I had to keep reminding myself that it was the end of August today, a relatively uneventful month with very nondescript weather, days and overcast days with occasional sunny periods and relatively little rain. Perhaps it was on a mission to get itself out of the way and move onto something a little different?
The garden has certainly moved on from its summer glory, with less colour in evidence in most of the borders but inevitably there are some plants that keep on giving throughout the summer months and many of the roses are flowering again (look at Rural England climbing into the apple tree in the top right of the above picture), although many of the clematis are flowered out. I am deadheading and cutting back on an almost daily basis now, but the garden is not entirely shabby yet – and the annual and dahlia beds are as colourful as ever. Do look through the photos and see you what you think, starting with the views from the back of the house above and below, and then watch the short video afterwards for a three-dimensional tour.
The shrub border also from the other direction, looking back towards the house:
The woodland , the view of the main borders from the bothy at the far end and the same view from ground level:
The clematis colonnade and heuchera bed, then the woodland edge border from both directions:
The three bold borders:
The dahlias and cutting beds:
The blue & white borders, rose garden and walking through the main borders we saw earlier:
Returning towards the house, the annual border and the view across the paved area:
Into the Coop and then towards the exceedingly leafy Coop Corner, where I spied some out-of-season blooms on the Clematis armandii:
There are some tucked away bits you don’t always see photos of, but the video will give you a glimpse of some of them so do take the 5 or 6 minutes needed to watch it within this blog or click here, and then let’s all see what September has in store for us!
Rambling in the Garden 
The video is unavailable, alas.
I am sorry Tracy – it plays OK on my laptop, although not on my phone or tablet, which I don’t think has been an issue before. Not sure why that is but I will try and look into it
August has been a strange month hasn’t it? The garden has carried on in spite of it and the shrubs are still providing a lot of colour. Late perennials are adding to the mix and soon the grasses will all be in flower. My roses have almost stopped flowering, yours are doing much better! I’ve noticed that the camellias and rhodos are covered in nice fat flower buds, I think we need some rain to keep them there!
Certainly strange here, a relatively grey month but with very little rainfall. The roses had a long break, but most are now reflowering to varying degrees. Almost all the clematis have finished though, probably too dry for them. I don’t have too many late flowering perennials as so many of them are things that don’t seem to do well here. I checked my rhododendrons today, but there is no real evidence of buds on mine, and rain is very definitely needed!
Your garden has big personality! I enjoyed the video.
Thanks Susie, I think the video will give a more rounded picture than the still photos, but of course I can’t look at it objectively!
It is always such fun taking a walk with you around your garden! You do still have a lot of colour. The annuals and cutting beds are glorious! Are they Streptocarpus in the Coop?
Aw thanks Cathy. There are splashes of colour, but when I saw Monty’s garden on GW it made me realise how much more there could be, although so many of the later flowering pperennials haven’t done well here in the past. And yes, they are streptocarpus – one of the bulb companies I use promoted them at another nursery so I have had 3 which have flowered continuously for months and conditions seem to be OK for them in the Coop, so I have ordered more and now have a ‘collection’ of them. They can flower for 8 or 9 months which is remarkable
My Mum had a wonderful collection of Streptocarpus for decades, and then about three years ago they all died. She tried everything to save them. Must have been a fungus brought in on another plant. Anyway, they seem to be coming back into fashion and she has a few new ones to start off her new collection now. 😃 So good luck with them. I have yet to find one here!
Oh how devastating to lose a whole collection… 🙄 I will have 11 when my newest batch comes, having added some more for sentimental reasons because of the names! I will try some leaf cuttings next year and will happily send some to your Mum if she would like them, assuming mine get through the winter. Where does she keep hers?
On a very large north-facing windowsill in the living room, so it is quite warm in winter, but coolin summer. She would be thrilled if you have any cuttings going begging! 🤗
I am assuming cuttings are best left till spring now, but I will look into it
Thank you. 😃
P.S. Where do you buy yours, Cathy?
Mine are from Dibleys, who are specialists (and of saintpaulias and begonias)
Loveliness! Our entire summer has been weird…unusual, not necessarily bad, but totally different than most years. Leaf-out earlier, hotter days, less rain…climate change? Your garden looks great!
Thanks Beth. No sign of leaf drop here yet, but with the lack of rain I am sure it will be earlier than some years. August here has just been really overcast – which I suppose would get some people down but I try just to take it as it comes