Back to normal

 

Dahlia 'Chat noir'

I had to cut this dahlia back a bit, it grows quite leggy, but what luck - enough for a little vase. Love the colour, how can anyone not like dahlias? Sure, they can get earwiggy, but for shape and colour and ease of cultivation they take the prize. If you want people to ooh and aah at your front garden these are great. When I retire I'd like to grow dahlias on a small commercial basis.

 

So, back to normal, trailling clouds of glory from the great holiday. I've not got much ticked off my chores list, but hey, it is a holiday. I have tidied the front garden and reactivated the compost. The front garden is quite a job, mainly because I've let it go, and ryegrass from the lawn has invaded the front bed. This garden faces north-east, so for much of the year it's cold and unattractive to work in. The earth is very depleted as well, I really have to bite the bullet and try a more clearly stated theme out there, instead of it being the mish-mash of hastily poked-in bits and pieces it currently is. The only real characters are two President Roosevelt rhododendrons, a coral-coloured Azalea mollis and two giant bushes of Rosa 'Crepuscule' and 'Buff Beauty'. The underplanting is very bitsy; I've had various inspirations at different times that haven't been carried through. Any landscape gardener would despair.

 

The weather has changed to autumnal this last week. Last night was quite cool, and tonight it's quite cold, a southeast change came through this afternoon after a beautiful balmy morning. Not to worry, the wind has knocked down the last of the plums that were too high for me to pick, so I've cooked them up and now I'll away to eat them with the last of the homemade ice-cream. Cheers!