In many ways August is my favourite month. By now the summer guests have gone home and a peaceful quietness has settled in the countryside. The weather has been beautiful this last week, and I have truly enjoyed the sunshine after some quite rainy weeks! In the flower borders there are still plenty of late summer blooms, and the Westerland rose keeps on performing. It is even beautiful when deadheaded!
At portvakten the colour scale has gone from mainly pinks and purples to soft yellow and blue. Ladies mantle (Alchemilla Mollis) provides a long lasting soft backdrop to yellow Day Lilies, dark blue Hyssops and light blue speedwell (Veronica spicata). I like the mix of dark red Great burnett (Sanguisorba officinalis) and soft yellow Ladies mantle too, although without the bigger picture of lazy autumn fields in the backdrop that pick up the colour scheme it may have felt like too bold a combination.
In Humlegård the deep crimson pincushion flowers (Knautia macedonia) are still going strong, and I must say that it is one of my favourite late summer perennials! It spreads easily much to my delight, and I let it roam free. If it turns up in a bad place I simply transplant it elsewhere in the garden. The red tones continue throughout this border with still flowering red Yarrow and Japanese anemones (Anemone x hybrida) thar are now starting to join in the chorus.
On the other side of the road next to the chicken coop, there is a happy assortment of autumn lily bulbs and brightly coloured crimson bee balm (Monarda didyma), as well as a very vigorous wildflower that I can't remember the name of but which I let stay in the border as the butterflies love it and it is in my opinion quite pretty.
Last but not leas my wildflower corner has come into it's own, with a sea of translucent paper poppies swaying in the evening sunshine. With this I would love to wish you a happy August and lots of sunshine wherever you are!!
