Japanese Anemone
Lobelia × speciosa ‘Hadspen Purple’
Persicaria officinalis
Jasmin
Hemp Agrimony
Water Mint
I was looking back in my garden note-book to see what was flowering this time last year to compare with this month. The garden seems a little less colourful as several plants have finished flowering early and I lost quite a few in spring from the snowfalls (including a couple of Osteospermum, two Chocolate Cosmos, several Fuchsias, lavender and an Arctotis).
Anyway, here are six plants currently flowering in my garden. Some old, some new!
- Persicaria officinalis ‘Darjeeling red’ though it looks quite pink to me, I think the red refers to the stems. This is a new plant and in the ‘bee and butterfly bed’ and I am hoping it will spread nicely over the edge.
- Another new one specially purchased for this new bed is Lobelia ‘Hadspen Purple’. I had intended to pick up a Penstemon, but somehow this ended up in my basket. I love the really rich purple velvety flowers and fortunately so do the bees.
- Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) also known as ‘Raspberries and Cream’ displays ‘frothy’ clusters of tiny, pink flowers on top of long, reddish stems from July to September. Butterflies like the Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral like it as do lots of other insects. It is a wild flower and likes to be near water.
- Another wild flower also growing in the same area as the one above is Water Mint. It grows in several places in this garden, but I like the flowers it produces at this time of year – so do the butterflies (possibly the Meadow Brown in this case). It has hairy, oval, toothed leaves that appear in whorls around the reddish stems and produces dense clusters of lilac-pink flowers at the ends of its stems between July and October. Its leaves can be used in the same way as other mints, flavouring cooking and drinks.
- The third plant that is in the same part of the garden as those above is the very pretty Japanese Anemone. Which makes me think that there must have been a pond here at some stage. So many of these plants love to be beside water.
- And finally, a thug. Jasmine officinale ‘Clotted Cream’ which has been planted alongside the fence at the side of my conservatory. Unfortunately it grows like crazy and although I cut it right down last year it soon spurted into life again. I tried to keep tying in the stems as they grew, but it became impossible. As the flowers are at the end of these whips I have not cut it back, but will do so next month. The perfume is subtle and in the evening very nice, but the foliage far outweighs the flowers. I wonder if it needs some kind of pergola structure so that the stems can grow above, rather than hanging down. I have to do something about it because it is driving me mad! Any advice is very welcome.
See here for the participant’s guide.
Cornwall in Colours 
Ahhhhh, Japanese anemones, one of my favourite flowers. I’m missing them this year, but I hope they are flowering well in my UK garden. 🙂
Do you have white ones? I quite fancy some.
I have both the pink and white. 🙂 The pink are the most prolific, and just rampage at will it seems. The white are a little more diva-like and refuse to spread, or maybe they are just shy. 🙂
These are stunning, Jude! Your garden must be such a pretty picture of pure delight!
Thanks Pete. I’m afraid I am a bit of a plant collector and when I moved into this house the garden was pretty boring with mainly lawn and shrubs/trees. I knew I had to add some colour.
A beautiful six, love it. I grew some persicaria from seed this year. Still small but just now putting out some flower stems. Bigger and better next year I hope. I particularly like that lobelia…
The lobelia is a star. I hope all these plants do well next year, but I shall be keeping my eye on the weather and the S&S next spring!
Am enchanted w/the hemp agrimony. What a horrible name, but I love the bloom. Out pond minr, lovely tho it be, would put your jasmine to shame in the thuggery dept. And speaking of the jasmine, let us know if you try the pergola. Anything looks good on a pergola, doesn’t it? That lobelis, can see why you chose it over the pennstimon.
Lovely flowers. It must be a beautiful looking garden.
It is a very small garden and I only show the good bits 😀 😀
A really lovely six. I must sort out some persicaria for here. And as I am about to plant some jasmine I know now which one to avoid!!
The persicaria flowers are turning a deeper red colour now. It looks lovely. I’d avoid jasmine altogether apart from maybe the one that isn’t actually a jasmine – Trachelospermum the evergreen one that has jasmine-like flowers.
The trachelospermum was the one I had in mind – not realising that it wasn’t a jasmine!
Wonderful macro work here, Jude. You garden is stunning, such a variety of beautiful flowers. Siri and Selma have reserved the book from the little free library for you, if you send us your address, we’ll be happy to send it to you. Take care. Xx
Oh, thank Siri and Selma from me. I will send them my address soon as ( I had forgotten already…)