As I took my weekly photo of this particular area of my garden on Monday afternoon, there was a distinct coolness in the air. The sun was much lower in the sky with long shadows from our trees, and the chairs and table down in the garden were in deep shade. I realised that summer really is drawing to an end.
This is a lovely time of year, when the heat is fading and the garden is still thriving, with lots of insects lazily buzzing around…
There is a lot of green, but colour too: the pink rose at the top of this slope is flowering again, and the yellow Achillea and pale pink Potentilla are still flowering…
Looking up the slope, we can see the Hypericum, a few Asters, some remnants of the pink Lychnis and some of the amazing Teucrium (it just goes on and on!) under the Acer tree…
And do you see the tinges of colour on the Sedums?
Right at the bottom of the slope, below the Perovskia, the black plant support contains my tall pink Aster Alma Poetschke. I experimented with the Chelsea chop this year, cutting back this clump at the end of May by about a third, perhaps almost a half. But then I panicked and stopped halfway!
The clump is far too big for this support now anyway, so we will see if the shorter stems flop when they flower. If not, I might remove the support altogether and prune them at the same time next spring again.
Observing this view intensely this year I have often been pleasantly surprised at how well it has done, but I have also noticed where there is room for improvement, i.e. a spot or two which need a new focal point. I hope it has helped those who have joined me too! If you would like to share your Tuesday View, just leave a link below so we can find you.
Before I go, here is last year’s Tuesday View, also photographed yesterday afternoon, with the Perovskia and red rose flowering well and a new white Sanguisorba (Sanguisorba tenuifolia var. alba ‘Albiflora’) in front of the rose and lavender bush. It has become a favourite!
Have a lovely gardening week!
😀
P.S. I will not be here to post my usual view next week, so see you in a fortnight.
🙂
Words and Herbs 
As it is GBFD today I’ll join you tomorrow. I also noticed that the light has changed completely in the last week.
Look forward to seeing your view Christina.
Cathy I love the light of the beautiful photos of the garden. All plants I like but I have been struck by the beautiful flowering of pink and red roses, Sedum is beautiful. The star: the white Sanguisorba. Thank you and have a great week too. Greetings from Margarita.
The light is especially wonderful at this time of year Margarita! 🙂
I, too, have noted the changes in light. It is sad to see the flowers and the warm summer days fade away. But crisp, fall days are pretty nice, too. 🙂
Your garden is still looking good, even if the sun is heading south. Have a nice holiday next week!
My view: http://wp.me/p3O3z4-1Vv
Thanks Eliza. September is always a lovely month in the garden. I feel I can breathe out and enjoy it more without the heat. It was far too hot and humid for me this summer and I am looking forward to next month and some crisp days!
Today I have worked in the garden and had the same feeling that summer is almost gone. Thanks for such a detailed description of your view, very special! Mine is here: https://timpingradina.blogspot.ro/2017/08/the-tuesday-view-22nd-august-2017.html
Hi Anca. We got to see the sun setting yesterday for the first time in months, as it goes down behind the woods in the summer months. A sure sign that summer is fading, but that also means wonderful light for a few weeks too. 🙂
That sense of summer fading away is inevitable but your garden certainly looks wonderful. Have a happy getaway.
Thank you Susie!
I love the yellow achillea. I have a purple variety and think I’d like to add the yellow as a complement! It is so interesting to me to also note the change in the light from summer to fall. We keep our heat until at last mid-October, but the shifting light still tells me fall is quickly upon us, and I always look forward to the change. I went to the garden center today to make a few purchases, adding some more fall color to the garden, and I look forward to it getting just a little bit cooler! Enjoy your time away!
And I would love a purple Achillea! Shame we are not neighbours, we could swap cuttings! 😉 I like this season best… the run up to the autumn colours in October and November is such a magical time. I do like warm summers, but not the heat and humidity we had this summer, so I am looking forward to feeling chilly! LOL!
I love your photo of the bees on the goldenrod! 🙂 August is looking lovely in your garden. It’s been a surprisingly pleasant month here too, and the garden has been very appreciative. Here is my post: https://www.smallsunnygarden.com/2017/08/22/a-monday-vase-and-a-tuesday-view/
There are so many different insects on the Golden Rod, bees, hoverflies, beetles and some that look like bees but are a kind of fly I think. Glad you could join me again Amy!
I will reserve my thought on autumn… the short story is I’m not a fan.
The light does look beautiful though and I love a few cooler days here and there. Things still look so healthy and there’s much to come. I planted Alma last fall and am very much looking forward to seeing her flower this year… I should probably stake now rather than the day after a strong rain hits the flowers 😉
I put that black plant support around Alma after a couple of years of it flopping, so recommend staking now. Most people near us grow their asters against the garden fence which makes it easier to tie in. You will love Alma, and it will be interesting to see if ours flower around the same time. 🙂
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Nooooooo. Summer can’t be drawing to a close, despite the weather telling me differently. I will have to check my sediums to see if they, too, are changing. Happy vacation?
Thanks Lisa! A few more days of heat are forecast and then I think the summer really will be drawing to a close.
I love this time of year, as you say the light changes and the late summer blooms seem extra vibrant. Your view looks lovely as ever.
Thank you Chloris. The last few days of August are going to be really hot in Germany, but it looks as if I will be able to spend more time in the garden in September, which is one reason I like it so much!
The pollinators love the golden rod, yours looks beautiful in the sunshine.
It’s amazing just how many different insects I see on it Brian! 🙂
Your description of the time of the year with the heat fading and the garden still thriving really comes across in your photos, Cathy. Enjoy time with your Mum
Thanks Cathy. Flying back home today – wasn’t the bank holiday weekend perfect?!
But (too?) HOT! ☀️
I have yet to adjust from our really hot summer with temperatures in the thirties, so the 27°C we had on Monday with a lovely breeze was ideal for me! We didn’t do anything except sit in the shade all day though! 🙂
Oh of course, it’s all relative 😉