Late summer harvest

Cox’s orange pippin.

It always happens but I can’t believe that it is the end of August already. It hasn’t been a particularly good vegetable year for me, I struggled with the watering and some crops like lettuce just bolted in the heat.

Grapes, not ready yet.

It is really comforting, therefore, to find that with a bit of moisture and cooler temperatures the surviving vegetables have picked themselves up and put a bit of effort into it.

Potimarron squash

The squashes in particular have gone from sulking and refusing to grow to taking over the plot suddenly masses of fruit appearing, (hope that’s the right term) about six on this plant and loads of flowers.

Turks turban

Unfortunately the growth spurt is too late to win me the village pumpkin competition with this one.

My late sown runner beans are doing better than the earlier ones which went over quickly without producing much.

Had some tonight for tea, very tender and fresh.

Courgette ‘Buckingham’

This is a new variety of yellow courgette for me this year. It has been prolific with courgettes, and a few marrows, all summer and still going.

I don’t like the end of summer but I do loved the fruits it brings. The apples and plums are just starting to ripen and the blackberries are ready in the hedgerows. The wasps and hornets are fond of the fruit too.

Hornet enjoying a fallen plum.

I will survive!

It looks like we are in for a bit more dry weather but before the downpours of the weekend finally broke the first heatwave, I had a look around the gardens to see what was surviving in the extreme dry and hot weather not usually experienced in an English summer.

Verbena bonariensis, no surprises here as it freely self seeds in gravel, It may be ubiquitous but I still love it, a welcome pop of colour without dominating the border.

Crocosmia, just a standard orange, unnamed variety but still looking fresh.

Agapanthus, very happy in the garden and also in pots.

 

Penstemon, probably garnet,putting on a good show with a bit of Dierama over the top. This one is at home I like a mishmash of plants.

Geranium Rozanne, always gives 100%, admittedly this is my shady corner where it gets huge, but also does well elsewhere.

 My giant, bought from Tesco a few years ago, lavender. Every time someone comes to the front door, the scent wafts into the house. Going to be useful if the summers continue like this.

Had a really good crop of raspberries this year. Originally one plant in a previous garden, I  brought a piece with me and now I have big tangle of canes.

Passiflora caerula, passionflower, looking suitably exotic and enjoying the heat.

 

Only a few days after the rain, the herbaceous plants which I cut down  are popping back up.

Nepeta six hills giant  (catmint

The grass is getting a bit greener too,

As, the climate changes, it may mean a change in what plants we can grow in the garden. I have lost some shrubs to the drought and even established ones can suffer. This is a  15ft cotoneaster which I hope will recover. 

It could take until next year before I find out the true extent of the damage of the drought but it is going to be a challenge for the future, especially if we carry on with cold, wet springs as well.

Ah well, as long as the roses survive!