The lemon meringue garden has been interesting this year and although the colour range is deliberately limited, the garden has changed with the seasons. I have changes to make because there are not enough colourful plants at the front and it is dominated by helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ right now. But that is the fun or gardening and I don’t want it the same every year. I need to remove a lot of the heloanthus this winter but I must admit that great wodges of it are very satisfying, especially as the rather starchy habit is contrasted with the arching sprays of solidago ‘Fireworks’. A sunny day makes them even brighter.

There is still colour from alstroemerias, which flower so long they almost become boring, and shrubby potentillas. And daylilies are still producing the occasional bloom.

Some annual (Chabaud) carnations have produced some pretty flowers. One was, annoyingly, vibrant pink, and had to be removed, but the rest are pure white and though the plants are a bit scrawny and the flowers not huge, they are pure white and have a wonderful fragrance. My white chelone turned out to be the regular pink and that has to be moved this autumn too – somewhere not too conspicuous since I am not that keen on it and it was only allowed through the garden gate because it was white!

helianthus lemon queen