In a Vase on Monday - End of September 2025

 
I haven't posted for nearly a month, but that does not mean I wasn't bringing material into the house.  Mostly I have been cutting seed heads from a number of plants, in order to collect the seed to share.  I'll post about the seeds in case you would like some in a week or so. Today's vase includes a number of new to the garden this year flowers. This is post is linked into Cathy's where you may also see and enjoy a number of interesting arrangements from our garden grown plants. Cathy mentions that it is Michaelmas Day today, so I am quite out of sync for not including those today, but I seem to be out of sync with my posts for IAVOM, so maybe it was to be expected, and I hope I am forgiven.   

The Snapdragons and the cosmos were bought as young seedlings from the Bishop's Palace and are unnamed.  They were simply labeled without a cultivar or colour details.  In a way it was a easy way to enjoy the unexpected.  The Cosmos have grown to over 4 feet in height before flowering, and what large flowers they have. The snapdragons have a preponderance to lounge around hence their curved shape in the vase. 

Both the white Dahlia and the pink Dahlia Karma Sangria which doesn't quite live up to the online pictures or description of being floriferous and more apricot in colour, have been somewhat disappointing.  On the other hand the lovely white phlox also new to the garden this year, is a pass along from my friend Maggie.  It was a plant left in her garden when she bought her house, and has no name, but is really charming.  Finally the purple Verbena bonariensis is self seeding over the garden. I am cutting the flowers from the better plants and planting them in a clump.

We are enjoying some fine autumn weather, and have escaped frosts so far.  We are yet to need the heating on, but the wool dressing gowns were unpacked yesterday.

Pot holders - Sewing Project

The story of how I came to make two sets of pot holders this Saturday afternoon.

I am not a sewer; yes I can sew on a button, make a hem, enjoy a little hand sewing, but am not a machinist.  I usually have to get out the instruction manual for 15 year old Singer 7463 to check on how to use the machine.  More and more I have been watching demonstrations on line, and this year I joined a group set up within my WI to help us novices get to know our way around our sewing machines and tackle a small project.

After the summer break, I had no idea what to make, and suddenly necessity came to my aid.  I am a knitter, and really enjoy that craft.  However the cotton threads of the first set of pan holders I made in 2008 were beginning to fray, and not really fit to hold hot dishes or bread tins from the oven.  The second set made in 2014 are in better condition.  Considering each set is washed fortnightly they have lasted well.

First I went through my stash of cotton yarn, and didn't have sufficient to knit a pair. I was on the point of ordering some double knit cotton, when I had a lightbulb moment: I might be able to sew some.  I went on line and found a good tutorial.

Easy Pot holders with Carmen Geddes

Having watched that, I knew I had some heat resistant batting which I bought over 10 years ago, and of course I had some left over fabric from some of the sewing projects I was tutored through by the wonderful Kay at the Kenilworth WI weekly sewing group. 

I never quite got into patchwork, although have tried, and in this instance I thought to bypass making a patchwork side and just use fabric on the theme of green to match accessories in the kitchen.  I had fabric left over in sufficient quantity from making my Pen Roll for my calligraphy pens and brushes.  

I haven't even opened the boxes with the stash of fabrics or sewing things for some time, and to my amazement came across a few trial patchwork pieces that I had made up at a county WI workshop in Warwick.  So the potholders would be made as per the video after all.

I had a few problems with thread bunching up on the bottom of the fabric, a couple of broken needles etc, but I remained patient.  I was quite pleased with the effect of sewing in the valleys type of straight quilting.

I am learning about different sizes of needles and which to use for different fabrics etc.  I was meant to keep this as a project to do when we meet up, but I was on a roll, and just got on with finished two sets yesterday.  Today one set was used and I am delighted with them. Whilst I cooking I can use the drawer knob to hang them from, but after that I prefer to put them away in the drawer.

It would have taken me several weeks to knit two sets, so all in all, these are excellent use of existing material and time.

