One thing which has done well is my little apple tree. This is Gloster, red skinned, as you can see, with a crisp flesh. It had lots of blossom in the spring and it's gone on to produce a bumper harvest. This is only part of the tree, the other branches are laden too.
My beautiful Golden Wings rose doesn't look quite so beautiful once the flowers are spent. There are some new buds though so I should get some more blooms.
Geraniums, or pelargoniums to give them their correct name, are plants which flower on and on all summer. I bought three of this unknown variety earlier this year and they're still going strong. I love the scarlet red ones best.
I've got three blueberry bushes which I grow in containers. They're all different varieties so they ripen at different stages to extend the harvest but only one of the plants have really done their thing this year, one produced just a handful of fruit and the other had a year off. They're all now showing their autumnal colour, a little early really. I wonder if they've been tricked into thinking that summer was in May and June when we had a spell of hot weather.
This unnamed rose was a present from Daniel one Mother's Day, it's never really thrived but it does give me a few blooms each year so I'm loath to pull it out. I'm a bit sentimental like that.
The promise of things to come. It won't be long now until the sedum bursts into bloom. I'm hoping that it encourages lots of honey bees and butterflies into the garden, like it usually does, as I've seen very few of either around this year.
One thing which never looks sad, my little stone spaniel hiding amongst the plants.
I have lots of garden ornaments. Do you?
Lots of garden ornaments here! Lovely to see what is happening in your garden right now, you have some very pretty flowers.
ReplyDeleteI love having lots of ornaments in the garden, visitors always enjoy looking them out. They bring back lots of happy memories too as I've picked some of them up on my travels and others have been bought for me as gifts.
DeleteYes I agree, there is a definite change in the air now, although I don't mind that too much, I like Autumn and Winter too. Your little apple tree did really well, have they got more taste than shop bought? The only apple I really like is a Russet and I buy loads once they come in the shops. I haven't got any garden ornaments, you must show more of yours :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend
Summer is my favourite season followed by spring so I'm never happy when autumn comes around again. The apples are tasty, definitely nicer than those in the supermarket, though that wouldn't be hard. I enjoy having lots of ornaments in the garden, I like it to be a little quirky.
DeleteOur rose has buds again, we have yellow blooms. Our blueberries did very well this year, I have two different bushes so they don't fruit at the same time, they too have lovely colours in their leaves. I have cut back tomatoes and cucumber, had a good crop but the plants were going over.
ReplyDeleteI love yellow roses, they're my favourites. My tomato plants have been rubbish this year, there's still quite a bit of fruit left to pick but the plants look to be going over already.
DeleteI love this time of year when the garden is just over its peak. Apart from deadheading I can sit and admire the flowers. We found a 'beheaded' little boy statue in our new garden and eventually myself up his head. He now takes pride of place under a multi-stemmed birch tree. I saw some lovely glass garden flowers during an open garden visit this summer and I might buy a few as a Christmas present to myself.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to sit back and enjoy all the work you've put into the garden. Poor little boy being left headless, I'm glad he's been rescued and now takes pride of place. The glass garden flowers sound lovely, I'm sure they'd look fabulous in your garden.
DeleteWe lost our Angels Wings when we renovated the perennial bed on the plot, The only garden ornaments that we have are out bird baths.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame you've lost your Angel Wings, it's such a beautiful rose with a gorgeous scent. I have a couple of bird baths but lots of other garden ornaments.
DeleteNice post and pictures. Those apples look good. I like the stone spaniel.
ReplyDeleteMy only ornament is Fox Junior who sits under the rose 'Pretty Lady'. xx
I'm really pleased with the apple harvest this year, though my Golden Delicious tree didn't do much at all, it's been quite a disappointment ever since I got it. I couldn't resist the little spaniel, he's so cute.
