September flowers

Since I started taking photographs of the garden throughout the year I've found it really useful to see how the borders change with the seasons. Early on in the year when there isn't much in flower, I can look back on last summer's pics and see how full they will get.  That helps to curb my desire to fill up all the spaces with more plants. It helps me to see how new borders have progressed since the previous year and it also helps me to identify plants. A green shoot which appears in the spring may not be a weed after all but a plant which lost it's label after planting last year.  I've destroyed many a new plant in my enthusiasm to tidy up a border of weeds.

This week I have been looking back at my photos of  last September in the garden to see how it compares to this year. They looked to be more colourful last year. But I have moved plants around this year, so that will have made a difference.

I wandered round the garden last weekend trying to spot the good bits in what I felt were rather dull looking borders. And I did spot some bright areas.  I noticed there were lots of butterflies and bees about. If there are bees and butterflies then there must be flowers.

I planted some dahlia plants earlier in the summer, but some of them got eaten by slugs so I bought a couple more last week to brighten the borders up with late summer colour. The ones with the open centres are more bee friendly than the cactus type

This year I planted some more plants in the yellow border.  This helenium is looking very bright now. I didn't realise how tall it grew though.

Some time ago I made a 'wish list' for garden plants and amongst them was helenium and echinacea purpurea. I bought three echinacea at a plant fair in the summer and was pleased to see they've settled in.

The sedums are starting to flower, the bees and butterflies love them.

 This clump of marguerites is still looking good, there are others around the garden which have not done so well.

Persicaria takes on some lovely autumn tints.

It is still only the middle of September so I'm hoping that over the next couple of weeks the garden will take on some more late summer colour.

What's looking good in your garden at the moment?