Autumn Paintbox at Sheffield Park

The sun came out today, hurrah! And I'd had a tip off that the colours at Sheffield Park Gardens, one of the National Trust's great treasures, were spectacular this week. So visit I did, along with several hundred other people, and managed to get the following snaps. Enjoy!

We all love a fairy ring.

Back to the Front

Oh how I love a project! And now it's the front garden's turn to get the makeover. We've been here for four years now, and the front garden has just 'been there' really. It's the traditional lawn with shrubs around the edge. Two large forsythias, lovingly clipped into spheres by the previous owner, a couple of box, a couple of evergreen viburnums and an Olearia.

The viburnums on the right are an essential windbreak, so they will stay.

The front garden takes the full blast of south westerlies coming off the English Channel, which is about 700 metres away. While it's lovely to see the sea, the downside is a pretty much constant attack from the wind, together with the salt it brings with it. Only the toughest plants survive. In fact it would have been far more sensible to leave it as it is. But that would be too easy - I like a challenge. So step one was to kill the grass, which we did in the spring.

The Olearia to the right was getting too large - it's now gone!

 Some of the shrubs have been removed - two cistus plants that had got too leggy and were beyond pruning, plus the Olearia above. Then by July we were ready for the next step - weed suppressing sheets and gravel.

Here you can see the gap in the windbreak to the left of  the viburnums

My Fascicularia bicolor, tightly packed in a pot, will feature in the new front garden.

The idea is to plant several beds of plants into the gravel. Most of the planting will take place in the spring, but I have made a start with some autumn planting, to give some plants a chance to settle in and toughen up during the winter.

These plants don't look like much at the moment but they are part of the big plan!

Nepeta and Centaurea from my mum's garden.

Griselinia will form part of the new windbreak.



I took this photo to prove the sun made it through the mist today, at last!

The rest of the planting can wait until March or April. Hopefully it will look decent when I open my garden for the Coastal Garden Trail next August- see here for more information.

And finally, here's my plan for the planting!

It looks a mess, but at least I understand it!

Poppy Power!

There's something not quite right about this poppy in my garden. Today it is in full flower, with many buds queuing up to bloom, and it's nearly the end of October. There's something a little unnatural about it I think, with sedums and dahlias starting to pass their best. But it's there and I have to just be grateful for the late season colour. This poppy must sure have a strong desire to procreate.

More buds are swelling on this confused little plant.

Today I also noticed how magnificent the euphorbia foliage has become. This plant will soon be making flower bracts, and it's as if it knows its moment of glory is approaching. The leaves have an extra sheen to them, and where raindrops rest before their final descent to earth, the effect is stunning.

Autumn blooms

There are still plenty of flowers in my garden in mid October. Unbelievably, my sweet peas are still going for it, without a break since June. Surely they must be exhausted by now!

This Scaevola is happy in its pot.

Another pot-grown specimen, a rather saucy dahlia.

Arctotis compete with sweet peas for 'Longest Season' Award.

I was surprised to see this poppy re-flower after a trim down to the base in August.

Schizostylis, now called Hesperantha, flower until Christmas.

Large Dahlias peep up behind Asters.

A closer look at this Dahlia. I have three of this variety, and leave them in the ground every winter.

This Dahlia has been terrific this year.

We've made use of an awkward space by growing Dahlias behind the greenhouse.

Looking down on the Summer Garden

I like the leaves of this pelargonium more than the flowers.

But there are more flowers to come. Let's hope Jack Frost doesn't visit too soon...

Penshurst Place

The final garden I visited in the summer that I've yet to post about is Penshurst Place. This West Kent garden is a real beauty, and deserves to have more visitors. The gardens are divided into many rooms, creating an intimate atmosphere despite the garden's large acreage.

This blue and yellow border is going to be renovated soon, but looks pretty good as it is!

I like the frothy Alchemillas edging this pathway.

The house looks magnificent with formal rose beds in the foreground.

The newly planted Jubilee Garden

Monardas, Lychnis and Sedums make a glamorous statement.

The new borders are already looking established.

The calm White Garden.

Huw making a fine contribution to the water feature...

Hever Fever

Another garden I visited over the summer that I've not yet had time to post about is Hever Castle. Most visitors come here for the magnificent castle and its excellent and educational displays about Henry VIII and the Tudors. Or else they come to lose themselves in the maze, or get squirted by jets of water in the very entertaining (yes, I've done it, and got very wet thanks to some annoying children who were so wet they decided everyone else should be too) water maze. But I like to drop in now and then to see the rose garden, dahlias and herbaceous border. There are also some gardens planted between crumbling buttresses along a wall, which I did not photograph simply because I'm not a huge fan of the formal bedding style they represent. In August the rose garden was past its best but still had some lovely offerings to view and sniff.

It's always a treat for me to see the long border of dahlias, although in August the stakes make more of a statement than the plants. I should think by now the stakes are invisible!

This dahlia caught my eye. I don't know which variety it is. I love the gradual changes in colour.

A blue section of herbaceous border.

And a hot section.

You can find out more about Hever Castle here. I'm not one for moaning on my blog, but what I will say is that whilst £14.50 for entry to the castle, mazes and garden is acceptable for a day out, £12.00 to visit the garden alone is pretty expensive - Kew Gardens charge £16 to visit one of the greatest gardens in Britain, and whilst Hever is lovely, it's not Kew. So come on Hever, encourage more garden lovers to visit and get that garden entry price down to a much more reasonable £8. You'll still make a killing in the restaurant......