Late summer colour in Linda's garden

Despite the multitude of extreme weather events we've had this year parts of the garden are still going strong.  Here are some of the more unusual plants that I grow to provide interest and colour into the autumn.

I bought this plant, Strobilanthes atropurpurea, a couple of years ago at a plant fair without knowing much about it, however it's proved reliable with unusual shaped flowers not opening until August.  It is said to seed freely.

The annual climber, Ipomoea coccinea, grows fast and produces a new crop of these cheerful red flowers every morning.

This group of plants grow in a small bed near the house. They follow on from Lilium regale and before that spring flowering cyclamen coum, snowdrops and anemone blanda.  Everything is left in the ground all year.  

I bought this Roscoea as a seedling from Keith Wiley at his garden Wildside in North Devon.  I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in that area. It is also just down the road from The Garden House.  

It doesn't appear above ground until June but is in flower towards the end of July.  Behind it are a group of Eucomis bicolor that have increased over the years.  The dark leaf is Perilla, an annual herb, which I grow each year for its foliage.

This bed was replanted last year and although it's getting absolutely battered by the wind at the moment the plants seem to be coping.  

The Eupatorium atropurpureum with its fluffy pink flowers is about 7ft high but doesn't seem to need staking.  In the background Phytolacca or Pokeweed has now exchanged its spikes of pink flowers for dark black seeds. 

Ageratina 'Chocolate' with its dark leaves produces heads of white flowers usually towards the end of September but its foliage sets off the Japanese Anemone Honorine Jobert.

Finally there are the shocking pink flowers of Persicaria orientalis an annual also known as 'Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate'.  This will grow to well over 6ft. It seeds around and basically looks after itself.

I bought Rudbeckia herbstonne at one of the village plant sales many years ago and so I imagine lots of us grow it.  The bright yellow flowers appear in August together with those of the purple Vernonia, also called Ironweed.  Both are natives of North America and both grow to well over 6ft tall.  With them are the scarlet flowers of Lobelia tupa and purple Salvia Amistad.

 Best wishes Linda

A Bold and Brilliant Garden

I first became aware of Sarah Raven  from an article about her book, the "Bold and Brilliant Garden", and as anyone will know that is her style and runs right through all her catalogues which are definitely uplifting.    She does now include some softer colours but even so, the bulk of the flower pictures in the catalogue will be "in your face" bold and brilliant.  

We have a bed which faces the south downs which needed some attention and was looking very underwhelming during the week when the SAGE  gardens were open;  however, the plot is now looking much more like the bold and brilliant garden it is meant to be.     

A lot of the plants are currently protected because the rabbits tend to be curious and go for anything new, but I  am hopeful that the wire netting can come down soon and will not be needed next year.   

The majority of the plants are perennials with a number of vibrant roses, salvia, day lilies, crocosmia, geranium and gladioli papilio, but  you cannot have a bold and brilliant garden at this time of year without the Mexican sunflower "Tithonia";  it is an annual (at least in this country) and I grew it from seed;   it  is one of the most intense oranges I know in the garden. 

I have also been lucky to have been given some tagetes cinnabar which also fit in well.  

I am quite pleased with the bed for its first year and I think it will improve in years to come as the plants bed in and bulk up. 

Best wishes

Rosemary  

August in Sarah and Mike’s garden

I love the way Cosmos turn their sweet faces to the sun in the early mornings. This tall dark pink is Dazzler grown from seed and the mid pink one ‘Xsenia’ also grown from seed collected in the garden last Autumn. 

Growing alongside Cosmos is Aster Frikartii Monch another favourite of mine.

The Phlox have been lovely filling the garden with colour and scent. I have cut back the first blooms as they went over and new flowers will appear before too long. 

The Summer pots are still flowering well with the pink daisies on a second bloom after I cut them back a few weeks ago.

Another favourite for August are Penstemons, much loved by the bees.  I have a variety of them including Rich Ruby, Apple Blossom, Alice Hindley and a bright pink one. Pentstemons are easy to grow and take cuttings from in Autumn. They will go on flowering as will the Cosmos until the first frosts.

Best wishes to Sage membership

Sarah

Oat and Fruit Crumble

This is a great recipe for any fruit and is really a crumble by any other name but using a topping which is more like a flapjack.  

I had looked for a recipe for an apple dish without flour for a gluten intolerant relation and found one which had several layers of this.  I then decided to adopt the recipe to use some of the wonderful plums which we have in the garden at present.

   

This will easily feed 6 with some left over. (but is a bit of a guestimate for all including for the amount of fruit) 

250 grams of rolled oats; 

125 grams chopped walnuts (they should still have texture); 

125 grams sugar (any type) 

about 200 grams butter;

enough fruit to include a thick layer at the bottom of the dish. 

I have used apples,  but recently I used plums and raspberries which was an excellent combination.   Put the fruit uncooked in the bottom of the dish you are using;   mix the oats, walnuts and  sugar together and spread over the top;  slice the butter and put the slices over the top of the dish;  bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.     

I hope you enjoy

Rosemary  

Fruit trees at Skinners Cottage

When we first moved to Skinners Cottage, the only fruit trees were in what is now called the spring garden,  this is the area next to the stables and had a plum, three apple trees and a lovely pollinator.  We sadly lost the pollinator and one of the apple trees but the plum has not only survived, it has flourished and 2020 has been an exceptional year as recipients of the excess will know.   We don’t know what it is but it is early and our best guess is that it is either a Czar or an Opal.

 

The two remaining apple trees are (probably)  a Beauty of Bath which is also an early fruiter but it does not keep.  Indeed it suffers from June drop but it is always good to use to make a pudding.   Last weekend I used the remaining windfalls to make an oat and apple dish which I found on the web having looked for a recipe which was gluten free.     It is a layered mixture of oats, nuts (finely grated) and sugar and apple and then rather than having to fold in the butter or use a processor you simply add a layer of thickish slices of butter on top and bake.  It is easy and delicious and it also works for plums with just a top layer of the oats as a form of crumble (quantities available if anyone is interested). 

 

In the last 10 years, I have planted a lot of additional fruit trees in the paddock (now more accurately referred to as the South Garden).  Firstly, I ordered two bare root Mirabelle de Nancy from the only stockist I could find in the UK;  visitors to French markets will have seen these pretty yellow cherry plums, but I have never seen them for sale in the UK.  I was very concerned when the trees arrived in late May (during what I recall was pretty hot weather), but they took off and have been grown to be a good size and have an amazing amount of fruit on them this year.  

I now have a third three which is slightly smaller, but may well catch up fast.   We have a further large plum, two greengages, Both with fruit for almost the first time) several apples, a damson tree and two figs.   

All are fruiting well this year;  the only disappointment on the fruit front are the two pears,  both of which appeared as normal to have lots of small fruit on,  but all the fruit has completely disappeared.    Anyway, we have more than enough fruit to last the entire year.  

Best wishes

Rosemary   

“All things Bright and Beautiful” from Frithwood Cottage

Dear Sage Members

This year has been particularly good for spotting butterflies in the garden. Here are a selection which were obliging and didn’t fly off before I “snapped” them!

Peacock on the buddleia!

I think this is an Arran Brown on a white cosmos!

A Gatekeeper on marjoram.

A bumble bee on Veronica!  I know it’s not a butterfly but it’s so beautiful and furry!

The Morning Glory has been fantastic this year.  I’ve never grown this shade of blue before but I just love it - every morning when I go out there are more blooms awaiting inspection and appreciation and, of course, more which require dead heading!

The hydrangeas are particularly good this year.

Happy Gardening!

Keep safe.

Love from 
Rhona