September Song At Barleycorn

Woolly Bear Caterpillar

During September walks around the garden, I greeted old familiar faces...lavender and purple Michaelmas Daisies; orange Montbretia; pink, white, and purple Phlox; exquisite blooms of Japanese Anemones, and colourful Summer annuals which will linger until the first frosts arrive. I am so thankful for these late-bloomers, for the garden season would be so much shorter without them.

Rainbow Over Barleycorn

We have had a relatively dry spell of weather recently, resulting in many parched plants. When the much-needed showers came, they refreshed everything the garden - trees, flowers and the ponds themselves - and painted the sky with magical rainbows, which never fail to make me smile and look up in wonder. We all know the science, but nothing transcends the intrinsic beauty of rainbows.

Garden Orb Spider

On one of my trips to the gazebo I found this beautiful Garden Orb Spider. She had spun an intricate web across one corner and was hiding under a flap in the curtain I made to shade us from strong sunlight. Because I leave a little window open, she finds lots of insects to satisfy her hunger. Recently there have been Jenny-long-Legs, Harvestman Spiders, Flies and Wasps.

Summer Meadow Nasturtiums

On Sunday morning we awoke to our first frost of the Autumn. I am so glad I took this photograph the previous day, as, although the Nasturiums are sheltering against the barn, they will begin to wilt soon. I have gathered and already shared so many seeds from my Summer meadow with eager friends...Poppies, Nasturtiums, Cornflower, Corncockle, Cerinthe Major, Ox-Eye Daisies and many more.

Rose Arey Pond Lily

The longevity of the lilies is always a bonus, and, unless, the frosts come in quick succession, they will continue to bloom till early November, even though the leaves are displaying signs of their Autumn coats. The next job at the ponds will be to cut down the wilting leaves of Irises and Ranunculus.

Pink Phlox

Phlox is such a robust flower and very good for use in floral arrangements as it does not easily wilt. I planted a group of pink ones in a dark corner of the garden where they shine out like a beacon on moonlit evenings. They are also self-supporting and have a sweet perfume.

Rosa Glauca Rosehips

Now that we are into early autumn, it is wonderful to have so many different kinds of berries for the birds to eat. We have several species of Rowan trees - Cashmiriana, Chinese Lace, Joseph's Rock, Silver Sorbus and ten native Rowans - which are covered in white, yellow and red berries respectively. The branches of our Rugosas are heavy-laden with those wonderful tomato-shaped hips; the Rosa Moyseii is sporting a harvest of deep red flagon-shaped hips and there are lots of fruits on the honeysuckles.

Frost on Nasturtiums

It has been another wonderful Summer and now we can look forward to glorious Autumn colours beautifying the garden. The local farmer, who tills the field adjacent to Barleycorn, has just finished harvesting his barley, though the rain has prevented him from making roly-poly bales of straw for Winter bedding. Perhaps I will have footage of that next month in the Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness.
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The first video this month is called September Song At Barleycorn. The accompanying music is Bailero, sung by Renee Fleming, from Songs of the Auvergne. Each month the videos are visual accounts of what is in bloom here in our garden.

The second video is called September Harvest. The accompanying music is Hoedown from Rodeo. I hope you enjoy them.