I've been looking back at old photos to see how much growth we've had this year. The curvy long border hasn't done bad (this is the first time the grass has been cut and the edges done at the same time - doesn't always look this neat). Things aren't quite covering the wall as I'd hoped. I think I need to feed everything in this border so next year it has more of a growth spurt. Or maybe I'm just impatient.

Balloons over Bath

It's been a really sunny bank holiday weekend and the balloons have been out and about over the valley we look into. They come up over the house really close (we hear the burners). This was taken yesterday at about 7pm. The tree on the far right is the ash at the bottom of our garden.

Planted up

I finally got around to planting up the new bed in our shady zone (see the project's progress: stage 1 stage 2 stage 3 ). I'm pretty pleased with how it's looking but we've run out of wine bottles for the edging (work in progress). I planted the ten coreopsis grown from seed (not sure I'm going to see any flowers on them this year), three astilbe (£1 each in the (almost) dead plant zone in the garden centre) and three achillea (£1 each as well, I do like a bargain). The larger shrubs at the back were birthday presents: two shrub lilacs and a viburnum (see my May entry). The sparks of colour are gladioli and crocosmia - almost finished now.

We've had one ace barbie on our beach but so far the weather's not been right (and now the local farmers have been spraying so the garden is rather smelly - not very conducive for munching a veggie burger).

Another star

I've been waiting a long time for this Aster frikartii Monch to flower. It was a plant on my list so when I found it in a garden cetnre it had to be bought. I'd read it's the best aster but can't remember now who said that. It's planted with red Helenium which is quite a colourful combo but seems to work. I dug up the Helenium in the spring and divided one plant into about six (it was overdue for splitting) and tried to remove the bindweed that smothers it in summer. It didn't work (I discovered helenium and bindweed have v. similar looking roots), and the bindweed is back. Oh well.

Star in august

I tried taking a photo of this Japanese aneneme the other day but it was so windy I was just getting a lot of blurred images. Today is really still so I had another go. I've got the white variety too - both were hidden under the gloom of the overgrown budleia when we arrived but I make sure they have a bit more light these days and every year they beef up a little more. I like seeing them flower but it does always feel like the end of the season. They seem to be the freshest thing around at this time of year.

Tumbler full

My tumbler toms are getting red. First time I've tried them, dead easy it seems. I put them in our homemade planter on the patio. I'm going to wait, along with the basil, until they are really red and ripe. Here's hoping for a sunny weekend to rosy them up.

Job done

Chris has done another star turn and painted the rusty old gate at the front. Now it's nice and shiney and doesn't clatter so much when I bang it closed (hope he doesn't read this).

Autumn in august...no!

My Forsythia seems to think that autumn has arrived. I'm in denial - it just cannot be. Not yet. Please.

Brilliant sweetcorn

My sweetcorn have suddenly taken to the skies with the recent spot of sun we've had. They looked rather stunted before but had survived the rain and wind really well. I grew about eight from seed and since they went out, I really haven't done a thing to them: no staking, weeding or feeding (I'm really bad at feeding). Tough old things.

Ver-bee-na

I always think verbena is a really summery flower. I bought two a couple of years ago and thought I had lost both in frosts but they seem to have self-seeded (when I bought them someone in the garden centre said they had really spread) - I've found them in various parts of the garden - I guess because they are so tall the seeds go quite a distance. Good news for me in my 275ft garden.

Eaten again

These were healthy-looking mange tout (Norli). Healthy until they got eaten by those slimey things. Been a bad year for beans and peas on the veg plot (although the broad beans were brill - will do more for next year).

Not pretty

Hmmm...I kind of had a bad feeling about this choisya when I saw how feeble the root system was. It was salvaged from a friend's front garden and was worth a go at saving. It didn't stand much of a chance with so few roots and transplanted in our excessively hot April. I had it under an umbrella and watered it everyday but it still couldn't cope. Still, my mum's given me a big pittosporum to fill it's place - being planted this afternoon (if I can resist more toast).

Cuttings

I've been busy already today (just enjoying some toast with jam and cheese - try it, lovely) . I took some cuttings early this morning (the best time). These are:

• everlasting wallflowers (our site is so windy, especially in winter, I've decided to grow new each year from cuttings, otherwise they look rather woody)
• Physocarpus opilifolius Diabolo - a big, beefy purple-leaved shrub with pretty pink flowers in summer. This is for my brother, he's got an empty garden at the mo and needs a bit of structure.
  
• Rosemary - Mrs Jessop's Upright
• a pretty shrub that I can't find the label for - has variegated leaves and lilac spokes of flowers at the end of summer
• penstemon 'Stapleford Gem'
  

Trouble is my cold frame is full with Pak Choi, spring greens and lettuce, all sown in trays last Thursday (and they are showing already). Not sure where the cuttings are going to live...might have to take over a windowsill...

Star for August

This clematis was a cheapo purchase from Woolies to climb up a homemade obelisk-type structure that we made. The obelisk soon fell over in the wind and needed emergency staking to remain upright. 'Emergency' staking has become rather permanent and it doesn't look very pretty (hence no photo). Obelisk now called wobelisk. Nice clem though not sure which one it is - the box of labels is out of reach and I have home-highlights on my hair. Nuff said.

Ready for planting

We cleared the weeds (dense brambles and bindweed) and now the beds around our beach area are all clear and ready to be planted. How exciting. I have tons of stuff put aside for this moment, including about eight Coreopsis Zamphir plants grown from seed. I'm planning to empty a few pots on the patio here - thought this would mean less work with watering - bit of a joke this year though.

Wet deck

Having successfully avoided giving the deck a second coat of preservative (I promised I would do this but failed...doghouse for me), Chris gave in and did a top job. We were amazed at the rain just sitting on top.