Autumn. We bypassed summer, did we!? My outdoor space is in tatters, which is why I’ve not shared much about it recently. I have become most accomplished at being blind to the work that needs to be done; these days I just seek out the pretty.
This is the morning glory that has climbed up the canes intended for sweet peas. Did I mention that I forgot to plant sweet peas? I’d forgotten that a keen gardener must start planting in the autumn and winter to have pretties for the following year. I did plant sweet peas in the end (bought them!!), they just never flowered. Well, I got a single bloom, which is absolutely ridiculous. Still, the morning glory is a beautiful flower and it makes me happy.
And I’ve got alyssum, which was planted from seed. They remind me of the eighties when I was little. Mum planted them in the borders with lobelia. I think that’s why I like them now. I used to pick the petals off lobelia and eat them. I’m not sure they’re counted as edible flowers. But you know, I’m not dead.
Everything has gone wild. The natural look is a good one but when it’s actually neglect …er, I’m not sure one can argue that it’s intentional. Every now and then I make the effort to dig up a dandelion but other stuff, like the nasturtium gets left because it’s lovely. But then it drowns everything and turns to sludge underneath the weight of itself. Any way, I’ll stop with the negative spin (although moaning is brilliant fun). Let’s have a look at the rest of it. What’s good…
I’m still getting veg and other edibles. That’s pretty impressive. We had roast lamb on Sunday, so I picked loads of mint to make sauce. With it we had those beans (the very last of this year’s lot). And I am amazed that it is the courgettes that are the last thing to hang on in there. I’ve got loads in the fridge and I’m tempted to make the 121st cake of the season (courgette cake is the best – try the zucchini bread from Rachel Allen’s Bake).
I went round the garden trying to find summer’s leftover flowers too. It’s slim pickings but they are there. And if they’re not then the vivid blue of slug pellets adds a touch of the exotic.
And in desperate times, one can always try arty shots of random stuff. I thought that peg pic was going to be better than it was. Maybe I should have taken twenty more than the twenty I took. Of pegs!? Pegs!
And there we have it. Another season gone. Another season where I didn’t do what I said I’d do. Whatever, I’m giving myself a pat on the back anyway cos last weekend I planted bulbs.
Love the random peg photo!! 🙂 🙂 xx
Thought I might try being arty!! Haha 😀 x
Your garden looks amazing to me. I especially like the alyssums. I love them because they smell like honey! But mine didn’t do so well this year in the California heat! I was impressed by the clothespin (peg) picture 😀Now to go look up “courgette”… LOL
Thank you! They really do smell like honey! When I was getting the pictures I could smell it so much. I had to get closer to get a better whiff!!
Courgette is French for zucchini. Is zucchini Italian? I don’t know if there is an English word. Marrow? Marrows are bigger though… I might have to google! 😀
I think my garden looks better than it did in August. Things which should have grown/flowered didn’t in August but have done now. We shall have beans till the frost comes!
It’s been a funny summer. Completely different in terms of when things were/are at their best. My mum is a couple of hours east of me and she says the same about her beans.
Your post made me smile….i too have neglected my garden thus summer. I love that you still look for the pretty and of that there is plenty. You are so right about allysum….1980’s but wasn’t that just the best xx
I know that if my mum came round she’d be ashamed. Her garden is much neater than mine!! There’s still lots of nice things if you see beyond the neglect! 😀
Ha! Alyssum ARE such 80s plants, you’re right! And if your garden is a disaster, it certainly never shows in your photos. 😀 My only horticultural success this year has been that my strawberry plant has had babies… But realistically full credit for that goes to Mother Nature, rather than to me! 😆
🤗 I don’t even know why I remember that!😆 Strawberry babies!! Free plants!
Hahaha! Maybe we both spent a lot of time in garden centres as little ‘uns. I’m pretty happy with my strawberry babies… Hopefully there will be some fruit on them next year! 2017 was a bit of a disappointment, strawberrily speaking. 😆
😂 good point !! No decent strawberries here this year either!