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  1. A little Book of Garden Wisdom
    Calling all gardeners out there  here is a free book!
    " A little Bit of Garden Wisdom"
    I find by this time of year I am doing more reading about gardening, than actual gardening, especially on cold and wet days.
     
    This is a little free book, as it says, of Garden Wisdom from Thompson and Morgan and you can read it on screen, or download it. It is small but packed full of ideas and tips (including one from the Sunday Gardener,) from 60 garden bloggers with their best garden advice.

     

  2. The brightly coloured spring flowers of Erysimum cheiri Cheiranthus also kno subtle shades of Erysimum

     One of the things I like about gardening is looking forward to the next season, the next year. As we slide into autumn, it is the time when plants and spring bulbs are being chosen for next year's display. Wall flowers, latin name Erysimum really pack a punch and have to be one of the sweetest scented flowers in the garden, up there with Lilies and Roses. Wall flowers are easy to grow, requiring a sunny spot and well drained soil. Wall flowers are spring-flowering and look great with the spring flowering bulbs. It is easy to imagine the bright red Wallflower illustrated left, which is E. cheiri Cheiranthus with some bold Orange Tulips and left the subtle shades with blues of Hyacinth or pale pink Tulips.

    September is an ideal time to plant Wallflowers which can be bought as smaller plants for growing on over the Autumn to spring and so more cheaply than the fully grown plants next spring. Be sure to check which variety to buy; the biennial types have scent, the perennial variety which is usually Bowles's Mauve does not. More tips on growing Wallflowers. 

     

  3. Leafy wisteria before summer pruning Trimmed down wisteria after summer prune

    July and early August are the best times to give the Wisteria it's summer prune. Over the summer months the Wisteria has put on a lot of vigorous growth and it needs a good prune . This prune needs to take off long wippy growth, and where the Wisteria has outgrown its allotted space. In the image it is impinging on the windows and needs cutting back.

    The other reason for pruning Wisteria in the summer is to ensure it keeps flowering. The pruning regime, Winter and Summer is an intrinsic part of the routine to ensure it flowers well.

    These quick before and after images show just how much Wisteria can be happily cut back. Advise on growing and pruning Wisteria, video advise on how to make Wisteria flower including the summer prune, and a reminder how lovely the Wisteria looked earlier in the year.

     

  4. Watchful eagle Chariot in wild flower meadow

    There is much to see at this lovely garden which includes some interesting sculptures  featured in the garden. Illustrated above is a watchful Eagle, and in the wild meadow, a magnificent chariot sculpture. 

    Mount Pleasant has lots of colourful zingy borders full of herbaceous planting with a great range of plants and colour. By contrast, it also has several attractive water features, creating a tranquil oasis with waterfalls and lilies. Walking around the garden there is an abundance of butterflies attracted to the varied planting, and it's buzzing with bees.

    An impressive feature is the the wildflower meadow which was in bloom, although the owner, Dave Darlington, told us that in previous years with the benefit of different weather, the meadow had flowered better. Still, this year with the drought we are lucky to have flowers and it looked pretty good to me. 

    There are 10 acres of gardens to see, which are carefully laid out so that as you walk around you twist and turn on the paths to find something of interest, a further garden, a pond, a Japanese garden, bog garden and dotted all around interesting sculptures. Much of the garden is hidden from view until you walk around and explore it. 

    There is so much to recommend the visitor to Mount pleasant gardens. Personally, I really liked the varied planting, large wildflower meadow and all the sculptures which together make for a very interesting garden.

    restful pond butterfly on yellow flower
    deer Sculpture in wildflower meadow
    varied border