Our weather is pretty mixed at the moment, so my gardening is a bit haphazard too – I’m a fair weather gardener! I’m tackling an area at a time for weeds – I did the autumn bed a few days ago and it does look much better. The patio area is what I’m tackling at the moment, I’ve tidyied by the conservatory, the raised bed needs sorting but access is a big problem at this time of year – this is the downside of planting densely!!

The lovely roses at the top of the photo are Champagne Moments, they are absolutely glorious at the moment – it’s a great rose, it flowers it’s socks off all summer and smells lovely! The rose in the middle which is getting a bit swamped is Jude the Obscure.

I seem to have astrantia self seeding its self everywhere – it’s lovely but they’re quite big plants so I’m having to start being a bit ruthless. I probably wouldn’t mind as much if it was one of the more colourful ones in ruby red or pretty pink, but they’re all this creamy-green colour! The pretty flower to the left is a penstemon, it’s been there a few years now, never quite being centre of attention, but quietly flowering for several months of the year. The blue veronica is still looking great as you can see.

We also have lots of self-seeded annual poppies – the purple kind, well they are all shades from almost white to quite a deep purple. I lobve the way they spring up everywhere – I won’t let my OH pull them up until they have set seed! The bees love them too.

My purple clematis (called Romantica I think) is usually looking spectacular at this time of year. However it’s looking rather sorry for itsself, I fear it has clematis wilt, The upper branches are dying, so I’m going to have to cut it right back. Clematis wilt is oftern because a plant isn’t planted deep enough, however as this has been there for about 15 years, I don’t think that is the cause. I was a little late tying it up and I wonder if I’ve damaged the stem and that’s allowed the fungus in. If I cut it back it should hopefully recover – and it’s a good opportunity to build a new arch as this one is getting very rickety!

In the corner by the arbour I have a Fatsia Japonica in a large pot. It’s a very shady area as it has a high fence behind it, it’s inbetween the arbour and the raised bed and the sambuscus branches spread over the area too. Fatsia’s like shade, it wasn’t looking too happy at the beginning of the year but it seems to have put out a few new leaves, so hopefully it’s settling down. There’s a large hosta tucked in the shade too, that looks fairly happy too. The hydrangea in front of it is looking hopeful, but the one behind which has never flowered since I got it has still not got the hint as to what it’s meant to do!!

Hopefully this week I’ll manage to get into the garden a bit more, do a bit more weeding!