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[Krystal]

At least half of my roses have blackspot this year. I cut them down about three weeks ago with the diseased cuttings not going in the compost bin. When we had our first garden we have a lovely neighbour from whom we had a lot of gardening advice. I always think of her when cutting the roses this time of year as she told us how to do it. She said cut it now to have the last roses of summer. A throw away comment to most people but it holds special memories for me.

[CLKD]

My Dad showed me how to care for roses when I was about 11.  Special memory because he didn't do much with me, Mum wouldn't allow it.

Black spot is OK.  In the years prior to the Clean Air Act roses etc. never suffered because the smoky surroundings didn't allow the spores to spread  .  I managed to get a lot of rose pruning and cutting back done this morning and can see new growth already 

[CLKD]

Autumnal 

Have been cutting back budlea, council bin was emptied today so have almost half filled it. 
Roses are in flower again after a severe hacking 3 weeks ago, too high to pick any - I can see them from the  kitchen or bathroom windows. 

Bees everywhere.  Butterflies .......... huge moths last night at dusk with bats close behind 

[littleminnie]

The impatiens are dying off

[CLKD]

Things are fading aren't they  .  Except our Alpine strawberries  and some late raspberries . 

[dahliagirl]

My cyclamens are out.  Their babies are old enough to flower now.  They are becoming quite a patch.

[CLKD]

Oh I'll go and look for ours ........ not right now though 

We sat out earlier, listening for bats - we have a detector 

[CLKD]

A few cyclamen are through.  I have spent most of today moving hellebores and self-set foxgloves to a different part of the garden.  Fed pond fish and wild birds.  Had a light lunch then set to again.  Had vanilla ice cream with marmalade mid afternoon in the sunshine.  More weeding.  Knackered 

[dahliagirl]

I have 15 cyclamen today.  For years I just had three bulbs (or whatever they are) and am overexcited that they have multiplied.  Still, it is the little things that make one happy 

I have a few little foxgloves growing so I will take a look at moving them.  I have bought a Rudbekia, so I need to look at that bed a little.

The trouble is that I plant things and watch them and expect them naturally to grow in a pleasing manner, and am learning (a little late) that you have to jump in and tweek them a little (or quite a lot actually).  I have a lot of hardy geraniums that I have cut back, but I think I may have to dig them up every couple of years and replant bits of them to keep them under any sort of control, otherwise that is all I will have.  Likewise the Japanese anemones.

[CLKD]

Those geraniums have a name but can't remember but some go wild: I bought Johnson's Baby Blue years ago but it took over.    Pelagoniums are what most people call geraniums, those that one sees in window boxes in Swiss chalets.

Pottering earlier.  Now stopped for lunch.

[dahliagirl]

I have loads but I have lost the names for them    The macrorrhyzum grows everywhere but likes shaded dry places which is very useful.

I have some scented pelargoniums and some regal pelargoniums with lovely purple flowers with white bits.  I want to keep some in big pots next summer,so I will have to try not to kill them over winter.  I saw some lovely ones at Kew a few weeks ago in big terracotta pots.  Also some Coleus - you don't see them much these days. 

There were some lovely pink flowers with grey leaves in pots mixed with Verbena bonariensis at Cambridge botanical gardens that have stolen my heart 

[CLKD]

cranesbill?

I have lots of that verbena - spreads everywhere  .  Coleus have to be protected from frosts and I don't know whether they go through Winter as pelegoniums will?

You can't remember the name of the pink flowers with grey leaves though 

[dahliagirl]

They were pelargoniums too    Pelargonium sidoides  (I took photos to remind me - found a use for the mobile phone at last  )

[CLKD]

I saw a 15-25 foot row of coleus today - about 8" tall packed tightly together, looked fab but won't last once the frosts arrive.

[dahliagirl]

No they don't last, but they are pretty while they are there.  Some of the colours are quite gaudy 

They used to be quite fashionable, but you don't see them much now.  Maybe I will get a packet of seeds next year and see what comes out (if they still do them)