A WEEK IN MY GARDEN - 12 SEPTEMBER - A VISIT TO CHARLESTON

Mr B and I had a little trip away this week to see Charleston, the former home of the artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and gathering point of the Bloomsbury group.  The house and the works of art it contains are fascinating and beautiful and well worth visiting.  The garden was also important to the artists who used often used the flowers in their paintings.

The House 

The layout of the main garden is quite simple.  There is a rectangular lawn surrounded on three sides by double borders.  Apple trees punctuate the borders, which are crammed with roses and perennials in bright colours.

At this time of year the asters, Japanese anemones and rudbeckia dominate.  There are dahlias and kniphofia adding orange tones to those yellows, pink and lilac.

Back at home, the asters are just starting to flower.  'Little Carlow' is in a sunny patch and is the first to come out.  

The aster grows in this border shown below, backed by crab apples, their branches laden with fruit.

Next to the asters are these frilly pink Japanese anemones called 'Pamina'.

In the greenhouse the peppers are ripening.  They've really enjoyed this long hot summer.  I grew one from seed, but no others germinated so I bought in a couple of plants from the garden centre as well.

Jobs wise, this week I've been finishing off those bits of evergreen hedges and topiary that didn't get done in the big open gardens push.  I also did do some watering because the new planting is still wilting despite the modest amounts of rain we've had.

Which brings us to the end of this week's round up.  I know it's been a bit short and sweet, but thank you for reading and I hope to see you next week.