Lingering Indian summer

These nice few days of Indian summer and we have abandoned the veg garden to do some flower garden tasks.

• Planted two fuchia bushes as part of the screening round the new oil tank. One I grew from a piece I broke off from a bush down the road and propagated.  The other we had in a square tub for about 5 years and was definitely looking too strained.  

• Took out the row of sweet peas and planted up a bed of 8 big lupin plants I had grown from seed. Should give a solid wall of flower next summer.

• Took up the geraniums from the front bed and put in the wall flowers (wilted a bit in the sun but we will keep up the watering). Nice Penstomen established in the middle.

• Took out the petunias and geraniums from the planter, used the spent compost to pot up the geraniums for the winter (recommended on Beechgrove gardening programme last week)

We are planning to over winter the geraniums, take some cuttings and save some money on next year's planting.

 I have grown abut 15 delphiniums from seeds and 4 peach coloured fox gloves for some planned new beds next year.  I am growing some pot marigolds from seed too for some bedding colour next year. I keep seeing these in people's gardens as I cycle round the village and they are so colourful and cheerful. The tagettes and french marigolds we grew this year were a dark colour and though plentiful in flowering they were not quite as bright as we wanted.
My husband pruned some roses and lavender and cut the lawns again.  Not too much grass collected this time round just a couple more inches on the compost bin!

Back to the veg garden tomorrow, if I cant find a couple of late runner beans I think I spotted a few early sprouts my husband will enjoy!
I have to do another tomato harvest tomorrow too. Not that I have dealt with all the pile in the fridge (about 8 lbs). The peppers are red so I should be able to get on with chili jam and tomato chutney.