Summer has been such a whirl this year that I’ve ended up with a folder of drafts about the garden I didn’t find time to post. Now as summer crosses into autumn, I’m starting to tidy up the garden and tackling a few plants that have become triffids.
I had grown some teasels in the flower bed to try to attract gold finches to the garden (without success) and I’ve enjoyed watching them grow through the seasons from leafy rosettes in the ground to tall shoots with a hazy purple petals, and finally the spiky seed heads. Ladybirds and bees have absolutely loved the teasels, but they had become total thugs dominating the bed and pushing the other plants out. I pulled them out, and the roses are looking elegant and airy again, and hopefully the hardy geraniums will rebound next year.
The other triffid in the flower bed is the Crocosmia Lucifer, which always looks fabulous but never lasts very long, and has collapsed under it’s own weight. I’m considering digging it out, or at least thinning it.
And finally, our Victoria plum deserves a mention here too. We planted our plum tree in 2021, and it has spent the last few years growing and sprawling. This spring it was covered in white blossom, which grew into so many plums that several branches snapped under the weight, and I’ve had to prune it quite harshly to try to save it from further damage. I’ve also had to remove lots of fruit that had developed a fungal disease, though we have still harvested enough to make cakes and give to our neighbours after the kids informed us they don’t like plums.
We’ve spent so much time outside in the sunshine this summer, but it’s also been very busy and I’m hoping the next few months will be a bit slower and I’ll have time to start on some of our winter gardening projects. Have a lovely week! X
Lovely and Grateful 
Wow, look at those plums, what a harvest! 😊I love teasels but I think you’ve made a good call, I have found myself in trouble with the head mower before now when they have set so much seed in the lawn, the grass has disappeared under a teasel forest. We’re not precious about lawns at all but even I had to admit he had a point! 😬They are great for wildlife, though, and we’re blessed to have a meadow where they can be as thuggish as they like. Good luck with your winter gardening projects!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I’d like to have some teasels because they’re great for wildlife, but probably won’t plant them in my flower bed again. ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an impressive plum crop! The crocosmia is impressive and such a striking shade of red. I was given some orange crocosmia bulbs by a friend last autumn, and they rooted well, producing a large, healthy plant, not quite as big as yours but bigger than I had expected. The flowers have diminished over the last couple of weeks and have noe gone completely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’re a lovely colour and shape, but they never last long sadly. The plum tree has been generous, I’ve given some to our neighbours and tried Mary Berry and New York Times plum cake recipes too. 😋
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds delicious 😋
LikeLike
The plums do look nice! I love seasonal British plums, much nicer than the ones from Spain or wherever that are all year round.
LikeLike
Found some wild plums on a walk recently , tried a couple and thought they were delicious. 🙂
Love teasels, but can see how they might take over. We are having a rather strange take over on our street. About a million Great Mulleins are springing up in front of our houses and in some people’s front yards. No idea why. 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
The plums have also brought butterflies to the garden, which has been lovely. I love great mulleins, my mum once had a pair that self seeded on either side of her path, it looked very grand! 😂
LikeLike
The plum tree looks very abundant. Having a grand crop of plums only for the kids to decide it’s a no to that fruit is parenting summed up neatly haha!
LikeLike