garden details

late summer in our garden.

it feels so good to type that because it means autumn is nearly here! my favourite season. our best growing season (i think anyway). sometimes summer can linger for quite a while around here though so it is a little difficult to know whether it is too early to be planting out autumn crops or not. but no harm in being prepared i think.

walking around the garden at the end of summer i keep coming back to the stalwarts that have given the garden colour throughout this hot, dry season. cosmos, hollyhocks, verbena and a tiny little pink rose have all continued to flower for what seems like months now. they are hardy, they are survivors, they never complain and hang their heads if i forget to water them, they just keep on keeping on. never a day goes by that i am ungrateful for their presence in our garden. other heat lovers i have growing that just get better and better over summer are mint, rosemary and sage, they are thriving.

some things haven't gone quite as planned this summer. the trellis along the top of the stone wall is there to accommodate grape vines. they all died except two. we lost a couple of fruit trees and i haven't had much luck with my strawberries.

in the veggie patch all but a bit of basil has come to an end. tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini and corn have all been ripped out and thrown on the compost heap. there is spare ground aplenty. two beds are earmarked for rejuvenation and will be planted out with green manure in the hope that they will be ready for winter crops (or at least spring!). seeds have been planted in trays and i intend to be very attentive over the next week or so and ever so hopeful that something grows. i have put in many leafy greens, fennel, leeks, herb and spice seeds as well as a few flowers. 

i am wishing we lived near to a garden centre and could just pop in to pick up some seedlings today. i really have an itch to get my hands in the soil and start planting!