We need to be cheered up. The weather has been appalling recently. This part of the world has flooded. There was a point when we thought that the only place with more water than us was Venice (and they’ve had a bad time, too.
For the 47-day period from 22 September to 7 November, we had half our average annual rainfall. Eat your heart out, Noah.
For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been on the wrong side of the jet stream again, and the temperature has plummeted to January averages. And it’s still raining and foggy and dank.
So, we definitely need cheering up. One of our gardeners has sent me some images from his holiday in September and October, which included garden visits. Let’s have a look at those.
This is Hutton-in-the-Forest, Penrith, Cumbria. Those lovely red lobelias give a whole new meaning to the idea of container growing.
Next stop was Ballyrobert Gardens in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with this colourful display of Rudbeckia.
Then, the Belfast Botanic Garden. This is the Palm House, with a lovely display of Aechmea fasciata – and it looks like more Rudbeckia outside.
This gorgeous Salvia is in the Mount Stewart Gardens, and it’s Salvia dombeyi, The Giant Bolivian Slavia.
And it’s back across the Irish Sea and onto London for the Chelsea Physic Garden, putting on its autumn party frock.
This was home before the holiday, with gladioli and agapanthus.
And with those autumn stars, Dahlias.
Thanks to our group member who has really brought a bit of warmth and colour into this awful grey day.
The Pleasure Gardener 
Black-eyed Susan seems to be popular where I would not expect it to be. I have been noticing quite a bit of it. In fact, there seems to be more of it in Europe than there is here.
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I like the way they have erupted into the garden from the nursery. Better still I like them with blue agapanthus!
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They seem to be as resilient and prolific as they are in milder climates.
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Yes, it seems we borrowed it from you! :~)) In truth, it seems to be more commonly found in large plantings such as parks and the larger gardens, perhaps because it can get a bit assertive, but it makes a lovely show.
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Oh, it isn’t ours either. It is endemic to the Eastern half of North America, and only naturalized here with the migration of the Okies. I happen to like it because it looks so much like something from the Midwestern Prairies. That is why it seems odd that it would be so popular in Europe.
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