THE COLOUR RED
Red, vermillion, scarlet and burgundy is the theme for the moment. Everything is tinged with a beautiful warm glow almost as if I’m looking through rose-tinted glasses. My bronzed-edged Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ has turned completely red and everything else in the garden seems to compliment it. Even the leaves of the Amaranthus caudatus ‘love- lies-bleeding’ are beginning to tinge red too.
At the allotment borage has rampaged, un-checked, though the pumpkins. I’ve let it take hold as it looks so pretty when the sun catches the hairy buds of the borage. The delicate blue flowers look stunning against the orange pumpkins. The pumpkins haven’t done as well as last year as I forgot to feed them as often as I should have. A late sowing of some baby tomatoes are finally cropping profusely. They are a miniature variety called ‘currant sweet pea tomato’ and very sweet and dainty. They have stood up very well to the exposed location of the allotment and erratic watering. In fact the tomatoes in general have done better at the allotment than the ones I fuss over at the greenhouse.
The second batch of cauliflowers has had a growth spurt too. Last week I weeded them and no curds were visible then suddenly they are looking super. Another week with this fine weather and they’ll be ready. This variety doesn’t have many leaves to protect the flower, so it is crucial to harvest promptly before sunlight discolours them.
The digging and clearing has begun. I’m going to try weed suppressant fabric on the allotment over winter. I’m fed up with spending my precious spare time dealing with weeds. I’ve started off some rainbow chard, perpetual spinach and some cabbage for winter. The next stage is to get them planted out and established before the weather turns.
My plant rack got a boost with a monochrome theme. I decided to overwinter the herbs that were here in the greenhouse and do a fresh look for autumn. I picked out some white cyclamen, some Echeveria Topsy Turvey, and kept the black Ophiopogon grass. This black grass loves this planter and is so dramatic. I finished it all off with some solar-powered fairy lights. Very glamorous.
