Officially it is early autumn already. Or is it late summer?
Whatever it may be it felt more summery lately than it had ever been all summer. Perhaps September is the new July? Mind you I remember September and early October last year being gloriously lovely as well.
Hooray for an Indian Summer! Sometimes its the only chance of a summer we'll ever get in the UK. Mind you this year was exceptional. I've never seen so much rain here before, and such a prolonged period as well. Enough to reverse a hosepipe ban.
So with this recent bout of sunny spells I'm feeling all excited about gardens and plants again. Much more so than I ever did compared to the months that's just gone past. It's more also because I'm starting to look ahead now, looking forward to next year and what new things can be done.
We've started to prepare the garden now for the coming winter, albeit slowly and leisurely, as well as started to look forward and plan for next year. The latter part being the most exciting bit.
And the pond project is almost finished and will be finished soon. We can move on now to the next project. More on that later on.
It may feel summery now but the signs of autumn are starting to creep up. Now that you can't deny and not notice. Some plants have gone past their best and are starting to go dormant. Some have started to shed their leaves. But most still look good. A time of the year to just enjoy the garden and tidy along the way.
With the autumn sunshine, I'm enjoying the moment and so looking forward to new things ahead.
Mark :-)
Whatever it may be it felt more summery lately than it had ever been all summer. Perhaps September is the new July? Mind you I remember September and early October last year being gloriously lovely as well.
 |
| Not you usual autumn harvest - Cyphomandra corymbiflora fruit. Year in, year out it produces frutis but never get to harvest them for the seeds. Might try this year! |
So with this recent bout of sunny spells I'm feeling all excited about gardens and plants again. Much more so than I ever did compared to the months that's just gone past. It's more also because I'm starting to look ahead now, looking forward to next year and what new things can be done.
 |
| Trevesia palmata enjoying some early autumn sun |
 |
| And so does this Cussonia spicata |
And the pond project is almost finished and will be finished soon. We can move on now to the next project. More on that later on.
 |
| Autumn bounty from one of our Fig trees - Ficus carica 'Brown Turkey' |
 |
| It's Dahlia 'Twyning's After Eight' time! |
Mark :-)
This gardening blog follows our journey as we create our Tropical and Exotic themed garden. We hope you'll enjoy the journey as much as we do. We started our Exotic Garden in 2005 and this site will show its development, as well as our travels, both abroad and within the UK to gardens, nurseries and friends.
You're lucky to already have that feeling of autumn in the air. Here in the Sacramento Valley we're going to have another week of 95°F degree weather. But I noticed that some winter growers (like my two veltheimias) are showing the first signs of growth.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear about your new project!
The Cussonia is a new one on me, what incredible leaves! Let's hope we have some more good weather over the coming weeks.
ReplyDeleteHope the weather stays sunny and warm a bit longer for you to just enjoy the garden. Like Gerhard, I'm curious about what you have planned next and can't wait to see the fish's new home all complete.
ReplyDeleteIs your trevesia palmata growing in the ground or do you bring it inside for the winter? What lovely foliage!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Autumn is a wonderful time to enjoy the garden. And from what I see you have a lot to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWishing you nice sunshine this month.
David/:0)
I am eager to see your pond completed! And already you plan a new project...I can identify with that! I am glad you are enjoying some nice weather. The weather here is perfect. I wish it would stay like this until Christmas, and then I would like a nice snowfall. That is not likely to happen!
ReplyDeleteBut..but...but..it's still summer!!! Late Sumer indeed but not yet Autumn!
ReplyDeleteOkay, thank you for letting me get that off chest. Another project? I can't wait to hear what that might be!
Your Dahlia's are beautiful. So nice to have your tropical foliage, yet get figs off the tree.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Mark, wow autumn comes indeed early for you guys in the UK! But I am glad that you are getting some uplifting sunshine. I love, love, love your dahlia 'Twyning's After Eight'. There are no dahlias in my garden, but your post really made me want to get one :-)!
ReplyDeleteChristina
Another very warm week to look forward to Gerhard, looks like summer still has its grip in your area :) I'm just hoping we continue to get sunny and dry weather for a little while longer even if it's not that warm, good enough for us!
ReplyDeleteIndeed Martin. It's not reliably hardy though but can come back from roots if planted out in milder areas.
Hope so too Missy, could do with nice weather for much longer.
Outlawgardener, it has lovely foliage indeed. It's growing in a pot though and bring it under cover during the winter.
Thanks David and you too :)
Thanks Debs! It's shaping up very nicely now that we are definitely on the final stages and finishing touches too. The next projects have been on the pipeline for quite some time now, even before the pond project but can't proceed to it without completing the pond first. But it won't be as labour intensive as that one.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be late summer indeed Loree, I'll settle for that :) It'll be a series of new-ish projects although as mentioned above they've been on the pipeline for quite some time. Will blog about all of them later on :)
It's a beautiful Dahlia indeed Cher!
So glad for the sunshine indeed Christina. It's not too sunny at this moment but the sun seems set to come back again later on. Dahlias would look great in your garden :)
That Dahlia is stunning! I laughed at your "September is the new July"! Until this week, we have had higher temperatures in September than we did in July, too! I'm hoping for a long, beautiful autumn. By the way, I'm jealous of your figs! Mine got eaten - and not by me!
ReplyDeleteHi Holley, funny you mentioned about the figs. We rarely get to eat them ourselves, by the time they are ready usually the squirrels get to them first before we do, lol! :)
ReplyDeleteIf i were the gardener in temperate climates, maybe i will always be depressed if the plants will succumb to winter. What if i will not be able to bring them in? Oh, that is tantamount to saying, i will not plant anymore so i wont worry about them later. But of course that is not the case, a gardener-always a gardener! Your plants are so big to bring in, what will you do with that when winter arrives?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI would love to grow cyphomandra corymbiflora plants, but I can't find them anywhere.
Who has seeds from this plant?