It is mid August already and the garden and weather is beginning to feel more like Autumn. July gave us some really nice summer weather but this August has been poor so far. We have had more than half the normal rainfall in the first two weeks and it seems that the jet stream is in the wrong place such that even when high pressure is in control the air is very humid and the sky is overcast. Never the less most plants are performing and here is a selection from the garden in August.
Rudbeckia ‘Herbstone’ grows to almost two metres at the back of the border but does need staking to stop it falling on other plants.
Butterflies have been plentiful in the garden this year. Here on a variety of plants. We do have a Butterfly bush Buddleja davidii which of course gets covered with butterflies too.
This circular bed (stone edged bed on the garden map) was newly planted in 2016 and one of the things I was trying to achieve was a succession of plants forming a snake through the centre. Here Anemone ‘Wild Swan’ is achieving the snake with the leaves of Brunnera ‘Mr. Morse’ also snaking through.
Rudbeckia fulgida sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ should always have a place in the August border.
At first this looked like a new plant formed when a Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ decided to climb up a Foeniculum vulgare ‘purpureum’. 
I always grow some Ricinus communis ‘Impala’ from seed each year starting them off in the greenhouse and planting out when the dahlias go in. The leaves are fantastic architectural additions to any border but note that they donot overwinter here. 
There are many different Dahlias in our garden This is one of my favorites, Dahlia ‘Bishop of Aukland’.
This is Phlox paniculata Uspekh a plant I saw on a garden visit and just had to have for its strong colours.
Colour combinations are important in the garden. Often it is the plants themselves which seem to combine in good ways. Here we have Achillea ‘Credo’ with Salvia greggii ‘Emperor’, as close to complementary colours as you can get.
Here Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ is absolutely stunning but look closely a Cerastostigma willmottianum ‘Forest Blue’ has got into the picture. Complementary colours again!
Hemerocallis ‘Lemon Bells’ has been a real success this year and has been flowering now for around 10 weeks.
And other day lilies have also done well, here is Hemerocallis ‘Stafford’.
A shrubby clematis, Clematis ‘Wyevale’, comes back every year and has a long flowering period.
Cone flowers, Echinacea purpurea, are loved by insects and look fantastic in the garden.
There is a huge range of salvias on the market. Recently I have been adding a couple each year. Here is Salvia x jamensis ‘Sierra san Antonio’ and Salvia microphylla ‘Icing Sugar’
Osteospermums have a long flowing period and look great. This is Osteospermum ‘Tresco Purple’ which is hardy in some places but so far not here so I take cuttings every year.
Sowed a bit late but this Rudbeckia came from a packet of seed described as Rustic Dwarfs Mixed and has produced some stars. I will try getting Rudbeckia plants from seed every year now.
Another plant from seed is Cosmos, this is Cosmos versailles tera and produces some very strongly coloured flowers.
This is new to me, Maurandya ‘Magic Dragon’. Sue Turner at “from sewing room to potting shed” very kindly sent me some seed last year. 
Another climber, Clematis ‘Jackmanii’, has been doing great things although this year has not produced the best from clematis which I suspect was due to lack of rain through the spring.
Last but not least, Anemone ‘Honorine Joubert’, a great plant not least because it copes with shade well.
| 2017 Gardening Hours | ||
| Week beginning August 12th |
Total 2017 to-date | Average per week |
| 10 | 671 | 20 |
The weather this year has been a challenge. It has been dry and hot and we seem to be advancing into that gap between Summer and Autumn even so it is only the end of July. Many plants are dry and crispy and having been away for a couple of weeks we have not had time to remove those specimen weeds that always seem to grow the best! However, there is still much to show this month.
Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ looking great as always.
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’
almost lost in the border with other perennials.
Another day lily, Hemerocallis ‘Stafford’.
A favorite with the bees and looking at its best Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Willmott’s ghost’
The blue globes of Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’. This magnificent variety produces stiff silvery stems with dark green, silver-backed thistle-like leaves which terminate in brilliant dark, vivid blue globes the size of a spiky golf ball.
Anthemis tinctoria ‘Sauce Hollandise’ need supporting as it grows but gives a real splash of colour.
One for the back of the border. Achillea filipendulina ‘Cloth of Gold’ will grow to six feet.
Another echinops, Echinops Humilis ‘Taplow Blue’ also grows to around six feet.
And here they are together with Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’.
A useful gap filler for the front of the border is Mesembryanthemum and it is easy to grow from seed.
Potentilla ‘Gibson’s Scarlet’ another useful plant for the front of the border.
One of my favorite dahlias, Dahlia Bishop of Auckland. 
Always unexpected, Verbena bonariensis plants itself where it wants to grow but it is always a delight.
Day lily, Hemerocallis ‘Lemon Bells’
and in the same border Hemerocallis ‘Catherine Woodbery’
Achillea ‘Credo’ was planted in 2016 and is now looking much stronger.
The bottom of the garden with Stipa gigantea and
Echinacea.
Leucanthemum ‘Goldrausch’ a good strong Shasta Daisy.
Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ with
Phlox paniculata Uspekh in the background.
Phoxs have done particularly well this year. In the foreground is Phlox paniculata ‘Bright Eyes’.
Lavandula augustifolia ‘Hidcote’ is always hard to keep looking good and not woody.
We only have one hanging basket and here it is!
A great honeysuckle which we took as a cutting from another garden.
Rosa ‘Meg’ a beautiful climbing rose that was in the garden 23 years ago when we brought the house and garden.
Glebe House Garden 