Sept 2021

my polydactyl cat Scarecrow on the table I've just cleared to do my hyacinth forcing prep, I had a number of seed trays there, I do wonder whether I'll get anything from those recent seed sowings, 1 seedling from a packet of Centaurea montana seeds?! quite disappointing 

Cosmos

The cosmos is really coming into its own, lots of flowers and buds. There are two plants behind to the right but although one is very tall, no buds. I should try to move it more into the sun. I couldn't before because everything was so crowded but now the sea holly and monarda are finished, they could be moved back and the cosmos forward.

Water Lily

A second late water lily has bloomed.

Scabious

I love scabious (and the similar knautia) and have a lot in my garden so inevitably I have a number self-seeding. I potted this one up recently and had a closer look at it.

at the top, a  new flower bud

at the next node down, flowers struggling to grow

the node below that, small flowering stems

at the bottom node just above the base, the start of two more flower stems it looks like

Asters

The park across the road has these asters (Aster frikartii Monch I think) just coming into bloom. They are gorgeous. Not your usual municipal planting.

Also in the park across the road, wild buckwheat (I think), quite different from another example going to seed which I saw recently so I'll have to keep an eye on this and see how it develops

Back in my garden, I took a photo of the rosa rugosa hips. While processing at my computer I saw the yucca flower spike, I'm embarrassed to say, I hadn't noticed it before.

purple loosestrife, it's huge but has been fantastic for colour and the bees, one plant has been a great investment

purple loosestrife with bee

milk parsley in the middle of some of the purple loosestrife flower spikes

the new shoots of the purple loosestrife look similar to a willowherb

ribwort plantain, I usually see these out and about but this was in a wildflower seed mix I sowed in my garden

milk parsley with bees or hoverflies

nasturtium I grew from seed

cosmos I grew from seed

nettle-leaved bellflower I saw self-seeded on the pavement