There is probably a few years left in the newest of the knitted pot holders, so they will continue in service for a while.

Using the old pot holders to guage the size

Now I need to understand more about needles and order some more.  It was interesting to read the price on the ones I bought years ago, with hand written price and those available now!

Since first posting this I have had feedback and advice from my sewing guru Kay:

"The thread bunching, known also as birds nesting, can be caused by uneven tension.  I have found on more than one machine this happened but have cured it by using Guttermann sew all thread.  For some reason sewing machine are very fussy about thread spools.  You could also use try cleaning out the spool area. Lint and dust accumulate after a while."

"The thread in the shuttle should be the same as the top thread.  Older threads tend to be hairy to aid hand sewing so it is well worth investing in a couple of neutral coloured sew all threads."

Sewing machine needles 

Six more things from my garden - SOS - 27 September 25

Over the past three weeks or so we have had good colour in the front garden as the Amelanchier trees change and this week they are shedding their leaves, meaning summer is over according to the Amelanchiers.  Whether we can still call this late summer or early autumn depends on your local conditions, here we are yet to have any frosts. I am linking this post to Jim's post in the same way that several of us do each week, you too may should you feel inclined to keep a record or share Six things from your garden.

1. I bought this Fatsia Japonica Spider's Web five years ago and it has been subjected to a number of disasters and tribulations over its sojourn in the garden.  One year,  in its pot but outside the whole root system got eaten by the horrible vine weevil grubs over the winter but I managed to salvage the top just in time and used it as a cutting. Last year it had lots of leaves eaten by snails, so I cut it down again to remove the damaged leaves. It has had its best year so far, and not a damaged leaf in sight. It was amazingly resistant to the drought, but is in the small shaded part of the garden, so has suffered no scorching.

2. Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is looking at its best in the back garden.  Sadly the one I divided and replanted in several bits in the front garden this year are very poor in comparison.  They did not have time to get established properly before the heat and long dry spell. Hopefully with the winter rain and rest they will spring up next summer.

3. The low angle of the sun shows up the form of this rosemary beautifully.  This is the softest and tastiest of my rosemary plants and my favourite one. Although I showed it a few weeks back it is in this one that you can see the upward arching stems.

4. The Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken' which I acquired a couple of years ago and planted in a large slate pot is still in its green state and again a plant which looks lovely in the early morning light.

Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken'

5. I've been out in the garden digging out plants that have not been performing or declining such as my Iceberg Rose and one of the Rose Grace shrubs. On this little corner lifting plants or removing them just so that I can have a little rearrangement of plants in front of the Dierama 'Snowbells'. The ones I dug up were divided with plenty to  be repositioned elsewhere as well as to be given away as divisions.My Hori Hori is of our my great helper and comes out with me each time I am shifting and dividing plants. I wanted lower growing plants to allow the dierma plenty of room.  The Betonica officinalis 'Ukkie' was completely overwhelmed by the other plants growing there, and when I removed those, and lifted the betonica I could see that it was easily dividable, and now I have several little plants.  It only grows to about 25 cm to the tip of its flower spike. This is another plant that had had its name changed; it used to named Stachys.

I did the same type of division for a nicely performing white Betonica 'Wisley White' given to me by gardening friend Maggie. It went in the area where the large and aging clump of Marjoram Bristol Cross was growing.  It all feels a little like rearranging the furniture but with plants. 

6. Bang in the middle of this picture is a delightful small grey leaved Fuchsia 'Silver Linings'. It was first given to me by a great plantswoman, Janet, who like me was one of the members of the 'Kenilworth in Bloom' committee.  Each year a reminder of her birthday comes up on my Facebook: I was able to send her birthday wishes this week and attached this picture to show her that I am still thinking of her after all this time. It was Janet that spotted a small plant during a memorable day out, which we of course all immediately admired and coveted.  By the end of the season she presented each of us a small plant.  

