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| Dhalia - David Howard |
At this time of year I find it difficult to accept the growing season is over and it's time to treat inside again. As with any year there have been lots of successes and a few fails as well.
In August and September I've been taking plenty photos of the vegetables and flowers growing in the garden as a nice follow up to All The Seeds I've Started This Year which I posted at the start of June.
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| Poppy |
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| Scabiosa - Black Knight |
The pink poppy above self-seeded (probably thanks to the birds) and I just left it to grow it a huge plant that kept flowering all through summer. I really love flowers that are a delicate pink like this.
The Scabiosa was one I successfully managed to grow from seed last year but it really thrived this year with these unusual dark, velvety flowers.
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| Sunflowers | Rudbeckia Triloba |
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| Dahlia |
I had midsummer I had regrets not looking for branching sunflower seeds to start but luckily for me some of the seeds that grew under the birdbath were branching and gave us a small patch of sunflowers in late summer.
In the garden centre I picked out a different variety of rudbeckia that had the same gorgeous colour as the classics but a totally different growing style. I hope they come back year after year.
My favourite flowers are dahlia's so to give the tubers a head start in the spring I started them in pots - with dahlias your always rewarded with lots of late summer blooms.
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| Poppy |
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| Rudbeckia |
Another pretty pink poppy this time grown from a seed mix I chucked in a bored I wanted some quick colour in. It's a shame they don't last but they are pretty when they do.
One massive success this year was all the rudbeckia I planted. Bought for just a few pounds they've grown into big plants they keep giving me enough flowers to cut and bring inside without taking away from the colour in the garden.
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| Marshmallow | Dahlia |
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| Poppy |
This marshmallow has been an unexpected delight in the garden this summer. I didn’t really know what it would look like when I bought it but it’s grown massive and has these beautiful, delicate pink flowers.
My dad grew these classic red poppies from seed (much more successful than the ones I grew from seed). Not sure I'd grow poppies again next year - you don't get much for the effort you put into growing them.
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| Chrysanthemum - Polar Star |
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| Calendula - Pink Surprise |
Of all the seeds I started this year I was especially excited to see these Polar Stars - not that many of them germinated but I do love the colours. Maybe I can save some seeds and try to get more next year.
Calendulas have to be a staple bedding plant because they are so easy to grow - I think the variety above is pink surprise because they have the faintest touch of pink on their leaves.
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| Sunflowers |
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| Tomatoes | Aubergines |
In the greenhouse thing were just as busy. I grew nine tomatoes plants this year and while it wasn't the best (it got cold overnight in late August which they hated) but I still got a decent amount for cooking. The one in the photo above was a bonus that must have self-seeded in the ground and is still thriving.
I love growing Aubergines because their purple flowers are so pretty and I can make moussaka with homegrown produce so that is pretty cool.
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| Courgettes |
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| Purple Sprouting Broccoli | Squash |
I'd say the raised bed was more successfully than last year - I've had a few courgettes although I don't think the cool weather in August has helped them keep producing.
The purple sprouting broccoli that I was excited to try has been delicious despite half of it being enjoyed by the cabbage white butterflies and their caterpillars. Oh well I love the
butterflies in the garden too.
Finally, my dad gave me two squash plants that have taken over and grown lots of fruit. I've not harvested yet because I wanted to see how big they'd get but it will soon be time to bring them inside.
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