DeleteOur garden is not only winding down, Jo, it's positively shrivelled! Our own fault, mainly, too busy on other things to water consistently, and although we've had a lot of rain, not for some weeks have we had a real downpour. And the bindweed, my goodness, it's rampant this year, never seen a year for bindweed like it. What a pity it's not an endangered species, people would then love it!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely apple tree, about time we planted a small apple tree, m'thinks! I have been reading about apples and orchards for a feature, and Golden Delicious don't do well here, that's why they're imported from Australia and other warmer countries, they need more sun than we usually have. But if someone reads this and says, "What nonsense!" then please don't blame me, but the books I've just been reading, ha ha!
Margaret P
www.margaretpowling.com
A garden does take some work to look good, especially in dry weather when watering is required. I used to have lots of pots and containers in the garden, especially before I got my allotment when I also grew veggies in containers, but I've done away with lots of them now as I just don't have the time to keep up with the watering. I'm lucky, my garden doesn't have bindweed, it's a terrible thing to get rid of, but I do have horsetail which is also a pain to deal with. I'm really happy with my little Gloster apple tree. I started growing it in a container but it's now planted out in the garden and rewards me well.
DeleteI have a rose that did really well this year as did the hydrangea but then, that does love rain so maybe no real surprise there! LOL We don't have any garden ornaments - no real reason why not.
ReplyDeleteI've only recently started growing roses, I wasn't very fond of them for some reason but I love them now. There's three in the garden so far but I can definitely see me adding to that number. I've had to put a stop to buying ornaments for the garden, I've got so many that I just don't have room for any more. Mind you, I say that now, just wait till I see something I can't resist.
DeleteI have a stone bunny in my garden which is so full of weeds it's hard to tell what's growing. Waiting for cooler weather.
ReplyDeleteI have containers which get rather weedy, they've been a little neglected this year but Mick tackled them all recently so they're looking spick and span again.
DeleteWe've been out walking this afternoon and it's definitely feeling autumnal. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly, as the weather is still quite mild here. The apple tree looks lovely. Plenty of produce there. No garden ornaments here, unless you count the cat which is forever sitting at the bottom of the dry stone wall waiting for mice. X
ReplyDeleteThe nights are drawing in too, I was surprised the other day when I realised what time it was when it got dark. Ha ha, yes, I could count Archie as a garden ornament too, he's happy to just lie on the grass and watch what we're up to.
DeleteThe apples on your tree look good Jo.
ReplyDeleteThe nights are definitely drawing in now, and of course one week today we will be saying 'it's 1st September' ... what a thought!
Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.
All the best Jan
My little tree has done really well this year. I don't know where this year's gone, nearly into September already.
DeleteEven if no a bumper year, you still had something. Pity about your blueberries, but maybe it's being restricted to pots. Mine do very well in open ground(they are old), but DD's doesn't crop well either in a pot. Actually I have one of them in flower now. My sedum puppies are just showing a wee bit of green above the soil. I've a few garden ornaments, and my favourite is of course 'Springer spaniel'. (giggle) Have a good weekend & take care.
ReplyDeleteBlueberries like ericaceous compost so I grow them in containers so that I can control the growing medium. I had a bumper harvest last year so I think they're resting this year, though I had a good harvest from the one plant. I like your 'Springer' spaniel, so cute.
DeleteAll those apples, how fantastic. We're looking for a couple of dwarf fruit trees for the patio to grow in pots, I'd quite like an apple and a pear tree. Your little spaniel is quite gorgeous, I do love to see ornaments and a bit of quirkiness xx
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that such a little tree has supported so much fruit all summer, I was expecting much of the fruit to drop but it hasn't. I love seeing more than plants in a garden, I suppose ornaments put your own little stamp on a place.
DeleteIt's looking good there, Jo. I love your apple tree, the color of them is really pretty. My apple tree did so poorly this year. Hopefully we have more next year. I love garden ornaments, especially when they have colorful glass bits. I also have a lot of fake-verdigris type metal things around here and there.