Fuchsia microphylla ssp. hemsleyana 'Silver Lining'

I found out that the full name is Fuchsia microphylla ssp. hemsleyana 'Silver Lining', and being of the curious type I wanted to find out what hemsleyana stood for and within a few minutes have understood not only a little more about the name but also the type of terrain Fuchsias such as this comes from. 

Royal Surrey Day 2 -The Savill Garden

 Following on from a delightful day 1, our second day's outing was to The Savill Garden which forms part of the Windsor Estate and is absolutely one of my favourite gardens.  I do recall visiting it when I was quite young, however it surpassed all expectation, and should I have the opportunity to visit it again, I would jump at the opportunity.  

Considering it had been so dry, they had made the most of their own lakes using water to irrigate sensitive parts of the garden.  However the dry garden was having to work for its name and there was much there to inspire.  As this was a 'holiday' and I was very much aware that it was a holiday for the two of us, it was very much a companionable time together walking to all the corners of the garden, rather than an in depth plant admiration tour.  I took just a few pictures and caught only a few of the names.

The plantings of different varieties of Ophiopogon under some of the trees near the New Zealand Garden were very effective, and I particularly like the Ophiopogon Japonicus minor.  Just how many small clumps did they plant? 

Ophiopogon Japonicus minor

Being very shade and dry tolerant'  they made very effective ground cover...

Ophiopogon intermedius argenteomarginata

In the vicinity of the Summer garden stood this large magnificent tree.  We could not but be drawn to it.  With its dark profile and branches reaching the ground, it formed a good focal point along the wide grass avenue

Savill Garden - Podocarpus Salignus

The raised bed gravel mulched beds had several plants which drew my attention such as this Luma apiculata 'Nana'.

Luma apiculata 'Nana'

The Queen Elizabeth Temperate House had some delightful plant combinations, with everything very well maintained and the plants well looked after.

Our walk around The Summer Wood was made all the more interesting for all the woodland planting under the trees, as well as display in beds of various forms of Hydrangea Paniculata with single variety beds showing off the form and structure of these to great advantage. There is a good cultivar selected at the Savill Gardens called Hydrangea paniculata 'Savill Lace', though I don't think it is the one below.

I think one would need at least two consecutive days in the gardens to do them justice, and that is before taking into consideration that visits at different times of the year would highlight different groups of plants.  

Of course I have not forgotten that the park land around our hotel had some beauties, and after a rest we took a late afternoon stroll and will post some pictures of The Elvetham Hotel another time. 
 

Six on Saturday - 20 September 2025

The garden has finally started to recover with the rain, so it is with a lighter heart that gardened this week, and according to custom Six items from the garden are being posted, and linked into Jim's post.  Lots to see there from several other SOSers.  You are welcome to join in if you wish, with Jim explaining the guidelines.

1. When I posted this  Allium senescens ssp. glaucum growing in the gravel garden in 2023, I wrote that I intended to divide it.  I didn't and now it is even wider and full of flower.  It may flower late but all summer it has still been attractive with its curling grey green leaves. Yesterday the sunshine brought out the butterflies and they just loved this, but could I get near enough to photograph clearly...they certainly were camera shy.

Allium senescens ssp glaucum

2. One of the trees I have enjoyed particularly in the autumn when visiting other gardens is Cercidiphyllum japonicum -   I love scents in   garden and The Katsura Tree as it is called in Japan gives off a lovely toffee apple scent.  Of course the garden is far too small for such a tree, but I could start to grow one and keep it small, and to my delight found that you can buy very young trees.  I got this one from Jurassic Plants, and it shall get lots of tlc and we shall see how it develops over the years.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

3. Since I found the tree that I really wanted on line at Jurassic Plants, I had a look to see what other little plant caught my fancy and I decided to give Corylopsis sinensis a go.  Its common name is Chinese Winter Hazel and again with its fragrance in the spring, and good autumn colour. I hope to bring it on for a few years till it starts to flower.  The planting instructions were clear and straight forward and very detailed.  They were very well packed, and planted up as per the instructions within an hour of their arrival.  It seems strange to plant the pot with its pot into the larger pot which I shall use, but knowing the reasons why it makes sense to me. 

