I am posting my review slightly late this month and have been very quiet here at Peonies & Posies for the last week. The little accident I mentioned in my last post has proved quite troublesome and I have not been out and about in my garden for over a week now. Feeling under the weather has resulted in a slight loss of my blogging mojo – my knee is on the mend now though and hopefully will be working normally again soon. For now I am still hobbling about the house and avoiding outdoor activity as much as possible. Not wanting to miss this months review, I have put it together with rather less photographic effort than I would like, but I hope you will bear with me this month!
September marks a change in the way that I see the Cutting Garden. The year is winding down and although October will see the grand finale for this part of my garden, even now I am starting to think about pulling out plants that are past their best and making room for bulbs and biennials to be planted before the winter wet that plagues the Cutting Garden makes this area largely a no go zone again until March next year.
Whilst my thoughts may be turning towards planning for next year, the Cutting Garden is still bubbling over with plenty of beauty to offer from dahlias, zinnias, cosmos and rudbeckias which are flowering their socks off. In today’s review I hope I have captured the feeling of the jostling exuberance and slightly shambolic flowering of these late summer beauties, who are just trying to pump out as many flowers as possible before the first frost strikes them all to the ground.
Above you can see cosmos Purity, with amaranthus viridis and cosmos Bright Lights in the foreground.
Despite regular dead heading it becomes impossible to keep on top of the flowers – September is the month when the flowers win and I largely let nature take its course.
The dark leaved orange dahlia “David Howard’ looks stunning in the autumn light and will keep flowering well until the first frost. As temperatures drop and other flowers fade this one becomes almost luminous in the autumn light.
Dahlia Eveline has a beautiful lilac centre and pristine white petals as long as the weather remains fine – she has a habit of browning in damp conditions.
I am not sure of the name of this rose – the foliage is too dense to get to the label right now, but she is full of buds.
The rudbeckia have been a revelation. I will certainly be growing these again next year.
Dahlia ‘Mrs Eileen’ has a huge orange flower – very dramatic in a vase.
Dahlia ‘Preference’ I have shown many times before – it is a delicate peachy pink that is one of my favourites.
Another unnamed rose – I think it is Darcy Bussell. Again full of buds, so plenty more flowers to look forward too.
In the same bed as Darcy Bussell is dahlia ‘Purple Gem’ – another very reliable dahlia that comes back year after year.
You can see that any semblance of organisation is disappearing very quickly – the flowers are intertwining and enjoying their last few weeks together.
The zinnias are now up past waist height – it is hard to believe that a plant which can be so hard to establish as a seedling will grow into such sturdy specimens once established.
This is one of my favourite roses – almost blush coloured Souvenir de Malmaison is like crumpled tissue paper.
I seem to be short of pink and white dahlias this year – I will make a note to order more in January.
As we move into October I will start tidying up in earnest – the first to be removed will be the annuals. Once the soil has been weeded I can plant tulips and biennials in their place. The dahlias occupy the centres of the beds and can be left until the first frost, but once the foliage has blackened I will cut them to the ground (making sure there are labels marking their positions) and cover their bases with straw. I know that they will not all make it through the winter, but I had a good success rate last year and it is hard work to dig everything up and store the tubers over winter. After the dahlias have been cut back, the beds can be mulched with compost and left for the winter. The roses will be pruned in February, but other than rose pruning the Cutting Garden will remain quiet until the early narcissi start to flower in March. My aim is to have everything ‘put to bed’ by mid November.
In the greenhouse I am still sowing trays of hardy annuals – you can read more about this here. I already have cornflowers germinating and will start pricking them out in a week or two. I still need to sow my sweet peas, but hope to be recovered enough to be back in the greenhouse later this week.
I really love to feel that I have a head start on next years sowing and to help you get ahead the lovely team at Sarah Raven have provided this month’s Giveaway of 3 packets of hardy annual seeds – ammi majus, ammi visnaga and cerinthe major for one lucky reader to get ahead or save for sowing in February. To enter the Giveaway just leave a comment stating that you would like to be included in the draw. As usual I will announce the winner on Monday evening in my ‘In A Vase On Monday’ post.
I will be back tomorrow to share my ‘Passion For October’ – the year is slipping away so quickly!
