September is settling in. The heatwaves are behind us, the garden has had a good drink, and I’m back on the bike and putting one foot in front of the other again.
I’m also keeping half an eye on the sky, wondering when the first proper storm of the 2026–27 season will arrive. There’s something about September that feels like a reset — summer fading, autumn waiting patiently in the wings, and plenty still happening outdoors.
We are almost at the equinox. Soon, the nights will be longer than the days. Darkness is about to win the day (literally). But not yet.
Anyway, enough of the waffle, wittering, rambling, rabbiting and general nonsense. Come along in to have a look at what caught my eye in the garden this week.
Begonias
At the start of the gardening year, I decided to focus on getting a decent collection of annual begonias. I suppose they really are perennial begonias if they’re cared for properly.
I kept to my word, and bought lots, many trailing begonias. Even at this time of year, in the middle of September, there’s great colour. I’ve stopped feeding them now, but they will bloom until after Halloween. Shortly after that I’ll bring them indoors and start drying them off for the winter.
Viola
Here’s another little refocus that I’ve had this year. I’ve always loved pansies, but this year I’ve changed a bit. Instead of pansies, I’ve got a nice mixture of pansies and violas. The violas are just that little bit tidier. Smaller blooms, but much tidier. In the picture above, you can see violas on the left and pansies on the right. So can I.
Gaura / Oenothera
What can I say about Gaura except that I really like it? Apparently, Gaura is one of the longest flowering garden plants. Indeed, this one has been in flower since early July and shows no sign of stopping.
I’ve lost the plant label, but I think it is Gaura lindheimeri (now often listed as Oenothera lindheimeri), most likely the classic cultivar ‘Siskiyou Pink’.
How or why do plant names change? How does gaura become oenothera? To me, it will always be gaura.
Acer ‘Houston’
This Acer has been in this pot on the patio for about ten years. Now, I think there’s a problem. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s just shedding the leaves early.
I think the heatwaves didn’t help, and it struggled. Perhaps I did not help? Perhaps I underwatered it or overwatered it?
Cotoneaster ‘Queen of Carpets’
I planted this Cotoneaster ‘Queen of Carpets’ about 10 years ago as a ground cover plant on the raised rockery. Since then, it has spread far and wide. In fact, as soon as it spread to the back of the rockery, it climbed and has now covered the wall behind. No trellis needed. No support of any kind. Super plant. Super plant indeed.
Kitchen Window
To finish my Six-on-Saturday today, here’s a view from the kitchen window. I think it’s time to take down the sun umbrella.
What changes would I like to see here for 2027? I’ll have plenty of time to sit and ponder on this. No rush.
That’s my Six-on-Saturday for this week. For more Sixes on Saturday, from all around the world, head over to the blog of Six-on-Saturday host, Jim. I’ll be checking there and saving many for reading during the week ahead.
Until next time,
Slán,
Pádraig.
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Your garden is beautiful! Thanks for taking me on a tour. 😊
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Fáilte, a chara. I tend to macro-photo and it’s not easy to get overall picture. The shot from kitchen window does give a sense of some of it.
Hope you have a great weekend. = ‘Deireadh seachtaine maith’
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Merci et à toi aussi = “thank you and to you also” in my first language. I am Canadienne francophone. 😊
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😜 Je te remerci.
Remembering my school French.
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😊
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To me, it looks like the Acer suffered from the heat, and since autumn is setting in, it’s shedding its leaves. It resembles a bonsai—meaning there isn’t much soil volume in that small pot—so that’s perfectly normal.
Speaking of pots, I notice that your lovely arrangement of violas and pansies is in a pot labeled “Daffs,” isn’t it? 😂
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You’ve a good eye, a chara. The “Daffs” is to remind me that pot has daffodils.So many pots that next June I need to know which pots have bulbs.
Thanks for the Acer advice.
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I’ve yet to put away my sun umbrella too living in, probably a vain, hope there might still be a need for it.
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Hope is a wonderful way of thinking!
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what a beautiful garden you have Pádraig. I have the same Gaura but just call it the “pink one” because I only know it to come in two colours and mine isn’t white. I find mine grows outwards from the centre and flattening everything next to it which frustrates me no end, but you are right, it does flower for a really long time. I read in one of the comments that you have ‘daffs’ growing in the pansy pot….I have a mind to do this as well this year.
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Thank you, Cath. 🙏 Yes indeed. Gaura does find a way to flatten everything. I’m thinking of putting small shrub nearby to hold it in. Maybe a viburnurnum or something.
Yes I like pots to have year round interest. I label them to remember what’s underground.
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Interesting idea
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Gaura is nice. We have two varieties that are native to my state and I have seen it in bloom in the wild up at my friend’s Minnesota cabin. They can get so tall, though! I don’t have a place for them unless I start acquiring more lawn from the spousal unit. He keeps running over the squash that has decided to sprawl over the lawn at the back of the garden. Most of the plants that I grow are native to the US midwest anfd they definitely like and need company of you don’t want them to flop all over the place. Tall grasses work well. I made use of New England Asters to help support my tomato, pepper and eggplants. It worked pretty well, though the peppers did nto get as much sun as they might have liked. You have influenced me to use violas in my pot that usually has pansies and alyssum. I think the violas would look better for the reasons you mention.
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Yes I think you’ll like violas. Pretty little things.
Id love more tall grasses but I don’t have the space.
I’ll try your Asters/Tomatoes combination, and report back…
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Now that is a lovely view indeed from your kitchen, and what a great Begonia display. I’ll be in Ireland next week, and if the other gardens are a patch on yours, I shall be delighted. Other people’s gardens are always worth looking at. At least from the coach window I should get a good view.
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Ireland is definitely back to the forty shades of green again, Noelle. Enjoy your trip.
I’m going to be very bold… Other gardens won’t be a patch on mine! 😜 (I don’t know what came over me!)
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What a view from your kitchen window. That gaura is a beauty – I should probaby try growing them again and treat them as an annual as they don’t seem to survive the winter in my garden.
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Thank you, a chara. I’m very grateful for having beauty close to me.
Gaura won’t disappoint you. 👌
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