On looking out of the window first thing this morning, I really wished I’d taken my six pictures yesterday when the weather was quite pleasant! However, after a soaking whilst taking Ollie out for a walk, the rain stopped and the sun came out – so much so that not only did I get a couple of photos, me and my mom were able to enjoy tea and cake outside at a local nursery. Added bonus – I didn’t come home empty handed, I’ve some colourful plants to pot up tomorrow! So, on this distinctly Autumnal day, my six this week are from indoors and out and what a colourful bunch they are!

Some weeks back, this clematis ‘Niobe’was looking distinctly unwell. I’d used a glyphosate product on an invasive patch of euphorbia robbiae growing close by and I really thought a wind drift must have affected it. Chris chopped it back to the floor and look what’s happened – it started growing back almost immediately, healthy green leaves and this week – a flush of fulsome flowers!

Flowering well is the statuesque salvia ‘Amistad’ – I love this plant, it sits well in all colour schemes as an effective contrast in pale, jewel and hot borders. I have a few, grown from cuttings (it doesn’t propagate from seed), but this one was left in the border last year and survived the mild but wet winter. It is only half hardy (H3) and prefers a well drained soil – reportedly not clay, but I haven’t found this a problem. Growing up to 1.5 metres tall, it’s best situated mid border.

This lovely lemony dahlia is from a crop of ‘Bishop’s Children grown from seed last year and another plant accidentally left in situ in the border over winter. It’s still going strong and as there’s no sign of frost, I’ll just lift a couple of it’s tubers as a safety net and leave it where it is.

Indoors and at first sight, it may look as though I’ve had some success with my ‘Buffalosteak’ toms – but no, this is the sum of produce from 5 plants! Disappointing but I think it’s probably due to erratic watering – must try harder!

Another indoor picture, this beautiful tender houseplant is the cape primrose, streptocarpus ‘Gwen’. It’s the first cape primrose I’ve ever bought, but certainly won’t be the last – it’s been flowering prolifically since I brought it home a month ago. Cape primroses flower throughout the year, are simple to propagate from leaf cuttings and are supposed to be easy to care for – but I’m not great with houseplants, mainly due to watering inconsistencies! They don’t like sitting in water (their roots may rot) and should be kept away from direct sunlight or cold windows; but do need light – let’s hope I can keep it going! The plant is a reminder of a lovely day out with friends, after walking on Kinver Edge, we stopped for tea at Ashwood Nurseries on the way home and yes, you’ve guessed, I couldn’t resist!

Now this is one I did take earlier! Caught on camera earlier in the week, all the leaves on this acer palmatum have now dropped, but not before providing a fabulous flaming display – a real stand out plant!

As we move into increasingly turbulent time – keep safe and well..

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