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Wonderful Dahlias! What is the name of the pink one in the seventh photo from the bottom – it looks like it has a purple centre with mid-pink petals? Please enter me into your draw.
Thank you TalkingGrass – the dahlia you have asked about is called American Dawn and is indeed coloured as you describe.
It was worth the wait! Such beautiful colours and combinations. Please enter me into the draw. Seeds would be just what I need in my cutting garden for daughter’s wedding next year!
Thank you Sandra – how exciting to be growing for your daughters wedding next year – although it can be quite nerve racking as well – do email me if you would like any advice.
I too am still enjoying my Dahlias! Thank you for all the gardening tips. Please enter me in the draw.
Thank you Alison – I am pleased to hear that you are enjoying your dahlias!
very pretty flowers!
Thank you Christine!
I want to be included in the giveaway. 🙂 Great pictures!
Thank you Carla – I am sorry that you did not win but hope you will take part again in the future.
Yes please! add me to the giveaway. xx
Hi Lindsey – sorry you did not win this time but I hope you will join in again in the future.
Oh poor you! I sprained my ankle quite badly about 18 months ago and it really threw me. I do hope you’re on the mend soon. Meanwhile lovely cutting blooms to admire. Which Rudbeckia is it? It looks too pale for Cherry Brandy.
Here’s my cutting garden review for September https://duverdiary.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/the-cutting-garden-september-2015/
Thank you Jen – I am on the mend now but, as you say, it does a bit of getting over! The rudbeckia is ‘Cappuchino’. Thank you for joining in again this month and I am just heading over to take a look at your lovely cutting garden!
love the Dahlias such a gorgeous mix of colours.I’ve grown zinnias for the first time this year and they have really struggled, but I’ll give then another go next year.please could you include me in the draw.Thanks Sue x
Thank you Sue – do give them another try next year. Sow them late – mid to late May is best & plant them in a really sunny spot in mid to late June. I know some people swear by direct sowing but I always find they are eaten by slugs when I try this.
You are right about zinnia’s being hard to establish, I’ve sown about 40 seeds so far and have about 7 that have successfully transplanted! I’ve got some beautiful red ones this year so each week I’m doing more.
Thank you Gardening Hands – as I said to Sue above, my advice is to sow the seed late – they are the last seeds I sow and make sure to keep the young plants protected until the nights are reliably warm.
I’m so sorry that your injury was more serious than you first thought; knees are rather weak, both Richard and I have problems, his far more serious than mine date back to his misspent university days at Cambridge. Your dahlias are a delight and I’m finding this meme very helpful for noting successes and failures in my cuttings garden. Please enter me in the draw. Here’s my link https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/the-cutting-garden-in-september/
I do hope you recover soon.
I am intrigued to learn how Richard damaged his knees at Cambridge – was he a rugby player? My knee was injured many years ago in a skiing accident so just couldn’t cope with the force of a dog hitting it – it is recovering though so hopefully I will be able to get on with the bulb planting soon! Thank you for joining in again and I am glad you are finding it useful – I often find myself looking back through my blog for information I need.
I’ll have to tell you the story some time but it wasn’t rugby!
So many beautiful flowers. I was looking at Sarah Raven’s seeds in my local garden centre today wondering if I should do some Autumn direct sowing at the allotment now I have some clear and weeded ground. Cornflower, Nigella and calendula self-seed there and I have a new white Nigella to sow and some burgundy anemone corms to plant but I’m sure there’s more I could sow now. I’ve moved my direct sown blood red wallflowers to their flowering position and am contemplating planting deep red tulips to deepen the display. I also have masses of Sweet Williams in the ground and Sweet Rocket to plant. I brought home another huge bunch of pink yesterday: dahlias, anemones and cosmos – all glorious. Would love to be entered in your draw. Hope you’re practising RICE for your knee – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation – and you feel better soon.
Thank you Homeslip – I did try to soldier on for a few days but had to give in “RICE’ – it was certainly the right way to go as I am much better now. Your allotment sounds glorious and you have a lot planned for next year already. If you would like to plant more annuals have a look at my post http://peoniesandposies.com/2015/09/06/flower-seeds-to-sow-this-autumn/ to see what I have sown. I have just found a lovely patch of self sown nigella in the Cutting Garden – do you thin your self sown patches or just let them get on with things?
