… since I last joined in with SOS. Lockdown with three kids was pretty intense and it was hard to find time to blog. But it’s nice to be back sharing six things that are brightening up my garden this week. I’m looking forward to seeing what the The Propagator and other SOSers have been up to.
1. Cosmos – the gift that keeps on giving
These babies were self-sown and all come from just one plant. It didn’t flower until September but has been blooming ever since in a glorious riot of pink.
2. Salvia ‘Amistad’
I treated myself to two of these gorgeous velvety blue salvias for some late season colour. ‘Amistad’ is not fully hardy so I should probably take cuttings in case I lose them this winter.
3. Ophiopogon and Stachys
I planted this contrasting combination of black mondo grass, Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ and silvery lamb’s ear, Stachys byzantinus ‘Silver Carpet’ to provide a distraction by our bins.
4. Hi, I’m a fun-guy
It’s fungi season in the garden. Does anyone know what type of mushroom this is? My six-year-old is fascinated but also terrified of ‘poisonous mushrooms’.
5. Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’
Possibly the best of the Japanese anemones, still going strong in our garden. I love the purity of these white petals with their happy little centres (god I’ve got an RHS Level 2, I should know what they’re called, stamens and er pollen-y bits???).
6. Curly courgettes
Our courgette plants are still flowering but the courgettes are a rather strange shape. As if they’re just waiting to be spiralized. Is this something that happens to late season zucchini?
Carrots and Calendula 
Very pretty photos and very pretty colours for your coming back among us! I also have ophiopogons and stachys side by side but they are the stachys lanata (whiter leaves ). Like the Prop you also have ‘Honorine Jobert’ featured this week!
LikeLike
You still have lots of colour in your garden. That Cosmos is a beauty. I still have one that has yet to flower but there are buds forming.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome back 😊 love the cosmos, mine did well this year, but I bought them as seedlings, so much more expensive, and they are pretty much over now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to see you back! 🙂 I have a friend who use to bring me mushrooms she had picked. They were absolutely delicious! I am too nervous to decide which are safe to eat myself. The cosmos have featured well this year……I must grow some myself. Look after yourself, I am sure it has been very difficult with 3 children to entertain/educate at home.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My cosmos has been amazing this late too. The bees like it better than any other flowers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So nice to see you back Ciar. Your son is right to be scared of mushrooms. I once went on a fungus forage and within 5 minutes we’d found a deadly poisonous death cap. The mushroom man was surprised as he hadn’t seen one there in years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you’ve returned as you were missed! You have plenty of beautiful color going still and mushrooms popping, as do we. I generally give them a wide berth, except for easily ID’d ones like shaggy manes and chanterelles. Take care!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The courgette looks like one of the long Italian types…and your salvia is certainly worth the effort of overwintering some cuttings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cosmos can be rather prolific once it gets established. It does not want to cooperate here though. Do you find that it gets aggressive during the second year, and self sows all over the place, and just when it seems intent on conquering all, recedes back to a manageable colony in a minor portion of its former empire? It did that at the farm, as if it wore itself out.
LikeLiked by 1 person