Red Alert

The last few weeks have seen my garden take on it’s autumnal hue. Red seems to be the theme this month.

The hardy fushia have at long last started to bear lots of flowers, after struggling with yet another unknown virus or bug.

Even the stems are a brilliant red.

The blackbirds have had all the blueberries even after I had covered them, canny creatures. I will still grow these shrubs if only for the fantastic late summer colour, looking good with an old aster, very double with a lost label. Possibly Violet Queen but looking a little too double.

Crocosmia are not everyone’s cup of tea but this is a gorgeous deep orange red with huge flowers ,Crocosmia Mrs Geoffrey Howard. Crug Plants North Wales.

So far the hips on Rosa glauca are holding on, it won’t be long before they look quite squishy then the birds will have them.

One for the boundaries of the garden as it is very thorny and a good burglar deterrent. Pyracantha maybe common but the wildlife love it.

Saxifraga Blackberry and Apple Pie, lovely maroon splodged foliage another few weeks and it will have a mass of frothy cream stars.

Have been growing this Sarracenia plant in the wrong place for 2 years. It wasn’t looking too good so I decided to look it up. It was in a totally wrong place, it needs full sun and to be sitting in rain water, hey presto I have a thriving plant. I think I will keep it in a pot now and bring it into the conservatory for the winter.

All the salvias have done well this year flowering from late spring and still many to come. Salvia Microphylla, along with Hot Lips and Wendy’s Wish plus two more lost labels.

Actea Alba. I love the contrast of the vibrant red stems with the pure white berries. The seed germinates well and the plants light up a dark shady area.

And ending with the letter Z we have Zauschneria californica ‘Glasnevin’ such a mouthful for such a small flower. Making an impact at the side of the top pond this is a welcome plant for this time of year, forming a short thicket covered in tubular bright red flowers. This gets cut down to the ground every year and comes back singing…..

After many years of gardening and trying to plan for all of the year it’s nice when some of the things you do come to fruition, having said that, we as gardeners are never satisfied so come next autumn things may look a little different. That’s the challenge we love……..