August - isn't it?

It’s August.  The calendar says so, and certainly for the first couple of weeks we had fine, warm, dry summer weather, including some properly hot days; it’s not often that the temperature gets above 30C here.  Inevitably this was followed by thunderstorms, and although not cold it is now mostly wet, with some strong winds today and no lasting improvement in the forecast.

Blackberries in the hedgerow

Early in the month, though, even before the weather turned, it was starting to feel a little unseasonable.  The euonymus europaeus (spindle) leaves were starting to turn reddish, a reminder that autumn isn’t that far away; and in the hedgerow opposite the house, blackberries were already ripe.  Surely that’s a sign of September rather than August?  The first apples (‘Discovery’) were also very early, dropping from the cordon at the beginning of the month, which is some weeks earlier than usual.  Some of the flowering shrubs also seem a little confused; Viburnum ‘Dawn’ is already in bloom (although it does sometimes produce flowers in autumn, it’s really a winter-flowerer), and Mahonia ‘Winter Sun’ definitely doesn’t know what season it is.

Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn'

Mahonia 'Winter Sun', in August

Small tortoiseshells, basking in the sun

The wildlife does seem to know about the seasons.  Spiders are starting to proliferate indoors, always a sign of approaching autumn, and the August butterfly boom is underway; no painted ladies this year, but lots of small tortoiseshells on the buddleja and sunning themselves on the nearby woodpile, as well as red admirals and various whites, but sadly few peacocks - though a fritillary turned up yesterday.  Some interesting moths, too.  The birds have finished nesting, although the sparrows are still feeding what must surely be their last brood.  The patio robins and the blackbirds are moulting; we haven’t seen many juvenile blackbirds this year (sadly one succumbed to a window strike, and was buried under the new euonymus, of which more in a moment), and no young robins, but a young goldfinch came down with its parents one day.  At one point we had four young woodpigeons, all feeding together on the lawn, but they seem to have dispersed.

A rather pretty moth

Dahlia 'Bishop's Children' series

Dianthus 'Siberian Blues'

As so often in August, colour in the garden is mostly coming from the dahlias, particularly the ‘Bishop’s Children’ which were planted out before the others.  Among the other pops of colour is a little pot of seed-grown Dianthus 'Siberian Blues' which I planted up a couple of years ago; it isn't my idea of blue, but it's a small bright spot among the patio pots.  The sweet peas were blown off their supports by the wind that swept in ahead of the first thunderstorm, and as they were already starting to go over I’m leaving them to set seed, in the hope of saving some for next year.  As for the brachyglottis, whose demise I forecast in the last post, its fate is probably sealed.  Just after I posted last, a kind (socially-distanced) visitor brought an attractive variegated euonymus as a present.  There was a suitable spot for it alongside the brachyglottis, and like the brachyglottis it’s just the thing to provide a contrast with the surrounding green foliage; so in it went, and in due course I’ll remove the brachyglottis and let the euonymus take over its role.  It seems to have settled in happily, and with some statice providing a spot of temporary colour in front it looks rather good. 

Euonymus 'Bravo', with statice

The plum tree has started to shed its leaves, as it always does after fruiting (quite a good crop this year), and the wind has brought down much debris from the other trees too.  Some serious tree-pruning is being arranged with a local tree man!