On Sunday I mentioned getting odd jobs done in the garden. The photo below shows one of these jobs – giving my summer hanging basket a make-over for the autumn.
Freshening up areas of the garden I always find rewarding and it really doesn’t need to take hours to do. This job took about twenty minutes. My summer hanging basket was looking a bit tired. Instead of waiting for it to struggle on until the first frosts I decided to empty it and start again with a completely different look and one that I will enjoy over the next few months.
Silver was the colour scheme in the border below so I lifted a piece of a plant from there, Stachys byzantina (lanata), to tie the two elements together. The stachys will be okay in the short time but I will need to pull some out when it gets too big. For a little contrast I chose a favourite grass of mine – Uncinia Rubra which I lifted from another part of the garden. I bought one new plant – Sedum Rose Carpet. This sedum will be the main event of this basket as it will soon come into flower and the bees and butterflies will be drawn to it.
To finish this basket I chose to top dress it with some slate chippings that I left over after refreshing another large pot that has my silver-green leafed Weeping Pear tree. The top dressing with the tree looks quite stunning now and this dressing will help also stop the soil in the pot from drying out.
Two small jobs done and I am very pleased with the results. My garden is not ready at all to slow down for the season – there is so much interest yet to come!
The photo above was taken in my garden on August 29th 2007.
Lovely display, Shirl! You have been really busy since I last visited you…I had more than a few post to catch up with 🙂
Sad to have it confirmed about the tricho and the finches.
Your wisteria pergola looks amazing, so lush.
Quite a lot of pruning being done as well!
When you get a breather, come and see the little video I took of the butterflies (yes! they did arrive) which came to Barleycorn yesterday.
Hi again, Wildlife Gardener
Thank-you 🙂 Yes there were a number of posts I wanted to do by the end of the month. I have another couple planned for tonight!
Yep, the tricho was more difficult to see in the earlier stages as it looks like the juvenile birds.
I love my wisteria almost as much at this time of year as I do when it is in flower – almost!
This weekend I will be pruning again to freshen up a wilder area to let some light in to some plants there – it will be quite a dramatic difference in this area but will keep it fresher for longer.
I have looked at your video – what a treat that must have been to catch so many different insects at that plant. What a delight it was to watch – a little bit of ‘late’ summer 🙂
Very nice Shirl. Being a former floral arranger, I do enjoy seeing other peoples work.
Hi again, OC
Thanks, I really enjoy seeing other people’s planting combinations too. I would imagine that being a floral arranger you will have some very interesting borders in your garden with lots of foliage plants too I’d guess 🙂