ReplyDeleteI'm really pleased with my little apple tree, it's so pretty in the spring when it's covered in blossom and then looks very attractive adorned with rosy red apples. That's not to mention the bounty it's produced. What a shame that your tree hasn't done so well this year but I think most fruit trees have years off where they seem to regain their strength before cropping again. I always admire your beautiful bird bath when you show photos of it on your blog, I'd love something similar for my own garden.
DeleteMy garden is winding down and looks a mess, Jo. You still have some pretty blooms there. Love the apple tree -- those apples make my mouth water. I have lots of garden ornaments too, but I don't put them all out every year; I rotate them. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer! P. x
ReplyDeleteI'm sure your garden doesn't look a mess, it's just the time of year, plants don't look fresh forever. It's a good idea to rotate the garden ornaments, if I do that it means I can buy more, ha ha.
DeleteThose apples look delicious. Enjoy your garden while you still can, autumn is coming!
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely a touch of autumn in the air now, surprising really as we're still in August, which I always remember being very summery when I was a child, I think things are changing.
DeleteJust look at all those apples, definitely a success!
ReplyDeleteLove the little spaniel! I have a rabbit in the garden, unfortunately his ears fell off, I think the cold got to him! Lisa x
My apple tree has surpassed all expectation, it's done so well this year. I've had quite a few pots which have been frost damaged over winter, such a shame that your poor bunny is earless but I bet he's still very cute.
DeleteOh those 'Gloster Apples' look as if they are from a fairy tale Jo. Such an intense colour. One of my small apple trees at the allotment has sadly collapsed under the weight of its load although I don't think that damage is fatal. I should have been ruthless thinning the fruits out. On the subject of garden ornaments I have a few - the latest addition being a statue that we bought back from my Mum's garden.
ReplyDeleteI'll take that as a warning. I did wonder whether I should remove some of the apples when they started developing, it's such a little tree and absolutely laden with fruit. it's so hard to be ruthless though, isn't it? Your mum's statue must be very special to you, I'm sure it's got pride of place in your garden.
DeleteA beautiful garden and those apples look delicious! :)
ReplyDeleteI have one or two garden ornaments too.
I've never had such a good apple harvest, the little tree is certainly happy that it's been turfed out of its container and planted in the ground, it's rewarding me well.
DeleteLovely flowers Jo, beautiful bright red.
ReplyDeleteOff topic, I've started getting back into socks again. It's just too big and bulky - crocheting my blanket at the moment. I love how you have all your socks on display in the side bar. A useful reminder I guess. I'll start wading my way through them as I like to read the journey.
Overall, do you have a particular favourite yarn, do you buy something that takes your fancy in a wool shop, or do you go searching for a specific colour, pattern yarn brand etc on line? Cathy x
Red flowers can be a little garish but I do love these bright spots in the garden. Blankets are great winter projects, especially when they're growing and start covering you as you work on them, a good way to keep warm as you do a bit of crafting. Each of my projects in the sidebar are linked to the post about them, so if you click on the photo it will take you to the post. I've just discovered West Yorkshire Spinners yarn and I'm loving using that at the moment, there's some great colours and though it's not as soft as some of the indie merino yarns, it's still good for socks. I do love the indie yarns though, the dyers come up with some wonderful colourways and it's always so soft and squishy. I usually just buy things as I see them, but I've become a bit of a fan of yarn festivals and enjoy visiting those and making a purchase or two.
DeleteTomatoes and cucumbers have done really well this year, although my French beans are quite late - still in flower and not a pod in sight yet.
ReplyDeleteWe have a few garden ornaments.
There's always some things which do better than others. I'm getting enough tomatoes off the plants for my own family, there just isn't any surplus this year to give away.
DeleteI struggle to grow roses here, maybe it's the sandy soil. Like you I only had a handful of blueberries too....good to see that apple tree so laden, how lovely those apples look.xxx
ReplyDeleteI've never grown roses until the last few years but I really love them now. The apples are wonderful this year, such a great harvest.
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