This week's garden post is my response to a Valley's Mam comment last week about lack of colour in the borders. I've been out with my camera this afternoon - 17th Oct.. First up is a white variety of cimicifuga. Its only about two feet tall and is a prefect white, no matter what the weather. It will carry on stunning until mid November. This specimen isn't very big because I divided heavily in the spring, and now have several plants. I also grow the much taller 'purperea' but its nothing like as showy. I'm told that 'cimicifuga' means 'bedbug repeller', and some varieties are reputed to bring medical relief to menstrual tension sufferers. 
Rudbeckias are still striking, after about two months of flowering. These have to be just about the easiest border plant - but they are very shallow rooted and need a drop of water if there's a drought. We drift plant them. They are the backbone of our hot border from early Sept til the first frosts. You can see a late variety of red hot poker back right.
And this variety of alsteomeria is still going strong with its second flush. We still have several varieties of the brilliant and versitile Peruvian Lily lighting up our borders. 
I'm not that keen on the Kaffir Lily (Schizostylis coccinea) because it has an untidy habit. But it does give good colour in late October. I really ought to grow a big clump to see if it works better that way. Something for next year. But best colour at the moment are the leaves - which will be next weekend's gardening post.
2 comments:
Oh Glyn ,thanks , that has spurred me on to getting some colour back in my garden. My husband has been boss of the outside space for a while, and while we have great shrubs, trees,querky corners and features,its lost the blast of colour I love . Your garden must be a dream
VM - it started as a dream, which we turned into reality.
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