Corylopsis sinensis - Chinese Winter Hazel

4. Early morning low light in the garden: a special time and a plant from Special Plants: 

Miscanthus nepalensis

5.  Some of the cyclamen I grew from seeds received from the Cyclamen Society are throwing up flowers for the first time. I was not quite sure that it was as the packet said, and thanks to posting on the Cyclamen Society Facebook page, I had identification by Steve Walters and John Lonsdale that the two plants I showed were Cyclamen intaminatum. Isn't wonderful that such experts give time and help through these societies.  I even had the comment 'nice leaf'! New labels with the correct name are now in the pot.

Cyclamen intaminatum

The flowers are much smaller than Cyclamen hederifolium, so I shall be keeping these in a pot rather than releasing them into the garden.

6. The cosmos that I bought as seedlings are finally flowering.  The plants are very tall but finally they are showing their colours.

and only when I was looking at some of the pictures and blowing them up on the computer did I see that one of the blooms was host to a Flower Crab Spider, it is still small and if you want a hint it is at about 31 minutes past.

I'm out this morning to my local HPS monthly meeting, and taking a great specimen of the Chrysanthemum Picasso.  I took the tiniest of material early in the year as cutting, and it has made an extraordinary good plant in just one season. 

Royal Surrey day 1 - A few days away on a Coach Holiday

This is starting to read like a brochure for the local coaching company John Martin, but these are just a few recollections from our 4 day break taking in The Savill Gardens and RHS Wisley.

On the way down to our hotel on day one we made a stop for lunch at Windsor.  It is absolutely decades since I visited, and not surprisingly it had changed so very much.  After a quick look round Windsor and finding it much changed I suggested we had a stroll over the bridge towards Eton.  It was much less crowded that Windsor and I was very much impressed by the college buildings. 

Eton College School Hall and Library

This is one of a pair of similar styled boarding houses built in the mid nineteenth centuries, each of which, houses around fifty boys.

I had looked up the various spaces in the college we could visit and was for sure interested in their museums.  We were specially lucky as they are open to the public on Sunday afternoons.  We headed for the Museum of Eton Life but this had been cordoned off as filming was taking place. However a Porter very kindly suggested we may like to visit one or both of the other museums opened and pointed out their direction to us.

The Natural History Museums and The Museum of Antiquities were just amazing. 

Of particular interest to me was the exhibition including a reconstruction of the cabin which Sir Joseph Banks would have occupied on his expedition on HM Bark Endeavour.

There were also collections of fossils, and so much else.  It would be well worth making this a Sunday afternoon visit.

A little further down the road we were delighted by the artifacts on display at The Museum of Antiquities.  Here are just a couple to give you an idea.

We were delighted by The Elvetham Hotel chosen by John Martin Coaches.  We had a large room in the Stables Building, and once we had unpacked, we went out to look over the grounds, and found a nice place to rest and enjoy the beautiful trees.

Of course, I can't resist a deckchair even though these were on the small size!

For day two see what we got up via this link.

The Isle of Wight memories of a few days on holiday

 I was writing up about buying my deckchair on my Six on Saturday post, when the memories of our holiday on the Isle of Wight flashed into my head.  I just felt sure that I had posted about that soon after our visit as is my norm.  Obviously the memories of those few days are still vivid, but sadly on checking the pictures are few.  We had mixed feelings about the holiday and on the way back on the ferry a man next to us was hacking away and sneezing, and I myself came down with some virus.

Looking through the scant pictures, it is still worth nothing a few of things we got up to, and anything worth noting.  Over dinner in the garden last night Mr S and I discussed our holiday and as usual we came up some differing views, but also agreed on many.  I tend to remember only the good, he is programmed to remember the opposite, but he did agree on many of the positives.

