Summer has started to wane. This week the mornings have been a little colder and the days slightly shorter. When the sun has made an appearance between the rain showers I’ve dashed out the back door with my camera to capture as much Summer colour as I can. And of course, the fantastic light at this time of year!
Cosmos are little sun traps.
I thought the heartsease had finished flowering so I planted it out in the raised bed. It had a second wind and is covered in flowers. Now there are enough to make Annie’s blueberry and lemon traybake without stripping the plant bare.
Out of the sun and into the shade we have Love-in-a-mist. This stuff started sprouting up all over the place. At first I couldn’t work out where it’d all come from and then I remembered I’d done a Gemma special and scattered a whole pack of seeds a few weeks earlier (I have this accident quite a lot). Because I sowed seeds in the raised beds and then used that soil to fill pots, it’s everywhere.
Poppies have been a nice thing to have in the garden this year. They push out long thin stems with these big fat buds on the end. The buds stay tightly closed for a few days and then a tiny split appears.
Almost overnight the buds unfurl into big, floppy, colourful petals. I haven’t edited the colour of this one, it really is that bright!
Has anyone heart of soapwort? I discovered it in a book called Cottage Herbal whilst researching cottage garden plants. It’s not very popular or well known anymore, which seemed like a good reason to grow it. Soapwort’s use dates back to Roman times when it was used as a soap substitute. This plant is a double win because as well as looking nice, it’s bee friendly too.
And a garden update wouldn’t be complete without some hydrangea action!
Hopefully this Summer colour has cheered everyone up after the dreariness of the last few days. Still, it’s not all bad, all this water will fatten up the beans at the allotment nicely!
your garden looks so lovely Gemma. and i had never heard of soapwort. sounds like a great addition
Thanks Claudia 🙂
Beautiful pretty photos of the loveliest flowers that make me swoon. Loveliest light 🙂
But you know that from this moment on you will be officially known as ‘the one with a flower that looks like a scary vajaja’ don’t you? *scrolls back up to no.5 again to check*
Yep.
*guffaws*
Thanks for the traybake mention lovely – and cheers for joining in again. I can see our Summer meet up will be an Autumn one now – before Christmas ON PAIN OF DEATH.
Love you long time x
Phew! So glad that I’m not the only one who sees the “hoo-ha” The name of that poppy also makes me think of “nudie-cutie” 🙂
I thought the same about that bud!! I was giggling to myself like a ten year old when I saw it. Glad I’m not the only pervert…this trumps the lady parts strawberry earlier in the year for sure.
Everything in your garden is looking very lovely — especially those cosmos in that wonderful light. The soapwort is gorgeous too, I’d never heard of it before. I wonder why it’s not used so much, looks very delicate and appealing.
I wonder if they are just considered old fashioned now. It’s a shame though.
Wow – still such beautiful flowers, and double wow to that poppy #hdygg
Thank you Stephanie!
beautiful photos, your garden is stunning. Testament to much hard work I imagine.
I do admire how you know the name of everything. A true gardener.
If by true gardener you mean someone who punches vague descriptions into google and crosses her fingers – then yes, yes I am 😉
Oh isn’t soapwort pretty! I love your pictures of the Cosmos. Ours has had a wonderful year, it’s so high and the prettiest pinks, it obviously likes all of the rain!
I think so too. Ours are over a metre tall, bonkers!
the colours in your garden are very vibrant
Thanks. I’m going to miss all this colour when Winter arrives.
Gorgeous.That first cosmo basking in the sun is a real beauty. I can’t believe everyone else still has Poppies and Love in a Mist as mine finished ages ago. Wondering if I should have been spreading seeds weekly to keep things going. I kind of thought that they did that themselves.
I accidentally sowed all mine in one go so I’m not the person to give advice on sowing 🙂
My nigella (love in the mist) have all gone – I need to collect the seeds from them. Lovely seeing some bright and beautifully captured flowers so I can feel summer is still here. But huge grin on face after Annie’s poppy comment!
Hehe, we were all thinking it and then Annie went and said it I think! Since I wrote this post, most of the love-in-a-mist has started to go to seed. Nice while it lasted.
I’ve loved soapwort for many years, and saw it growing in a front garden for the first time in ages yesterday. How funny that I should then read about it on your lovely blog too!
Thank you Louisa 🙂 I’d never heard of Soapwort until I read about it in an old book. Would be nice to see it growing more widely, for the bees if nothing else.