As usual, your cosmos are lovely.
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That’s another let the montana do what it wants vote. It seems it shall get to explore more of the garden!
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Your front looks joyous – a lovely optimistic sight and the grasses are a great addition.
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Thank you! The grasses are adding interest all year round.
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The cosmos is lovely. I usually grow Purity but this year they are behaving strangely. Huge plants but only one flowering. But that said it’s a strange year in general! I once grew Psyche White which is lovely but I didn’t like the double flowers as well. I may try Gazebo next year.
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Cosmos certainly help add some late colour to the garden.
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I could use something for the neighbor’s cats as well. Unfortunately, I have house cats, and the windows are right where any sonic thing would be. If I weed the cats come. Isn’t coreopsis the most wonderful thing? Too easy to propagate! A lot of work to deadhead, but it sure works. Penstemon does grow easily from broken off stems (I sometimes get lazy and try to pull the spent ones), but coreopsis has self-seeding down pat too.
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Lovely honeysuckle. I have two different pink ones, a native and a Dutch one but the whiter appearance of yours with the slight purple is very striking. Mine are all berries now and the birds are starting to enjoy.
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Yes, this one has a few berries. I did try growing a Japanese honeysuckle once but it always suffered from mildew and I got shot of it.
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front garden looking great there. watering seems to be the difference between sad pyrocantha and happy pyrocantha. last year mine was touch and go for a while till i realised i wasn’t watering it..
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Thanks. Funnily enough I’ve been watering the Pyrocantha regularly this year.
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A lovely six, cosmos being my favourite!
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It’s become one of my favourite plants too!
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I do love that white cosmos! Great for giving a pop of white through the garden. That is a great photo of the centre of the flower. The Clematis looks great along the shed. I hope that the one and only Clematis Minister I have will become a ‘mile a minute monster’ too! I’m trying to find an ideal spot for mine in the garden. Yes, it seems strange that the cat decided your garden was preferable to a bare patch of soil. Hope your sonic works to scare it away.
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The cat deterrent appears to work!
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Good news for you!
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I hope the cat scarer thing works. We have same issue here. 😢
Your honeysuckle looks very healthy, even if it’s a bit too tall. Mine is not goo and it getting dumped very soon.
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The cat scarer seems to have worked! My honeysuckle didn’t too well last year but has done a lot better this time round.
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That is a gorgeous honeysuckle.
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It still has a few flower buds.
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