Our Ferry from Lymington deposited us at Yarmouth, and our first visit was to Carisbrooke Castle.  Using our English Heritage cards gained us access, and we spent the rest of the day exploring and reading and viewing the rooms and understanding the history of the Castle.

Part of Carisbrooke Castle 

Pottery display Carisbrooke Castle

I can't quite recall but I have the feeling that for Shanklin and much of the Isle, September was regarded almost as 'out of season', and there was a tied feeling to places. Not all the restaurants were open, and those that were, were fully booked or required bookings for the casual diner.  Anyway, having got used to the procedure for future evenings we made sure we had bookings.  

We had booked a four day break at a hotel to include the ferry crossing, and had chosen a middling priced affair.  We stayed at the Bourne Hall Hotel in probably what was they lowest rated rooms, as looking at it now, there are some rather posh looking rooms.  Or maybe in the past year they have had a good make over.  At the time of visiting last year the gardens looked in need of a good weeding.  What was memorable was that there a Caterham group of over ten cars staying, so that each day on our return, we had to squeeze our conventional car is some distant corner of the car park.  They were real beautifies and each one had so many differences. 

Mace day out - Niwaki and further on to Old Wardour Castle

 Only a few days ago I mentioned to my dearly beloved that I would like to try some tools to see if they would fit my hand.  Having had some Niwaki secateurs for a few years now, yes it is six years now, it is not surprising that I wanted to try a Hori hori. This Friday our day out was to Niwaki Head quarters.  This is situated in a beautiful corner of Wiltshire close to the border of Dorset. it was a lovely drive down through the now greening up countryside.  There was a hint of autumn in the hedgerows with the haws on the hawthorns turning red.

The shop is beautifully laid out with the full range of tools and other items from Japan from workwear to attractive screen printed handkerchiefs.

The tools are well finished and well balanced.  The assistant was really helpful but also gave us plenty of space and time and facility to try things.  If only I had bought these tools many years ago!

In the shop you also get a nice bag to fit each item. Mr S has already fixed up a system so that I can hang the bags to store my tools.  I had also taken my secateurs and some snips.  The snips has started to stick and the assistant sorted those out whilst we browsed, and it was nothing more tricky than removing some of the rust and applying a little Magnolia oil.  I already have the mini clean mate and when I got home I carried out similar cleaning to my secateurs have brought them back to as tip top condition. 

We had a short drive to Pythouse Kitchen Garden where we thought we might have a light bite, but they were serving lunch with a  number of small dishes only.  We turned back and retraced our steps to the  Compton McRae on the same site Chaldicott Barns where Niwaki is situated. We had a lovely large bowl of really delicious squash, miso and sage soup and a couple of thick slices of a delicious focaccia bread. 

Fortified and warmed up we then drove to the English Heritage site of Old Wardour Castle.  The roads were the sort of narrow roads where you note and count the passing points and just hope you don't meet anyone coming in the opposite direction!  The effort was well rewarded.

We each had one of those self guided audio guides which took one round the castle with interesting narration about the history of the construction and people who lived there in context of the times.  

The weather was remarkably changeable, at times we needed to find rooms with ceilings to shelter from the heavy downfalls, only venturing further once it was clear.

  

After the castle was damaged during the civil wars and the New Wardour Castle built, the grounds including the 'Romantic Ruins' formed part of the Georgian pleasure gardens on the Wardour Estate.

This banqueting house was built in the eighteen century to entertain The Arundells and their guests as they toured the grounds. 

The views of the lake and trees are beautifully framed and each one has a slightly different angle. 

In the grounds is an eighteenth century grotto, which was partly built from stones from a nearby ancient stone circle.  Having recently visited the stone circles at Stanton Drew it was interesting to make the link and start to understand that over the last centuries stones such as these would have been moved by land owners to be reconstructed for such follies.

Looking out from one of the grotto chambers

We were to have had a long circular walk that goes past the New Wardour Castle, but the rain had delayed us, and we decided set off back home instead.  I found a way to catch a glimpse of the Palladian Mansion's grandeur through this short video presented by Jasper Conran before he sold his apartment there.

