We usually associate September with late flowering plants that are often quite vividly coloured such as Helenium, Rudbeckia, Canna lilies, Crocosmia and Dahlias, but looking around my garden this week I was surprised to find so many pinks and whites still enjoying the sunshine. And sunshine there was! An unexpected shot of heat at the beginning of the week had me running inside for the shade after attempting some cutting back of unruly plants. Sadly by Wednesday we had returned to the typical Cornish mizzle, though fortunately without the promised lightning storms.
(1) Amarine ‘Anastasia’ again. But a much better photo than last week. Having waited three years for this I’m going to make the most of it! And OK Anastasia is not a shy pale pink, rather a ‘in your face’ ‘full on shouty’ vibrant pink!
(2) Cosmos Apollo sonata – I have moaned about these plug plants all summer, but now, eventually, they are all in flower. And looking very pretty. Just a couple of months late! I like these Cosmos because they don’t get too leggy.
(3) Abyssinian gladiolus, Gladiolus murielae (formerly known as Acidanthera murielae) is a striking plant with lovely sword-shaped foliage. Unfortunately it seems to be very stubborn in producing the delicate-looking star-like fragrant flowers with a distinctive maroon blotch, but when it does they are rather special. My two pots still only gave me two spikes again this year, despite being in full sun all summer as they like to bake. I take them indoors during the winter and don’t water them. Maybe one year they will surprise me!
(4) White flowering Garlic Chives in the herb bed are doing well this year. Bees love them. Though apparently not when I was taking this photo.
and finally a couple of my pelargoniums. They have been slow growing this year as I have pretty much replaced the older plants with cuttings which I cut back hard in the spring. Now they are coming into flower and should hopefully last until October if we don’t have too much rain. Regal Pelargoniums need to be brought indoors over winter.
(5) Regal Pelargonium ‘Carisbrooke’ is a soft shell pink with purple feathering on upper petals.
(6) Regal Pelargonium ‘Dark Secret’ which is not one of the pastels, but with its flowers of mahogany red with a deep burgundy blaze on each petal it complements the pinks well. The flowers contrast beautifully with the bright green foliage.
If anyone has any advice about #3 I would appreciate it. I am wondering if I planted too many bulbs in each pot?
As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to our host, the lovely Jon, AKA ‘The Propagator’ where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world.
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Cornwall in Colours 
This is a glorious gallery, Jude. It seems to be pay-back time for all your hard work.
Certainly needs some hard work at the moment!
Ooooh I do like Pelargonium Dark Secret, so sultry. I agree that the Abyssinian gladiolus is quite special, worth persevering with I think, once you find out what works, let me know and I might start growing them! My Garlic chives are also flowering now, though they are slow growers I find, nothing like as vigorous as their common cousins, the ordinary garden chives.
I ought to get some of the ordinary chives, they make a lovely edging, better than lavender here.
Yes lovely in spring and summer – but unfortunately they look a mess in winter!
What a wonderful gallery of flowers! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for visiting Pit. Hope all is going well in your part of the world!
Things are fine here. 🙂
👍
I know nothing regarding gladiolus, but it is stunning. I have similar issues with agapanthus. The garlic chive flowers are very pretty.
The garlic chives took a few seasons to do well, they are lovely this year though I think something is eating the flowers! My society garlic has thrown up lots of spikes this year too, they are like mini agapanthus.
I do like those pelargoniums very much, such velvety looking flowers, and the pink one is absolute perfection.The Abyssinian gladiolus is very desirable. I’ve a vague recollection of having planted one here years ago when we started this garden, and it didn’t survive. I’m glad your society garlic is going well, it’s such a good reliable plant.
I’m going off having plants that need cossetting so I won’t be replacing the pelargoniums, although the scented leaf ones have survived outdoors all year round. I’m trying to reduce the amount of pots I have!
LOL, I’d like to reduce the number of pots I have too. (Many are plants that are waiting to go into a new border.) Somehow that never seems to happen though – I either acquire or propagate more! Your pink and white selections are absolutely lovely. 🙂
Very pretty Acidanthera flowers … and what a scent! I hesitated to add mine in my Sixthis week but it will be for next week! Mine ( 4 bulbs ) are planted in a large pot 80cm in diameter and year after year they take up more space with eucomis ( 4). On the other hand, I noticed that they don’t bloom every year (nothing in 2020: I also wondered if they were not too tight in the pot but no, they are blooming again this year)
You take yours out of the pot to overwinter don’t you? I usually leave mine in the pots and keep inside the conservatory without watering. Maybe this year I’ll remove them and repot in the spring.
Eucomis yes, but if I remember, these not the last winter. Only cut down and covered with thick mulch
Oh, OK.
So awesome 👌🌷variety of beautiful flowers 🌸 👍🏻😍🙏
How lovely — I wish I had a green space of my own (currently spend a lot of time in my local botanical gardens when the weather isn’t too hot). I love the colours!
“Mizzle” ? Mist and drizzle/?? Gotta say I absolutely love that and will definitely steal it! As always your flowers are glorious and you’ve captured them beautifully Jude. I remain truly envious.
That’s exactly it!
Lovely selection of flowers. The Amarine is a gorgeous colour. The Abyssinian Gladiolus is new to me.
The Amarine is still looking good (two flower spikes now) even in the rain!