August garden diary

Every year is different in the garden of course which is why I love to keep a diary to follow the season. This August has been a topsy turvy month in the garden, to say the least, with fickle weather and curious light but our Bed and Breakfast guests have still enjoyed the opportunity to immerse themselves in the peace of the garden.

In August the grasses have emerged to fill the garden with their very own special whispering song as they rustle in the breeze.

August grasses

As August drew to a close the vibrant, rust coloured Miscanthus seeds heads have emerged from their plump rounded clumps to straddle August the season leading into September, much as the Agapanthus did in July. Sadly the Agapanthus season is now spent for this year and it only remains to cut back the tall swaying seed heads as they finally shed their seeds.

We have one grass though that has intrigued me for the summer. It resembles a Timothy grass seed, magnified three times with lovely creamy white seed heads. It over it has colonised one half of the grass border and for the life of me I don’t know its name – I remember buying it from Lower Kennegy Nursery not far from here that specialise in hardy exotics and is a Member to the New Zealand Hardy Plant society so perhaps I should go back and ask?! If you recognise it do let me know the name though wont you?

August Diary photo album

This month’s garden stars

Brugmansia

The flamboyant orange trumpet flowers of the Brugmansia have made one of their sporadic appearances but as natives of South America I can understand the confusion. They love a small sheltered courtyard behind our home living a frost free existence in partial shade in a raised bed.

Tetrapanax papyrifera ‘Rex’

Widely cultivated in East Asia with big showy matt green leaves it makes a spectacular border plant. Our original plant was ordered after being spotted on a television programme and I was dispatched to collect it – I remember looking at the minuscule plant that cost £25 in about the year 2000 and trying to work out how much per leaf it cost!

Cannas

The showy stalwarts of the autumn garden always a joy and apparently they can never have too much water or feed

Follow the garden through the summer months

So August has been a moody month for the garden for the final summer garden entry and I’m looking forward to September and October living up to their mellow autumnal reputations!