End of the week snippets!

 

When August arrives, I always think it’s good to sit down, relax, look around and appreciate all the hard work that has happened in the previous months, because it is hard work and I couldn’t have done any of it without the help of Mr Snippets!

And so, with a cuppa and various things to inspire me, including the Garden Planner, I sat down outside to contemplate…because …I’m now thinking ahead to the autumn and also to next year!

I don’t subscribe to the Magazine, ‘The Simple Things’, but it’s a lovely magazine and so now and again, I look for copies that have been read only once and have a gardening themed cover! I was lucky enough to find three.

The cover above, ‘Patch’, was designed by Vanessa Bowman, who also designs greetings cards. I think this cover is lovely! I then found ‘Tend’…

And finally, ‘Tender’…

The covers themselves are so inspiring!

When August arrives, I always think that the garden goes a ‘bit off’ ! The earlier flowering, perennial plants have done their bit and the early flowering annuals are flagging a little, but with regular dead heading, I’ve managed to extend the flowering season of some plants. 

And as well as this, not long ago, I sowed a second batch of  dwarf Sunflowers, and these aren’t yet in flower but they are ‘coming on strong’! I’m certainly noticing a second flush of roses, which is wonderful. And what has been so noticeable this summer, has been the lack of blackspot on the roses. I’ve been amazed! 

One of my ‘Peace’ roses is flowering again as is  ‘The Lark Ascending’…

And of course, August is when the Dahlias dominate…

The Sweet Peas just keep on giving, and even though Mr S picked a bunch yesterday, there is now another batch to pick! Mr S had just got to the back of the garden when it absolutely threw it down like stair rods! He was soaked! 

Yesterday’s bunch was probably the best for scent and I’m glad, as they were picked for Lizzie, William’s mum. We didn’t have William yesterday as Lizzie took him out do some ‘sand art’, for the morning. Yet, she very kindly called in for a cuppa and a piece of cake, later in the day so that we didn’t ‘miss out on seeing William’. She’s so thoughtful like that; we are so lucky to have Lizzie, as are Nich and William! 

And finally, isn’t nature wonderful?!

I always grow Nasturtiums and I always know what will happen! And true to form …

We’ve been fortunate enough to see metamorphosis at its best…the caterpillars crawling up the walls, getting ready to pupate and then not long after that, seeing the empty chrysalis ( or to give it its correct name, ‘exuvia’) after the butterfly has emerged… And then the whole process begins again! Marvellous! 😁