Whats Looking Good In August

Acers can do that @Plantminded. My bright red one turns more orangey-green through end of July and August, but that’s not it’s Autumn colours - as that is bright orange/red. My ornamental fig has a few yellow leaves and I’ve put that down to the very dry weather.

 

I noticed when walking home today that the horse chestnuts were losing their leaves. One of them had no leaves at all on its upper branches. They are already under stress though from various diseases, and they had still managed to produce some enormous conkers.

 

But we have always noticed that chestnuts go into "autumn" a lot earlier than other trees.
However this year is certainly different. We have so many trees near us that are yellowing and dying off for the "autumn". No rain.

 

Japanese anemone

 

Yes - a big difference between trees gradually changing to their autumn colours, and changing because they're under stress. The early dropping of fruits/nuts is also a sign of that.

 

My ginger lilies are just coming into flower, and my Gertrude Jekyll rose is having a wonderful 2nd flush of flowers, better than she has ever done before.

 

The only joy comes currently from the greenhouse.

My Foxglove seedlings have a good start. Hopefully there will be rain in September when they should be planted.



The two geraniums that germinated and survived so far.

 

Thank you; it's one of my favourites, the flowers are different to many others, although Mahonia pallida has similar flowers in white, also the white leaf undersides.
It looks a bit lop sided because for years one side got the full morning sun and the other was shaded by a line of Leylandii, since the Leylandii were removed it's started shooting on that side.
Purely by coincidence at the base of the wall it's on I have Rubus calophylla with pleated leaves which have a pale underside.

 

Gabriel Oak



Multi stem sunflowers





Oranges and Lemons



After the squirrel beheaded my huge sunflower I decided to train the sweet pea up the stalk





Princess Anne

 

I got suckered into one of those clickbait headlines; it was from Country Living magazine and it said "How to collect sunflower seeds - plus a smart way to use the stem". The "smart way to use the stem" was.... wait for it ... put it on the compost heap. I'd never have thought of that!
It also told me that there were many things I could do with my sunflower seeds, including eating them myself and feeding them to the birds.
I'm kind of hoping this was an AI written article otherwise it's very depressing that people are being paid for this dross.

 

I'm amazed that we get posts every year about trees going into autumn early, it happens every year around here, lots of it is imo, just trees shedding leaves they don't need any more, old leaves from early spring or leaves with insect damage.
Yes under normal circumstances the ground is pretty dry any way this time of year unless we have had a monsoon like summer.

 

Spotted the first flowers on the wood vetch this morning - I bought it in the spring and it seems really happy scrambling all over my wood pile behind the pond.
My huge silver birches and rowan are still looking fine - you wouldn't guess there was anything unusual about the year. They grow on a steep slope with very little soil so it's dry at the best of times - maybe they are just used to it.
Most of my fuchsias are on the dry slope too and the more established ones seem to be coping, but the little ones I planted this year are struggling. It's hard to water anything there as it just runs off. Even the docks are lacking in vigour this year.

 

Admiral rose.

 

Beautiful photos @Escarpment . What flower is that in the third photo? Thanks

 

It's Cup and Saucer Vine (Cobaea scandens). Comes in purple as well as white; I bought a packet of mixed seeds and have only had white so far.

Cobaea Mixed Cup And Saucer Plant | Flowers | Premier Seeds Direct ltd