Late Summer Flowers

The white goose-head Lysimachia clethroides are nearly over. This is a useful perennial with white, long lasting arching flower heads. Some years they go on for longer, not so this summer. I’ve deadheaded one clump, and the bonus here is the foliage. The leaves are deeply veined and a fine hard green, fading to pinky -red at the leaf edges. Sometimes well into November, the leaves stay on the red stems, and become gold, before the plants can be cut to the ground over winter. We also have Lysimachia punctata ( garden loosestrife) which is a useful bright yellow variety.

Two good sized clumps of Golden Rod (Solidago), which I grew from seed have done really well. Now faded to gold, almost grey where the seeds are forming. A washed out antique dusty colour.

Cosmos has been successful for useful feathery foliage, but few flowers this season. Another good feathery foliage plant, Bronze Fennel (Foeniculum ‘Purpureum’), is a good standby and is useful in recipes and for the seedheads.

Nearby are a couple of Lavateria ‘Burgundy Wine’, and ‘Barnsley’the very pale pink variety. Lavateria and Buddleia, especially B. globosa are underrated shrubs for a big border, because although they’re pretty bog standard they are good doers: they grow fast and have a long flowering season.

My borders are about overall effect, combinations of scale, texture and colour. Everything is medium to big, and in your face. Small, delicate fiddly stuff has no place here. It can’t compete. Nowadays I have neither the time or interest for plants that are fussy or difficult. There is an immense beauty in the detail here, but it is, I hope, more of a wholesome beauty that is codependent and interdependent on the plants that surround each other.

With maturity, in myself and in my garden, has come acceptance and appreciation. Where I used to take on any challenge – the bigger, the better, now I am content and grateful and appreciative of what we’ve got.
I think I had to experience the challenges to get to this point.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.