Harrogate Autumn Flower Show ... Part 2!

Good Morning!

You may have noticed earlier this morning that this post went live with nothing in it! I thought I'd already typed it up but apparently not ... so here it is, better late than never lol

Here are the rest of my favourite photographs from last Saturdays visit to Harrogate Autumn Flower Show ... I wish I could go back and do it all again, roll on the Spring show !!!

First up is this statement plant which caught my attention straight away, 

I love the towering spikes and dark foliage.

Actaea simplex 'Brunette'

Following on with the theme of dark foliage is this lovely brown grass. Grasses are perfect for filling gaps in a garden, providing structure and contrasting leaf shape to flowers. 

They're also great for using in containers and hanging baskets!

The flowers and fruits on this Euonymous phellomanus (Spindle Tree) look fantastic.

Speaking of flowers this Gladiolus murielae is definitely one for the wish list!

Heucheras are definitely plants that have had to grow on me over the past couple of years, when I first started gardening I wasn't a fan but now I can't get enough of them! 

With such a variety of colours they're perfect for adding colour to a garden when there isn't much else going on and they're relatively easy to look after ... just keep an eye out for vine weevil!

This display of Hardy plants was one of my favourites simply for its naturalistic look.

Fuchsias aren't really a plant that I collect many of but the following variety may have to be purchased, the salmon spiky flowers are different to the usual blooms that you see.

Apart from the Clematis growing on my shed I haven't had much luck growing them, powdery mildew has always been a bit of an issue later in the growing season. However the blooms on the following variety are so teeny and delicate that it might be worth giving this one a go!

Clematis 'Fascination'

The colours on this Carnation were a muted mix of pink and green which contrast to what another onlooker described as 'mucky' I think makes them much more decorative, specially in a vase!

Outside the Plant Pavillion were more plant stalls including these two displays of a Dog and Witch's Hat decorated with Sempervivums! Definitely worth the effort!

Of course I couldn't forget the Veg, the decoration on these pods I think makes them worth growing just for decoration.

Finally you're probably wondering what I ended up buying? Well I was actually rather well behaved and only came away with a couple of Heucheras 'Brass Lantern' & 'Sugar Frosting' and my first Orchid, Phalaenopsis 'Mini Mark'. 

Although I may end up ordering a few of the plants photographed when I have the pennies!

Thanks for stopping by,

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Harrogate Autumn Flower Show ... Part 1!

Good Morning!

It's been a little while since I last posted, I hope you've all enjoyed the recent weather and are keeping up with the jobs mentioned in my previous post. I've spent the majority of the month simply dead-heading, watering and composting annuals past their best. 

The cabbages sown a few weeks ago are still sat in their trays in the hardening off stage and some winter pansies that I purchased a few weeks ago were potted on and are currently growing on, these will be put in some more hanging baskets once the summer baskets have past their best.

Back to the main subject of today's post and it's all about the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show!

Living in Yorkshire this is the only plant show that I can realistically get to and back in Spring it was the first time I went to it. I couldn't wait for the Autumn one which was on last Saturday and of course I took my camera!

Here are some photo's of the plants that caught my eye ... there's quite a lot!

Alstroemeria psittacina

I'm not usually a fan of begonia's but the spiky foliage on the following plants caught my eye.

Begonia 'Raspberry Swirl' & Begonia benichoma

I loved the green colour scheme of these Chrysanthemums and the fact that the blooms are slightly understated.

Next to the Chrysanthemums was this amazing stand of Hippeastrum and Alliums ...

This stand showcasing Houseplants certainly made me realise I need to add to my collection!

Another plant that I wasn't overly fond of before this visit are Echinaceas but the following two varieties have certainly tempted me ...

This last set of plants caught my attention for having rather unusual flowers ...

Fascicularia bicolour

Tricyrtis formosana Stolonifera

Well that's it for today, I shall share the rest of the photo's with you soon!

I hope you've liked what you've seen so far ...

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX

Garden Checklist ...

Good Morning!

I can't believe September has reached us already, this year has flown by!
As for the Summer ... well the thing that we called Summer past us in a blink!
There are however a few things that you can still be getting on with in the garden right now ...

1. Hedges  - Now that fledglings will have left their nests it's time to trim any hedges that need doing! It's not perfect but the one in our garden has been neatened up and at long last it no longer resembles a spiky hairdo from the early 2000's!

2. Raspberries - If you have Raspberries in your garden then now is the time to do a little bit of pruning! 

If you are growing Summer fruiting varieties then prune out the canes which bore fruit this year as they fruit on the previous years growth. 

One way of telling which is what is that if you prune at this time of year the canes you need to get rid of will be a brown colour, this years growth will still be green.
Cut out all the old canes and try to leave each plant with 4 - 5 of the healthiest, strongest looking canes.

Autumn fruiting varieties however fruit on the current years growth which means you can cut them all down later on towards the end the year.

3. Hanging Baskets - If like me you have some Hanging Baskets looking past their best, why not give them a spruce up for the coming months! 

Below I have kept the conifers in my driveway baskets but replaced everything else with ...

- Heuchera 'Obsidian'

- Brachyglottis 'Greyi' for the silver foliage 

- Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'

 along with some Winter Pansies for some little pops of colour.

(I will also add some Spring bulbs to the basket once I have purchased them)

4. Spring Bulbs - Now is the time to get ordering those Spring bulbs and the sooner you do it the better! The first reason being that the bulbs will be of a better quality compared to those left sitting around for a few months ... the second reason being that you have more choice before the favourite's are snapped up and end up going out of stock.

Here's a little look of some that are on my list to buy so far ... it soon adds up but it's worth it!

5. Deadheading - I know I mention this in every checklist but please make sure that you keep up with the deadheading to prolong the flowering of your favourite plants! 

As you can see below in the photograph the bloom on the left needs to be removed (simply cut back the flower stalk to where it reaches the stem) and it won't be just you enjoying more blooms ...

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget you can find all the previous Checklists on the page tab above.

HAPPY GROWING!

XXX