Into autumn

At last we are enjoying warm, dry weather and are able to be outside doing some work. Himself has been up the scaffolding tower applying wood stain to the greenhouses and the house windows.

I have been lifting the onions and setting them out to dry, with assistance from Maisie.

Whilst the tower was assembled we did a bit of tree cutting

and hacked back shrubs that had grown into the flower border.

It gives me a space to plant the delphiniums that I've grown from last year's collected seed.

This end of the herbaceous border is supposed to be for rich, dark colours, blues, purples and reds.

I went to the garden centre to buy spring bulbs to fit with the colour scheme and was tempted by this aster, 'Blue Lapis' and anemone, 'Praecox' which is a deeper pink than the ones that already flourish in the garden.

Tulips tend to disappear in my borders - I blame the squirrels. Let's hope that these will be more successful.

The roads around our village are narrow and appear even more so because the hedges and verges have remained uncut all summer long.

They are filled with wild flowers

and even the curse of my garden, the pesky bindweed

looks beautiful.

As does it's little pink striped sister.

Blackberries are ripening.

I love this time of year.