Love seeing all your beautiful dahlias and cosmos! Some of my first dahlia and cosmos seeds have started to sprout (spring here in Australia!) so while I impatiently wait for them I have been indulging in your gorgeous late season ones 🙂
Would love to be included in the draw, thank you!
Thank you Lily – I am sorry you did not win this time and hope you will join again in the future. It feels like a long time until I will be sowing cosmos or potting up dahlias – all that dank winter weather to get through – how lovely to know that it is spring elsewhere and that you are enjoying all the lovely new season flowers as I make the most of my late ones!
I’d like to be included in the draw please – for the “Giveaway” seeds. Many thanks!
I am sorry you did not win this time Sophia and hope that you will join in again in the future.
Do take care Julie, and take all appropriate advice for your knee. It has indeed been great to compare cutting garden notes so thank you for sharing your experiences and hosting the meme. As you say, it is lovely to see the remaining blooms in the beds even without cutting them – I could fill a vase with dahlias every day if I had to and hope they are as successful next year! I am amazed at how successful everyone’s zinnias have been and am determined to try even harder next year! My post is at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2015/09/26/nearly-bedtime-for-the-cutting-beds/ ps I shall pass on the draw as I have enough of these seeds
Thank you Cathy for joining in again and I will pop over tonight and take a look at your bulging cutting beds! Are you planning to leave your dahlias in over winter? Mine have flowered a little later for being left in, but they are even better than last year so it was worth the wait. Do try zinnias again – as I said above it pays to be patient and leave sowing them until you are starting to think it is too late – certainly no earlier than mid May. Once established wait until mid June or later to plant them out – they cannot stand cool nights.
I shall lift my dahlias I think, unless I can be persuaded otherwise. I have also noted what both you and Christina have said about leaving zinnias till May to sow and will be patient with them…
Thanks for the tour round the cutting garden. What a lovely September we have had, at least the last two weeks have been perfect. I think after what you have said, I will risk the Dahlia Tubers in the ground, and give them the treatment you suggest. I’ll pass on the draw, but may I ask for some seed heads from your cosmos and rudbekia, and the green dangly flower?
Thank you Noelle and I wish you luck with your dahlias -there are no guarantees – particularly if we have a hard winter – but it does save a lot of work! Re the seeds I have usually whipped my plants out before they set seed, but if you email me your address I will see what I can do.
I hope you’ll enjoy a full recovery. No need for apologies – your floral presentation is magnificent. I have mostly fruit trees but am determined now to grow more flowers 🙂
Thank you Mary – I am on the mend now thank goodness! Good luck with your plans for more flowers although fruit trees are a lovely thing to have!
I hope your knee continues to mend, and I hope it picks up the pace!
Beautiful dahlias…. stunning, I really love them 🙂
Thank you Bittster – I am much better this week – glad you liked the dahlias!
I would love to be included in the draw, I haven’t grown Ammi, but was planning to, so the seeds would be very much appreciated!
Hi Pauline – you are my winner!! Please email me your address & I will get the seeds in the post to you.
Thank you so much, Julie and Sarah Raven! Can’t wait for next season, yeah!
PS I’m probably not looking right, but I can’t find your email address on your blog.
I am not at home right now Pauline but I will check my blog later. It is peoniesandposies.17@gmail.com.
I do hope your knee continues to mend, Julie. It is frustrating for busy people when they cannot get on with their daily tasks, although you have still manage to wow us with a gorgeous array of photographs of your beautiful cutting beds despite promising us there would be only a few pics! My first ever dahlia bloomed this week and I am just so pleased with it. I shall definitely be increasing my range for next year, and your collection of corals, pinks and apricots has certainly caught my eye.
I’ll skip this draw as I won last time and it would be embarrassing to win again so soon! Speaking of which, I am about to plant out your lovely apricot foxglove seedlings…
Thank you Joanna & I am delighted to hear that your foxgloves are growing so well – roll on spring so that we can enjoy the lovely flowers. I have lots of biennials ready to plant out but have been held up by my knee – you are right – it is so frustrating!