New Wardour Castle 

What's up in my gardening domain- Six on Saturday 13 September 2025

Yes we have had rain, and thunder and lighting and those plants that have survived the long drought are bouncing back nicely, some are even thinking this may be spring as they come out of semi dormancy. As usual this is linked into Jim's early morning post, where you will find various approaches to six things from our gardens.

1.  This picture of one of the most successful decorative Origanums in the garden shows how it has extended a little too far across the path. and after six years it is time to dig up, divide, revive and move elsewhere, plus plenty for sharing with friends.

Origanum Bristol Cross

As plants mature and reach their full size, I often find myself wishing I had chosen a different place to grow them, and at the same time discovering a different plant to go in that place.   

2. When moving and dividing plants I often had to resort to an old bread knife.  However I have been thinking of treating myself to a tool, a particular one that I have been considering for a number of years: a hori hori. I wanted to be able to handle them to decide which would feel the most comfortable. Rather than buying online, yesterday Mr S and I went on a trip to visit Niwaki Headquarters, and suffice it to say Date Day will be remembered for a long time: each time I garden.  We then went on to visit Old Wardour Castle. 

I found several things and also my snips that had been sticking were sorted out and I learnt a few tips on maintenance. Yesterday evening I got out my old Niwaki secateurs and gave them a good clean and sharpen.

3. As we are starting to have several days with showers, many of them quite heavy, it is time to move the succulents off the conservatory shelf.  There are some in other parts of the garden too and they will all go into the conservatory. The ones by the front door under a canopy can stay out until it get much cooler, it is the daily drenching that needs to be avoided.

4. Looking back over the new plants I have grown this year I can report that the Coleus, well just two of them this year have done really well.  It seems that they grow and grow and the size very much depends on the size of pot they are in.   Coleus Flamethrower Serrano is just coming in flower, but quite honestly it has been a really colourful addition to the garden even without those.  Of course I haven't seen what its flowers look like so am perhaps a little presumptive. I shall take a few cuttings to overwinter somewhere around the house, and hopefully next spring will be able to find a couple more cultivars to add.

 Coleus Flamethrower Serrano

5. This is one of my favourite potted shrubs in the garden and it really comes into its own in low sun  when everything else starts to wind down and right through the winter too.  Last year I noticed that it was slowly shedding twigs and starting to go brown and I had to tease out lots of dead growth: it was really on the decline to the extent that I thought it was dying.  I repotted the Chamaecyparis pisifera var. filifera into a larger pot with new soil, perhaps it was last autumn or maybe even early this spring. I am happy to report that there has been a real turn around.  This was a lesson to me that plants just can't keep on growing in the same medium in pots for years on end. 

Chamaecyparis pisifera var. filifera

6.  Hands on propagation is something for which I enjoy getting my eyes and nose close to a plant which needs increasing.  As you handle plants especially during rain the smell of the earth gives an added dimension to gardening.  Petricor is the name scientists have given to this smell, and on Monday whilst I was out in the garden with large clouds piling up, I enjoyed gardening whilst there was thunder and lightning overhead until the rain started and having a good drenching was not on the list of things to do in the garden. I had gone out to divide the pot of Limonium bellidifolium.  I had promised Hilary a piece and I also wanted to remove what looked like some Rhodohypoxis growing through it.

In amongst the foliage I found a large snail hunkering down (RIP).  It is sometime ago since this plant was lifted from the gravel garden, and divided and planted into this pot.  Some divisions are now back in the gravel garden, and I am trying some at the edge of the path. I bought this plant during my visit to Beth Chatto's garden in 2021. 

I know the season is moving on as there is less gardening time in the evening.  There is less gardening time too because we have decided we were eating dinner later and later, on account of my loosing track of time on the days I decide to 'play' in the garden after tea time, then get called back in some time later, with the cry 'are we having dinner tonight'?  I like gardening and I like cooking, but my hunger noises don't kick in when I am in the garden!