Sunday 2nd.

Carrying on planting the lower south bed below the studio to the neglect of the rest of the garden. Now that it has rained on & off everything is growing like mad. I took the top off one of the Laburnums by the Wistarias which was in the way of the view from the terrace. I have planted some shrubs at the end of the upper bed which have mostly scented flowers including Clematis akoensis up a tripod.

Friday 7th.

A lovely sunny day and I began the task of pulling out drought killed plants and dead bits of plants still alive in parts. By the large Betula utilis, I also found the Kniphofia rooperi and the Magnolia Porcelain Dove had suffered a) being in the shade and b) drought so I moved them to the shrub bed in front of the studio. Work has started on the back of the house, gutting it inside, but they will hold off doing too much outside until after the garden open day on the 30th. Access from now on will be more difficult so I will reduce the number of open days next year, starting the last Sunday in June when the work is scheduled to have finished.

Wednesday 19th.

Bertie the dog dug up Magnolia Porcelain Dove and it snapped Grrrr....

I have replanted it (just a stick) and hope it might sprout. I made cuttings of the snapped off top growth. Went to St Ives for a couple of days Thursday to Saturday and I saw an example of the new 3D Osteospermums in Barbara Hepworth’s garden - I must get some next year for the South Bed. They are a bit tender.

We visited Burncoose on the way back and I got a replacement for my Amicia zygomeris and I hope it will do better in the lower South bed than in the past elsewhere in the main garden. The peculiar Rostrinucula dependens  is beginning to flower, and I’m not too sure that I like it. I need to wait until all the flowers show blue, I suppose.

I notice that Hayloft have got Helianthus salicifolius so I will try to get it for the Autumn border in place of the useless Viburnum recognitum which has entered a premature denudation due to the drought. It should produce a good fountain of foliage even though the flowers are a disappointment.

Sunday 30th.

Garden open today for last time - 28 visitors which was slightly disappointing, in spite of my 5 minute slot on BBC Radio Devon with Toby Buckland this morning. It was a good trial of the new arrangements and all the visitors made it up the slopes! A German couple came and went when they saw that the Teas had been cancelled. It was overcast and a bit chilly which was unfortunate since all the week has been sunny.

I received and planted the three Helianthus salicifolius plants and dug out Viburnum recognitum. It should balance the border better which is actually looking very nice - Acer October Glory is colouring beautifully.

I bought a good plant of Panicum virgatum ‘Prairie Sky’ at the market, and on Saturday cleared the corner of the Autumn border and put it in with a pale blue Aster. Kniphofia caulescens next to it is looking good.

The Autumn Border left hand end

Behind: Acer negundo ‘Violacea’, Acer ‘Oktober Glorie’,  Cotinus ‘Grace’, Metaseqouia ‘Goldrush’

In Front: Berberis georgiana seedling, Panicum ‘Prairie Sky’ New Zealand grass, dwarf Pampas ‘Evita’, Heuchera “Obsidian’, Late Kniphofia Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, Cornus red stemmed variegated